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<p>The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 limits the size of an infant class
to 30 pupils per school teacher. There is no statutory limit for other primary school
class sizes.</p><p> </p><p>The average infant class contains 27.3 pupils, below the
statutory limit for infant class sizes. The School Admissions Code lists categories
of children eligible for admission as exceptions to the infant class size legislation.
There are only eight such exceptions, including looked after children and children
of multiple births. In the small number of cases where infant classes are above the
limit, it is almost always as a result of admitting a child under a prescribed exception.
The vast majority (96.7%) of infant classes with more than 30 pupils have only one
or two additional pupils.</p><p> </p><p>Where an infant class exceeds the limit and
no exceptions apply, the local authority and the school, where it is its own admission
authority, will be in breach of their legal duties. It is expected that most instances
of unlawfully large classes can be resolved locally. However, where a school or local
authority fails to carry out a duty imposed on them by the Education Acts, the Secretary
of State has the power to direct a school to comply with the law.</p><p> </p>
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