What happens when there are over 30 children in a reception class?

Counting_Pennies_2

I wonder if you can help.

It would appear one of our two reception classes has over 30 children in it.

My question is what teaching provision should be provided not only for this year but in the future reception years.

My understanding was 30 was the limit.

30 is stretched enough as it is, so I am concerned as to how far this can keep being stretched.

Thanks

bap98189

Normally the school would only admit 30 per class, but there are certain circumstances in which the class size is allowed to exceed 30. This is from our local school's policy, I assume all other schools in E&W will have similar policies in place.

a) children with statements of special educational needs who are admitted to the school outside the normal admissions round;
b) children moving into the area outside the normal admissions round for whom there is no other available school within a reasonable distance
c) children admitted after the initial allocation of places because the person responsible for making the decision recognizes that an error was
made in implementing the school’s admission arrangements and a place ought to have been offered;
d) looked after children admitted outside the normal admissions round;
e) children admitted where an independent appeal panel upholds an appeal on the grounds that the child would have been offered a place if the admission arrangements had been properly implemented, and/or the
admission authority’s decision to refuse a place was not one which a reasonable admission authority would have made;
f) children who are registered pupils at special schools and who, by arrangement with another school which is not a special school, receive part of their education at that other school;
g) children with special educational needs who are registered pupils at a school which is not a special school and are normally educated in a special educational needs unit attached to that school, and attend an infant class in
the mainstream school (i.e. not in the unit) where this has been deemed as beneficial to the child.

Elle7

Is the teacher supported by helpers and trainee teachers?

make_me_wise

I worked in year 1 a few years back and an error was made in allowing an admission so my class went up to 31 pupils. The school had to employ a 2nd teacher and she worked with me and then moved up with that class when they went to year 2. To be honest it was all more hassle than it was worth. Once they get to year 3 class sizes can be up to 35.

bunty109

bap98189 wrote: »

Normally the school would only admit 30 per class, but there are certain circumstances in which the class size is allowed to exceed 30. This is from our local school's policy, I assume all other schools in E&W will have similar policies in place.

a) children with statements of special educational needs who are admitted to the school outside the normal admissions round;
b) children moving into the area outside the normal admissions round for whom there is no other available school within a reasonable distance
c) children admitted after the initial allocation of places because the person responsible for making the decision recognizes that an error was
made in implementing the school’s admission arrangements and a place ought to have been offered;
d) looked after children admitted outside the normal admissions round;
e) children admitted where an independent appeal panel upholds an appeal on the grounds that the child would have been offered a place if the admission arrangements had been properly implemented, and/or the
admission authority’s decision to refuse a place was not one which a reasonable admission authority would have made;
f) children who are registered pupils at special schools and who, by arrangement with another school which is not a special school, receive part of their education at that other school;
g) children with special educational needs who are registered pupils at a school which is not a special school and are normally educated in a special educational needs unit attached to that school, and attend an infant class in
the mainstream school (i.e. not in the unit) where this has been deemed as beneficial to the child.

In my school it could also be that they are admitting a child who is "looked after" i.e fostered or recently adopted.

sneezyboots

make_me_wise wrote: »

I worked in year 1 a few years back and an error was made in allowing an admission so my class went up to 31 pupils. The school had to employ a 2nd teacher and she worked with me and then moved up with that class when they went to year 2. To be honest it was all more hassle than it was worth. Once they get to year 3 class sizes can be up to 35.

There is in fact no legal limit on key 2 up. My school has an average of 38 per class. Apparently the biggest any of them have ever been is 41 :eek:

OP with Key 1- 30 is a legal limit as far as I am aware and another teacher would need to be employed/ new class set up.

JC9297

sneezyboots wrote: »

There is in fact no legal limit on key 2 up. My school has an average of 38 per class. Apparently the biggest any of them have ever been is 41 :eek:

OP with Key 1- 30 is a legal limit as far as I am aware and another teacher would need to be employed/ new class set up.

Yes, I think you are correct on both.

neverdespairgirl

sneezyboots wrote: »

There is in fact no legal limit on key 2 up. My school has an average of 38 per class. Apparently the biggest any of them have ever been is 41 :eek:

OP with Key 1- 30 is a legal limit as far as I am aware and another teacher would need to be employed/ new class set up.

That is huge. Max class sizes at my primary school were 25, at secondary up to GCSE 28, and a maximum of 12 in the Sixth Form. Owing to a couple of people changing their options, my Lower Sixth geography class had 13 pupils, and the following year, they split it into two groups, one of 6, one of 7.

My son's primary school class is 14 at the moment.

bylromarha

Have you spoken to the class teacher regarding your concerns or the Foundation Stage Manager?

AFAIK, 30 is the limit per KS1 class, but if emergency admissions have to be made, then extra provision HAS to be put in place for this.

Janepig

DS has 34 in his class - it's a welsh medium school and the legal 30 limit doesn't apply to them. They only have one teacher, but they have a number of LSA's. I know in nursery and reception they have to have either a 1-6 or a 1-8 ratio. I'm not sure what the ratio has to be in year 1, but I know that their school has invested heavily in LSA's to support the teachers in all years. They don't take lessons like in some schools, but it is an oversubscribed school with large numbers and they provide invaluable help and parents are never needed for school trips and the like because there's so many LSA's.

Jx

kingfisherblue

My daughter's primary school had 85 pupils in total - it was a great school and the teachers knew everyone. There were five girls and six boys in reception when my daughter started, but classes were mixed so that there were around 20 in each class (two infant and two junior classes).

Some teachers had taught parents of the children in previous years. When my son was born with severe disabilities, they were very supportive towards my daughter. Unfortunately, as it was the smallest school in the town, it was deemed too expensive to keep open and there is now a block of flats and a car park on the site of the school.