Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to allow a relaxation of up to four additional places in the maximum number of pupils in an infant class in areas where the demand exceeds the number of places available at the local catchment area school.

There are no plans to raise the infant class size limit of 30 pupils per school teacher. The Department for Education believes that smaller infant classes have a positive effect on the progress of younger pupils.

However, there are already a small number of prescribed exceptions where the limit of 30 pupils per teacher can lawfully be exceeded. These exceptions exist to protect the most vulnerable children such as children in care, children with a statement of special educational needs or children who move into an area where there is no other suitable school place available for them.