What is the average school class size in England in 2025/26?

The national average class size for state-funded primary schools in England is 26.2 pupils per class in the 2025/26 academic year, and 22.6 for secondary schools. These are pupil-weighted averages across all 151 local authorities where DfE published both primary and secondary figures. Source: DfE 2025/26, OGL v3.0.

Which local authority has the smallest class sizes in England?

Westmorland and Furness has the smallest average class sizes in England in 2025/26: 21.1 pupils per primary class and 21.7 per secondary class, giving a Gera School Resource Index of 114 — ranked #1 of 151 local authorities. Real DfE data, OGL v3.0.

What does the Gera School Resource Index measure?

The Gera School Resource Index (GSRI) compares a local authority's average class size to the England average, across both primary and secondary schools. GSRI = 100 means exactly at the England average. Above 100 = smaller classes (more resource per pupil). Below 100 = larger classes. It uses only real DfE class-size figures — nothing is estimated. Full formula on the methodology page.

How often is the School Resource Index updated?

The GSRI is updated annually, when DfE publishes new "Schools, pupils and their characteristics" data (typically in June each year). The current figures are for the 2025/26 academic year, retrieved from the DfE EES public API on 2026-06-20. Licence: OGL v3.0.

GeraLearn / School Resource Index

School Class Sizes by Local Authority — 2025/26

England average primary class size: 26.2 pupils. Secondary: 22.6 pupils. Real DfE data for all 151 local authorities.

Which local authorities in England have the smallest school class sizes, and what is the national average?

In the 2025/26 academic year, state-funded primary schools in England average 26.2 pupils per class; secondary schools average 22.6. Westmorland and Furness has the smallest classes (Gera School Resource Index 114); Havering the largest (GSRI 94.5). Source: DfE 2025/26, OGL v3.0.

Source:DfE — Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26·As of Academic year 2025/26 · updated annual · last refreshed 20 June 2026

Gera School Resource Index

Westmorland and Furness scores 114 (ranked #1 — smallest classes). Havering scores 94.5 (ranked #151).

How this is calculated

England mean: 100.7

Check school class sizes for your area

Pick a local authority. We show the real DfE 2025/26 average primary and secondary class sizes, how they compare to England, and the Gera School Resource Index — computed from published data.

Local authority

Primary schools

Avg class size: 21.1 (England 26.2)

5.0 below England average.

13,677 pupils · 647 classes

Secondary schools

Avg class size: 21.7 (England 22.6)

0.9 below England average.

12,857 pupils · 592 classes

Gera School Resource Index

114

England mean 100 · ranked #1 of 151 LAs

Smaller than average classes → more resource per pupil

Find courses that fit any class size — browse GeraLearn free

All local authorities — ranked by Gera School Resource Index

151 local authorities with published DfE class-size data for both primary and secondary schools, 2025/26. Click any LA for the full breakdown.

