England's most overcrowded primary schools can today be named as figures show 660,000 pupils are taught in cramped classrooms.Figures analysed by the Daily Mail show almost 60% of state schools in parts of the country exceeded pupil capacity in 2023/24. Nationwide, one in six operated above their limits.Our new search tool, built with Department for Education (DfE) figures, lays bare the situation in every school and local authority. It shows the number of places available, as well as how many pupils are on roll. Teachers warn children in packed classrooms get less one-on-one time, which may disrupt their education. Pupils can also find it harder to concentrate.Despite official data laying bare current overcrowding in primary schools, fuelled by spiralling immigration and a post-millenium baby boom, industry leaders fear falling birth rates will force hundreds to close because of a lack of funding.
England will have 400,000 fewer school pupils by the end of the decade, according to the Education Policy Institute (EPI).London is already bearing the brunt of the crisis, the thinktank says, exacerbated by an exodus of young families fleeing because of cost-of-living pressures.Nine of the ten authorities that have seen the biggest decline in primary school pupil numbers over the past five years were in London, led by Westminster (15.9% fewer). Schools in the home counties, Kent and the West Midlands have recorded an uptick since 2020/21, however. Central Bedfordshire witnessed the biggest increase in the country, jumping 6.5% to 24,400. Coventry was the authority with the most overcrowded schools. Forty-nine of its 85 schools, or 58%, were overcapacity in 2023/24, according to DfE figures.Foston CoE VC Primary School, 10 miles north of York, topped the tables in terms of individual schools. It had 55 pupils on its books, despite only having 30 spaces – an overcrowding rate of 83%.Capacity is calculated based on the number and size of usable spaces available for teachers and pupils in the building.Across the 17,000 state primary schools in England, 16% were at or over capacity in 2023/24.Although jam-packed classrooms put pressure on staff, oversubscription can actually be a sign of the school's popularity and good reputation.
