Primary Schools With the Most Pupils Per Teacher, by Local Authority

How many pupils share each teacher varies dramatically between local authorities. In 2024/25, the national average for state-funded primary schools is 20.8 pupils per teacher — but in some areas that figure rises above 26, while in others it drops below 18.

This analysis ranks local authorities by their pupil-weighted pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools, using DfE School Workforce Census data for the 2024/25 academic year.

The most stretched primary schools

Oldham in Greater Manchester has the highest pupil-teacher ratio of any local authority at 26.4 — meaning for every teacher, there are over 26 primary-age children. That is 27% above the national average, across 76 schools serving nearly 23,000 pupils.

The gap between Oldham and the second-placed authority is striking. Coventry follows at 22.7, then Thurrock at 22.6 and Doncaster at 22.5. These are high, but Oldham's ratio is in a category of its own — nearly four pupils per teacher above the next authority.

Warwickshire at 22.3 is the largest authority in the top 10 by school count, with 202 primary schools and 47,000 pupils.

Where teachers are least stretched

The best-staffed primary schools are concentrated in inner London. Kensington and Chelsea has the lowest ratio at 17.4, followed by Camden at 17.5 and Westminster at 17.7. Tower Hamlets and Wandsworth are both at 17.9.

The gap between the top and bottom is 9.0 pupils per teacher — from 26.4 in Oldham to 17.4 in Kensington and Chelsea. A child in Oldham shares their teacher with roughly 50% more classmates than a child in Kensington.

A Yorkshire and Midlands pattern

Unlike absence data — which shows no clear regional pattern — pupil-teacher ratios cluster geographically. Four of the top 10 authorities are in Yorkshire and South Yorkshire: Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley and Bury (Greater Manchester, bordering Yorkshire). Three more are in the West Midlands: Coventry, Dudley and Sandwell.

Meanwhile, the five best-staffed areas are all inner London boroughs. London's higher per-pupil funding — boosted by area cost adjustments and deprivation weightings — translates directly into more teachers per pupil.

The national picture

Nationally, the primary school pupil-teacher ratio has been remarkably stable. It peaked at 20.9 between 2017/18 and 2019/20, dipped to 20.6 during the pandemic years, and has since returned to 20.8. The overall change over eight years is just 0.1 — despite significant fluctuations in pupil numbers and teacher recruitment.

This stability masks local variation. While the national average barely moves, individual authorities can shift by several points depending on teacher retention, housing development and demographic change.

Why it matters

Pupil-teacher ratio is not the same as class size — a school with 20 pupils per teacher might have classes of 30 if some teachers hold non-classroom roles. But it is the best available proxy for how thinly a school's teaching capacity is spread.

Research from the Education Endowment Foundation suggests smaller class sizes have a modest positive effect on attainment, with the greatest impact in the early years and for disadvantaged pupils. In Oldham, where 26.4 pupils share each teacher and deprivation is above average, these two factors compound.

For parents comparing schools across areas, the pupil-teacher ratio offers a concrete measure of staffing intensity that goes beyond Ofsted ratings or league tables.

Looking ahead

Primary pupil numbers are falling nationally as smaller birth cohorts work through the system. The DfE projects continued decline into the 2030s. If teacher numbers hold steady, ratios should improve — but this depends on retention in the areas that need it most.

The challenge for authorities like Oldham, Coventry and Doncaster is whether falling rolls translate into smaller classes or school closures. The answer will determine whether the staffing gap between the best- and worst-resourced areas narrows or persists.