Rank	Local authority	Region	Primary avg	Secondary avg	GSRI
#1	Westmorland and Furness	North West	21.1	21.7	114
#2	Cumberland	North West	22.4	21.3	111.8
#3	Westminster	London	23.1	21.1	110.2
#4	Northumberland	North East	22.6	21.7	110
#5	Wandsworth	London	24.1	20.4	109.8
#6	Lambeth	London	23.6	21.0	109.3
#7	South Tyneside	North East	24.4	20.5	108.9
#8	Camden	London	24.8	20.4	108.2
#9	Wirral	North West	24.5	20.6	108.2
#10	Middlesbrough	North East	23.8	21.3	107.9
#11	County Durham	North East	23.3	22.1	107.4
#12	Merton	London	24.3	21.5	106.5
#13	Islington	London	24.7	21.2	106.2
#14	Redcar and Cleveland	North East	22.9	23.1	106.2
#15	Hackney	London	25.4	20.9	105.6
#16	North Tyneside	North East	24.3	22.0	105.3
#17	North Yorkshire	Yorkshire and the Humber	24.3	22.1	105.2
#18	Southwark	London	25.0	21.6	104.8
#19	Rutland	East Midlands	22.8	23.9	104.6
#20	Herefordshire, County of	West Midlands	23.6	23.0	104.5
#21	Hillingdon	London	25.5	21.3	104.5
#22	Sunderland	North East	24.2	22.4	104.5
#23	Rotherham	Yorkshire and the Humber	25.6	21.3	104.2
#24	Hartlepool	North East	23.9	23.0	104.1
#25	Gateshead	North East	24.9	22.0	104
#26	Halton	North West	23.2	23.8	103.9
#27	Lincolnshire	East Midlands	25.0	21.9	103.8
#28	Hammersmith and Fulham	London	24.9	22.1	103.7
#29	Cheshire West and Chester	North West	25.5	21.7	103.4
#30	Tower Hamlets	London	25.1	22.0	103.4
#31	East Riding of Yorkshire	Yorkshire and the Humber	25.2	22.0	103.3
#32	Isle of Wight	South East	25.3	22.0	103.2
#33	Liverpool	North West	25.9	21.5	103.2
#34	Calderdale	Yorkshire and the Humber	25.1	22.2	103.1
#35	North East Lincolnshire	Yorkshire and the Humber	24.5	22.9	103
#36	Suffolk	East of England	24.9	22.5	103
#37	Wiltshire	South West	24.9	22.5	102.8
#38	Windsor and Maidenhead	South East	26.4	21.3	102.8
#39	Bath and North East Somerset	South West	25.5	22.1	102.6
#40	West Berkshire	South East	25.5	22.1	102.6
#41	Kensington and Chelsea	London	24.9	22.7	102.5
#42	Kingston upon Hull, City of	Yorkshire and the Humber	25.0	22.6	102.5
#43	Worcestershire	West Midlands	25.4	22.2	102.5
#44	Torbay	South West	25.7	22.0	102.3
#45	Dorset	South West	25.4	22.3	102.2
#46	Reading	South East	25.7	22.1	102
#47	Enfield	London	25.8	22.1	101.9
#48	Hounslow	London	26.1	21.9	101.9
#49	Derbyshire	East Midlands	25.2	22.7	101.8
#50	Nottinghamshire	East Midlands	26.0	22.0	101.8
#51	Barking and Dagenham	London	26.2	21.9	101.6
#52	Kingston upon Thames	London	26.5	21.6	101.6
#53	Stockton-on-Tees	North East	25.0	23.0	101.6
#54	Hertfordshire	East of England	26.8	21.5	101.5
#55	Oxfordshire	South East	25.3	22.8	101.5
#56	Shropshire	West Midlands	24.8	23.2	101.5
#57	Barnet	London	26.5	21.7	101.4
#58	Cheshire East	North West	26.7	21.6	101.4
#59	Norfolk	East of England	25.4	22.7	101.4
#60	Walsall	West Midlands	26.2	22.0	101.4
#61	Central Bedfordshire	East of England	24.9	23.2	101.3
#62	Haringey	London	26.2	22.0	101.3
#63	Knowsley	North West	26.0	22.3	101.2
#64	Bedford	East of England	25.8	22.5	101.1
#65	Cornwall	South West	24.9	23.4	101
#66	Newcastle upon Tyne	North East	26.6	21.9	101
#67	St. Helens	North West	26.0	22.4	101
#68	Bradford	Yorkshire and the Humber	26.4	22.1	100.9
#69	Nottingham	East Midlands	26.3	22.1	100.9
#70	Greenwich	London	25.7	22.6	100.8
#71	Peterborough	East of England	27.1	21.6	100.8
#72	Wolverhampton	West Midlands	27.0	21.7	100.8
#73	Darlington	North East	25.8	22.6	100.7
#74	Doncaster	Yorkshire and the Humber	26.6	22.0	100.6
#75	Newham	London	25.3	23.2	100.6
#76	Lewisham	London	24.9	23.6	100.4
#77	North Lincolnshire	Yorkshire and the Humber	25.5	23.0	100.4
#78	Somerset	South West	25.3	23.3	100.2
#79	Staffordshire	West Midlands	25.6	23.1	100.2
#80	Cambridgeshire	East of England	26.3	22.5	100.1
#81	Blackpool	North West	26.0	22.8	100
#82	Manchester	North West	26.2	22.7	99.9
#83	Gloucestershire	South West	26.0	22.8	99.8
#84	West Northamptonshire	East Midlands	25.5	23.4	99.6
#85	Bromley	London	27.1	22.1	99.5
#86	Derby	East Midlands	26.3	22.7	99.5
#87	Plymouth	South West	26.1	23.0	99.4
#88	Devon	South West	25.2	23.9	99.3
#89	Ealing	London	26.5	22.6	99.3
#90	Sefton	North West	26.1	23.0	99.3
#91	Milton Keynes	South East	25.8	23.3	99.2
#92	Sandwell	West Midlands	27.1	22.3	99.2
#93	York	Yorkshire and the Humber	26.6	22.6	99.2
#94	Stockport	North West	26.0	23.2	99.1
#95	Leeds	Yorkshire and the Humber	26.7	22.6	99
#96	Lancashire	North West	26.2	23.1	98.9
#97	Warrington	North West	26.1	23.2	98.9
#98	North Northamptonshire	East Midlands	26.6	22.8	98.8
#99	Sheffield	Yorkshire and the Humber	26.8	22.7	98.7
#100	Telford and Wrekin	West Midlands	26.3	23.1	98.7
#101	Kent	South East	27.4	22.2	98.6
#102	Bristol, City of	South West	26.2	23.3	98.5
#103	Croydon	London	26.4	23.1	98.5
#104	Trafford	North West	26.8	22.8	98.5
#105	Waltham Forest	London	26.7	22.9	98.5
#106	Birmingham	West Midlands	26.8	22.8	98.4
#107	Brighton and Hove	South East	27.0	22.7	98.3
#108	Salford	North West	26.9	22.9	98.1
#109	Bury	North West	26.0	23.8	98
#110	Medway	South East	27.3	22.7	98
#111	South Gloucestershire	South West	27.4	22.5	98
#112	Tameside	North West	26.0	23.8	98
#113	Wakefield	Yorkshire and the Humber	26.2	23.5	98
#114	Brent	London	27.1	22.8	97.9
#115	Sutton	London	27.0	22.9	97.9
#116	Harrow	London	27.9	22.3	97.8
#117	Leicester	East Midlands	26.4	23.5	97.8
#118	North Somerset	South West	26.7	23.2	97.8
#119	Solihull	West Midlands	27.4	22.6	97.8
#120	Warwickshire	West Midlands	27.0	22.9	97.8
#121	Blackburn with Darwen	North West	27.1	22.9	97.7
#122	Swindon	South West	26.8	23.2	97.7
#123	Oldham	North West	26.8	23.2	97.5
#124	West Sussex	South East	27.3	22.9	97.5
#125	Kirklees	Yorkshire and the Humber	26.5	23.5	97.4
#126	Buckinghamshire	South East	27.0	23.2	97.2
#127	Stoke-on-Trent	West Midlands	26.6	23.6	97.2
#128	Richmond upon Thames	London	26.6	23.6	97
#129	Surrey	South East	27.3	23.0	97
#130	East Sussex	South East	26.7	23.7	96.8
#131	Southampton	South East	27.3	23.1	96.8
#132	Essex	East of England	27.4	23.1	96.7
#133	Leicestershire	East Midlands	26.4	24.0	96.7
#134	Bexley	London	27.1	23.4	96.6
#135	Wokingham	South East	27.5	23.1	96.6
#136	Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole	South West	28.0	22.7	96.5
#137	Dudley	West Midlands	26.8	23.7	96.5
#138	Barnsley	Yorkshire and the Humber	26.4	24.2	96.4
#139	Coventry	West Midlands	28.0	22.8	96.3
#140	Wigan	North West	27.5	23.2	96.3
#141	Bracknell Forest	South East	27.4	23.3	96.2
#142	Slough	South East	27.5	23.3	96
#143	Bolton	North West	27.6	23.4	95.8
#144	Rochdale	North West	27.1	23.8	95.8
#145	Thurrock	East of England	27.7	23.3	95.8
#146	Luton	East of England	27.4	23.6	95.7
#147	Redbridge	London	27.6	23.5	95.6
#148	Southend-on-Sea	East of England	28.3	23.0	95.4
#149	Hampshire	South East	27.3	24.0	95
#150	Portsmouth	South East	27.0	24.3	95
#151	Havering	London	28.4	23.3	94.5

