Average class size in England's schools

Across England's state schools, average class size averaged 25.0 in January 2026 (19,540 schools). Official definition: one-teacher classes, january census.

The trend

All state schools25.0January 2026, 19,540 schools

Primary25.416,105 schools

Secondary22.83,400 schools

Only one year of this measure is loaded so far; the trend will fill in as later releases arrive.

By region

Latest year, best (lowest) first. The tick is the England figure.

23.4

24.5

24.6

24.9

Yorkshire and the Humber

24.9

24.9

25.1

25.2

25.8

Every council

151 councils ranked, best (lowest) first. Councils with very few schools swing more from year to year.

#	Council	Average class size	Schools	vs England
1	Westmorland and Furness	20.2	133	-4.8
2	Northumberland	20.9	149	-4.1
3	Cumberland	20.9	151	-4.1
4	Westminster	22.4	42	-2.6
5	Rutland	22.4	20	-2.5
6	Herefordshire, County of	22.6	89	-2.4
7	County Durham	22.6	234	-2.4
8	Redcar and Cleveland	22.7	54	-2.3
9	Lambeth	22.7	73	-2.2
10	North Yorkshire	22.8	311	-2.1
11	Wandsworth	23.1	67	-1.9
12	Halton	23.3	57	-1.7
13	Lincolnshire	23.4	328	-1.5
14	Suffolk	23.5	288	-1.4
15	Wirral	23.6	107	-1.4
16	Devon	23.6	332	-1.4
17	Shropshire	23.6	145	-1.4
18	Hackney	23.6	64	-1.4
19	Middlesbrough	23.7	48	-1.3
20	North Tyneside	23.7	69	-1.2
21	Islington	23.7	51	-1.2
22	Cornwall	23.8	253	-1.2
23	Merton	23.8	52	-1.1
24	North Lincolnshire	23.8	74	-1.1
25	Sunderland	23.9	97	-1.1
26	West Berkshire	23.9	72	-1.1
27	Southwark	23.9	86	-1.1
28	Somerset	23.9	245	-1.0
29	Derbyshire	23.9	371	-1.0
30	East Riding of Yorkshire	23.9	139	-1.0
31	Hillingdon	24.0	85	-1.0
32	Wiltshire	24.0	221	-1.0
33	Camden	24.0	48	-0.9
34	Bedford	24.0	67	-0.9
35	South Tyneside	24.0	53	-0.9
36	Central Bedfordshire	24.0	119	-0.9
37	Norfolk	24.1	379	-0.9
38	Hammersmith and Fulham	24.1	47	-0.9
39	Hartlepool	24.1	35	-0.8
40	North East Lincolnshire	24.1	59	-0.8
41	Calderdale	24.2	93	-0.8
42	Dorset	24.2	142	-0.7
43	Milton Keynes	24.2	99	-0.7
44	Tower Hamlets	24.2	84	-0.7
45	Oxfordshire	24.2	280	-0.7
46	Worcestershire	24.3	220	-0.7
47	Staffordshire	24.4	375	-0.5
48	West Northamptonshire	24.4	165	-0.5
49	Kingston upon Hull, City of	24.4	80	-0.5
50	Gateshead	24.5	75	-0.5
51	Newham	24.5	87	-0.5
52	Kensington and Chelsea	24.5	31	-0.5
53	Hounslow	24.5	70	-0.5
54	Lewisham	24.5	78	-0.5
55	Isle of Wight	24.5	43	-0.4
56	Stockton-on-Tees	24.5	68	-0.4
57	Bath and North East Somerset	24.5	74	-0.4
58	Cheshire West and Chester	24.6	141	-0.4
59	Gloucestershire	24.6	267	-0.3
60	Reading	24.7	51	-0.2
61	Liverpool	24.8	147	-0.2
62	Enfield	24.8	88	-0.1
63	Torbay	24.8	39	-0.1
64	Nottinghamshire	24.9	316	0.0
65	Greenwich	25.0	76	+0.0
66	Plymouth	25.0	86	+0.0
67	Rotherham	25.0	112	+0.1
68	Windsor and Maidenhead	25.1	59	+0.1
