Civometry

Department for Education · pupils

Average secondary class size under each government

The full published series with each government’s time in office shaded. The table gives the level each government inherited and the last complete period before it left. Changes describe the period, not a cause. Definitions and caveats are on the metric page.

Average secondary class size: 2015/16 academic year to 2025/26 academic yearConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabour010202016201820202022202420262015/16 academic year: 20.4 pupils · published 4 August 20262016/17 academic year: 20.8 pupils · published 4 August 20262017/18 academic year: 21.2 pupils · published 4 August 20262018/19 academic year: 21.7 pupils · published 4 August 20262019/20 academic year: 22 pupils · published 4 August 20262020/21 academic year: 22.3 pupils · published 4 August 20262021/22 academic year: 22.3 pupils · published 4 August 20262022/23 academic year: 22.4 pupils · published 4 August 20262023/24 academic year: 22.4 pupils · published 4 August 20262024/25 academic year: 22.5 pupils · published 4 August 20262025/26 academic year: 22.6 pupils · published 4 August 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value
GovernmentInheritedLeft at / latestChange during government
Labour 2024–5 July 2024 – present22.42022/23 academic year22.62025/26 academic year↑ 1.1%+0.2
Conservative 2019–202413 December 2019 – 5 July 202421.72018/19 academic year22.42022/23 academic year↑ 3.2%+0.7
Conservative 2017–20199 June 2017 – 13 December 201920.42015/16 academic year21.72018/19 academic year↑ 6.4%+1.3
Conservative 2015–20178 May 2015 – 9 June 2017No complete period was published before this government took office.
Coalition 2010–201511 May 2010 – 8 May 2015No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 2005–20106 May 2005 – 11 May 2010No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 2001–20058 June 2001 – 5 May 2005No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 1997–20012 May 1997 – 7 June 2001No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1992–199710 April 1992 – 2 May 1997No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1987–199212 June 1987 – 9 April 1992No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1983–198710 June 1983 – 11 June 1987No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1979–19834 May 1979 – 9 June 1983No complete period was published before this government took office.