Frequently asked questions

What is the average school class size in England in 2025/26?: The national average class size for state-funded primary schools in England is 26.2 pupils per class in the 2025/26 academic year, and 22.6 for secondary schools. These are pupil-weighted averages across all 151 local authorities where DfE published both primary and secondary figures. Source: DfE 2025/26, OGL v3.0.
Which local authority has the smallest class sizes in England?: Westmorland and Furness has the smallest average class sizes in England in 2025/26: 21.1 pupils per primary class and 21.7 per secondary class, giving a Gera School Resource Index of 114 — ranked #1 of 151 local authorities. Real DfE data, OGL v3.0.
What does the Gera School Resource Index measure?: The Gera School Resource Index (GSRI) compares a local authority's average class size to the England average, across both primary and secondary schools. GSRI = 100 means exactly at the England average. Above 100 = smaller classes (more resource per pupil). Below 100 = larger classes. It uses only real DfE class-size figures — nothing is estimated. Full formula on the methodology page.
How often is the School Resource Index updated?: The GSRI is updated annually, when DfE publishes new "Schools, pupils and their characteristics" data (typically in June each year). The current figures are for the 2025/26 academic year, retrieved from the DfE EES public API on 2026-06-20. Licence: OGL v3.0.

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Source: DfE — Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26. Published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. As of Academic year 2025/26. Retrieved 2026-06-20. Methodology.