Labour has published analysis of overcrowding in English primary schools with more than half a million pupils being taught in super-size classes.

It reveals:

● Across the UK, 542,679 children are now in super-size classes in primary school, as class-sizes continue to rise

● In Lancashire local authority area alone 15,365 children are in classes of over 30, and 1,227 of those in classes over 36.

● The mounting pressure on school places is now starting to hit secondary schools, with figures showing an increase in the number of pupils in very large classes in the last year

● The North West is one of the worst hit areas with latest figures showing over 92,000 primary school pupils in classes over 30

● The number of infant school children (between the age of 5 and 7 years) in classes over 30 has almost trebled since 2010

Commenting on the figures, Shadow Schools Minister and Wythenshawe and Sale East MP, Mike Kane, said: “These figures expose seven years of Tory failure in our schools. The number of pupils being taught in super-sized classes is skyrocketing while schools face the first real terms cuts to their budgets in a generation.

“This situation is unsustainable. If the Tories wanted to give every child the education they deserve they would ensure that children were not crammed into super-sized classes.

“A Labour Government would ensure that schools are built where they are needed, and cap class sizes at 30 for all primary school pupils.”

The Conservatives came to power in 2010 claiming they would create smaller class sizes.

“A Conservative government will give many more children access to the kind of education that is currently only available to the well-off: safe classrooms, talented and specialist teachers, access to the best curriculum and exams, and smaller schools with smaller class sizes with teachers who know the children's names.”
Conservative Party Manifesto 2010, p. 51

“The more we can get class sizes down the better”.
David Cameron, Yorkshire Post, 17 April 2008

Theresa May has previously said that large class sizes indicated that a school was reaching “crisis point”.

“Schools have reached crisis point, with teacher shortages, classes being sent home early, increasing class sizes, unqualified staff, non-specialist staff and standards falling.”
Theresa May, Hansard, 18 January 2001

Yet new analysis of Department of Education figures reveals that over half a million children are now in super-size classes in primary school, as class-sizes continue to rise. Of these, some 40,000 primary pupils are in classes of over 36 pupils and over 16,000 are now in class sizes of at least 40. This category includes class sizes of over 50, 60 and 70.