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Sandwell School Class Sizes 2025/26
State-funded primary schools in Sandwell average 27.1 pupils per class — larger than the England average of 26.2. Secondary: 22.3 pupils/class. Real DfE 2025/26 data (OGL v3.0).
How large are school classes in Sandwell, and how does this compare to the England average?
In the 2025/26 academic year, state-funded primary schools in Sandwell have an average class size of 27.1 pupils — 0.9 pupils above the England average of 26.2. Secondary schools average 22.3 (England: 22.6). Gera School Resource Index for Sandwell: 99.2 / 100 (England mean 100). Source: DfE 2025/26 (OGL v3.0).
Gera School Resource Index
Sandwell ranks #92 of 151 local authorities (England mean = 100). A score above 100 means smaller-than-average classes (more teacher time per pupil); below 100 means larger-than-average classes. Computed from real DfE 2025/26 class-size figures — see methodology.
How this is calculatedSandwell vs England — class sizes 2025/26
| Measure | Sandwell | England | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average primary class size | 27.1 | 26.2 | 0.9 above |
| Average secondary class size | 22.3 | 22.6 | 0.4 below ✓ |
| Primary pupils (total) | 32,125 | — | — |
| Secondary pupils (total) | 24,145 | — | — |
| Gera School Resource Index | 99.2 | 100 (mean) | Rank #92/151 |
Data: DfE state-funded schools, 2025/26 academic year. Primary: 1,187 classes. Secondary: 1,084 classes. Licensed OGL v3.0.
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.
Primary schools
Avg class size: 27.1 (England 26.2)
0.9 above England average.
32,125 pupils · 1,187 classes
Secondary schools
Avg class size: 22.3 (England 22.6)
0.4 below England average.
24,145 pupils · 1,084 classes
Gera School Resource Index
99.2
England mean 100 · ranked #92 of 151 LAs
Larger than average classes → less resource per pupil
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Browse GeraLearn courses — free to startSandwell school class sizes — FAQ
- What is the average primary school class size in Sandwell?
- The average primary school class size in Sandwell is 27.1 pupils per class in the 2025/26 academic year. The England average is 26.2 — so Sandwell primary classes are larger than average. This covers 32,125 pupils in 1,187 classes across state-funded primary schools. Source: DfE 2025/26, OGL v3.0.
- What is the average secondary school class size in Sandwell?
- Secondary school classes in Sandwell average 22.3 pupils per class (England average: 22.6) in 2025/26. Classes are smaller than the England average. This covers 24,145 pupils in 1,084 classes. Source: DfE 2025/26, OGL v3.0.
- What is the Gera School Resource Index for Sandwell?
- The Gera School Resource Index for Sandwell is 99.2 — ranked #92 of 151 local authorities published. The index is centred at 100 (England mean). A score above 100 means smaller classes (more resource per pupil); below 100 means larger classes than the England average. The GSRI is computed from the real DfE 2025/26 class-size figures — see the methodology page for the exact formula.
- Why do class sizes vary so much between local authorities?
- Class sizes depend on local demographic trends (birth rate fluctuations), number of available schools and teachers, local authority budget decisions, and whether schools operate under- or over-capacity. Rural areas like Westmorland and Furness (GSRI vs 114.0) often have smaller schools with naturally smaller classes. Urban authorities with rapid population growth tend towards larger classes. Class sizes in England are regulated by the infant class size legislation (30-pupil limit for Key Stage 1) but secondary classes have no statutory cap. Real DfE data, OGL v3.0.
- How is the Gera School Resource Index calculated?
- The Gera School Resource Index uses two real DfE figures: average primary class size and average secondary class size, both for 2025/26. For each LA: pScore = round((England_primary_avg ÷ LA_primary) × 100, 1); sScore = round((England_secondary_avg ÷ LA_secondary) × 100, 1); GSRI = round((pScore + sScore) ÷ 2, 1). England averages are 26.2 (primary) and 22.6 (secondary), both pupil-weighted across all published LAs. Full methodology at https://geralearn.com/school-resource-index/methodology.
How the Gera School Resource Index is calculated for Sandwell
The GSRI compares each local authority's average class sizes to the England pupil-weighted average, then averages the two ratios.
pScore = round((26.16 ÷ 27.06) × 100, 1) = 96.7
sScore = round((22.64 ÷ 22.27) × 100, 1) = 101.7
GSRI = round((96.7 + 101.7) ÷ 2, 1) = 99.2
A GSRI of 99.2 means Sandwell has larger-than-average classes than the England mean. Full methodology →
School class sizes in other West Midlands local authorities
- Herefordshire, County ofGSRI 104.5
- WorcestershireGSRI 102.5
- ShropshireGSRI 101.5
- WalsallGSRI 101.4
- WolverhamptonGSRI 100.8
- StaffordshireGSRI 100.2
- Telford and WrekinGSRI 98.7
- BirminghamGSRI 98.4
- SolihullGSRI 97.8
- WarwickshireGSRI 97.8
- Stoke-on-TrentGSRI 97.2
- DudleyGSRI 96.5
See all 151 local authorities ranked by the Gera School Resource Index →
Source: DfE — Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26. Figures are for state-funded schools, 2025/26 academic year. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The Gera School Resource Index for Sandwell is computed by GeraLearn from these figures; no number is modelled, interpolated or estimated.