New Figures Show Record Numbers of School Staff in U.K. Schools

U.K. Schools Minister Jim Knight has welcomed new figures showing the overall school workforce still growing at its highest ever level and pupil-teacher ratio continuing to improve.

- 20,100 more teachers and support staff than 12 months ago -
- Year-on-year falls in teachers per pupil in primary and secondary schools -
- Average class sizes fall -

Provisional statistics published today showed that the overall school workforce has grown by 20,100 over the last 12 months to 767,600 - the biggest year-on-year growth since 2005, giving schools the highest number of teachers for a generation.

The figures show 1,900 more full-time equivalent teachers, 13,100 teaching assistants and 5,100 other support staff in authority maintained schools, Academies and City Technology Colleges since last year.

It means there are now 441,200 teachers, a rise of 40,900 over the last decade. There are now 176,900 teaching assistants, a rise of 116,300 - almost triple the number 10 years ago.

The overall pupil-adult and pupil-teacher ratios have dropped year-on-year in primary and secondary schools.

Pupil statistics, also published today, show that average secondary school class sizes have fallen again and remained constant overall in primary schools. Average Key Stage 2 classes have made the biggest drop for six years but Key Stage 1 class sizes have risen slightly - back up to 2004 levels but a massively down on levels a decade ago.

As in previous years, Ministers are now working with local authorities and schools concerned to ensure they take immediate action on the 200 infant classes that unlawfully have more than 31 or more children out of 53,140 classes nationally - a rise of 70 from last year.

Schools Minister Jim Knight said:

“There are now more teachers, teaching assistants and support staff and more staff per pupil than ever before.

“Parents have always told us they want more staff in schools to help their children get the most out of school and that’s what we’ve delivered.

“The huge rise in teaching assistants shows we’ve put our money where our mouth is on school workforce reforms, developed hand in hand with the majority of teaching unions.

“We have more teachers than at any time since I was at school. We’ve freed up teachers from administration tasks to do what they do best - teaching and giving pupils more individual attention. And we have invested massively in support staff on the ground to give them the back up they need.

“Teaching is now one of the most sought after professions thanks to increases in the average teacher’s salary by 19% in real terms to an average of over £34,000; cuts bureaucracy and tougher disciplinary powers for staff. The result is almost 41,000 more teachers in our schools in the last decade and buoyant recruitment.”

Key findings from today’s provisional statistics include:

Workforce

* The overall state school workforce has risen 2.7% to 767,600 - a 42% rise over the last decade.

* There are 441,200 full time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools - 1,900 more than last year.

* There are 176,900 full-time equivalent teaching assistants, 13,100 more than last year and 149,500 full-time equivalent administrative staff, technicians and other support staff - up 5,000 on last year.

* Pupil-teacher ratio has fallen in primaries from 21.8 pupils for every teacher to 21.6 and in secondary schools from 16.5 to 16.1.

* Pupil-adult ratio (including teachers, teaching assistants and support staff) has fallen in primaries from 12.4 pupils for every staff member to 12 and in secondaries from 11.4 to 11.

Pupils

* Primary school pupil numbers have dropped 20,630 to 3,957,330 and secondary school pupil numbers have dropped 33,650 to 3,287,600 since last year.

* Overall average class sizes remain the same as 2007 in primary schools at 26.2 - with Key Stage One rising from 25.6 to 25.7 and Key Stage Two falling from 27.2 to 27.0.

* Average class sizes have fallen in secondary schools from 21.2 to 20.9.

* 89.2% of class sizes in primary schools and 93.2% of secondary schools have 30 or less pupils.

The final figures are published in September.

Source: Department for Children, Schools and Families

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