Class sizes2024/25 data

A typical infant class has 27 children

Classes for 5 to 7 year olds are limited by law to 30 children with one teacher. Most schools stay just below that.

By the Eduscope data teamPublished 31 October 20261 min read

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Two pupils reading together on a bench in a school library

A teacher helping pupils at grouped tables in a primary classroom

The headline number

Children in a typical infant class

Key finding

Class sizes, 2024/25 data

The typical infant class in England has 27 children, just below the legal limit of 30.

By law, an infant class (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) can't have more than 30 children with one qualified teacher. There are a few exceptions, such as children who move into the area mid-year or win an appeal.

Across 13,710 primary schools in England, the typical infant class in 2024 to 2025 had 27 children.

27children in a class of up to 30

What to ask a school

Class sizes depend on how many children a school takes each year. When you visit, ask how many children are in each class, whether classes mix year groups, and how many adults work in each room.

To compare the schools near you, put your postcode into primary schools near me.

A parent holding a small child's hand at a primary school gate

Primary pupils in uniform working with counters at a classroom table

For parents

What this means for you

Where you live makes a difference, but the school you pick matters more than the area.

Look at the school, not just the area.Area averages hide big differences between schools on the same street. Every school page shows its own figures next to the local authority and England.
Check more than one year.Results and absence can move a lot from one year to the next, so look for a pattern rather than a single figure.
Find the figures that fit your child.If your child gets free school meals or has special educational needs, look at how those children do, not just the overall figure.
Ask on a visit."What are you doing about this?" is a fair question at any school, in any area.

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