69	Lancashire	25.2	547	+0.2
70	Barking and Dagenham	25.2	57	+0.2
71	Leicestershire	25.2	267	+0.2
72	Cambridgeshire	25.2	241	+0.2
73	Walsall	25.3	100	+0.3
74	Ealing	25.3	74	+0.3
75	Cheshire East	25.3	138	+0.4
76	Barnet	25.3	116	+0.4
77	Darlington	25.3	37	+0.4
78	Kingston upon Thames	25.4	46	+0.4
79	Waltham Forest	25.4	67	+0.4
80	Hertfordshire	25.4	469	+0.4
81	Nottingham	25.4	91	+0.4
82	Stockport	25.4	97	+0.5
83	Haringey	25.4	68	+0.5
84	Bradford	25.4	191	+0.5
85	East Sussex	25.5	165	+0.5
86	Tameside	25.5	86	+0.5
87	York	25.5	58	+0.6
88	Trafford	25.5	80	+0.6
89	Manchester	25.5	165	+0.6
90	Warrington	25.6	77	+0.6
91	Blackpool	25.6	38	+0.6
92	North Northamptonshire	25.6	131	+0.6
93	Derby	25.6	88	+0.6
94	Buckinghamshire	25.6	214	+0.7
95	Brent	25.6	70	+0.7
96	Wolverhampton	25.6	91	+0.7
97	Knowsley	25.6	56	+0.7
98	Bury	25.6	71	+0.7
99	Croydon	25.7	110	+0.7
100	Sefton	25.7	92	+0.8
101	Bristol, City of	25.7	124	+0.8
102	Richmond upon Thames	25.7	55	+0.8
103	Kirklees	25.7	164	+0.8
104	Leicester	25.7	103	+0.8
105	Swindon	25.8	78	+0.8
106	Peterborough	25.8	74	+0.8
107	Wakefield	25.8	131	+0.8
108	St. Helens	25.8	62	+0.8
109	Birmingham	25.8	375	+0.9
110	Sheffield	25.8	153	+0.9
111	Bromley	25.8	95	+0.9
112	Doncaster	25.9	117	+0.9
113	Newcastle upon Tyne	25.9	89	+0.9
114	Brighton and Hove	25.9	55	+1.0
115	Warwickshire	25.9	227	+1.0
116	North Somerset	25.9	74	+1.0
117	Telford and Wrekin	26.0	63	+1.0
118	Leeds	26.0	265	+1.0
119	Kent	26.0	548	+1.1
120	Blackburn with Darwen	26.1	67	+1.1
121	Sutton	26.1	54	+1.1
122	Salford	26.1	87	+1.2
123	West Sussex	26.2	262	+1.3
124	Stoke-on-Trent	26.2	84	+1.3
125	Bexley	26.2	74	+1.3
126	Sandwell	26.2	114	+1.3
127	Oldham	26.2	93	+1.3
128	Barnsley	26.2	84	+1.3
129	Medway	26.2	87	+1.3
130	Thurrock	26.2	50	+1.3
131	Solihull	26.3	73	+1.3
132	Essex	26.3	513	+1.4
133	Surrey	26.3	345	+1.4
134	Hampshire	26.4	476	+1.4
135	Redbridge	26.4	71	+1.4
136	Portsmouth	26.4	55	+1.4
137	Dudley	26.4	95	+1.4
138	Slough	26.4	41	+1.5
139	South Gloucestershire	26.4	101	+1.5
140	Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole	26.4	89	+1.5
141	Luton	26.5	58	+1.5
142	Harrow	26.5	53	+1.5
143	Rochdale	26.5	81	+1.5
144	Southampton	26.5	67	+1.6
145	Wokingham	26.6	61	+1.6
146	Coventry	26.8	107	+1.8
147	Bracknell Forest	26.9	36	+1.9
148	Wigan	26.9	116	+1.9
149	Bolton	26.9	114	+2.0
150	Southend-on-Sea	27.1	44	+2.1
151	Havering	27.2	77	+2.3

How to read this

Each figure is a simple average across open state schools that have the measure published. A school counts once whatever its size, so the figures can differ a little from the Department for Education's national figures, which count pupils. Special schools and alternative provision are left out of results measures. Independent schools are left out throughout. Sources and update calendar.