The Scottish Government

Consultation on Regulations to reduce Primary 1 Classes to a Maximum of 25 Pupils

The Scottish Government is committed to reducing P1-P3 classes to a maximum of 18 pupils. This commitment is shared with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and is set out in the Concordat with Local Government. On 23 September the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning announced her intention to introduce legislation that would limit Primary 1 classes to a maximum of 25 pupils. The regulations are intended to put local authorities on a sounder footing when taking decisions regarding placing requests, and in their efforts to balance the rights of parents to choose their child's school and the rights of all pupils to the best possible start in life. The regulations will also help eliminate the largest P1 classes. The Government’s intention in making these regulations is that the class size limit of 25 should be seen as a stepping stone towards driving class sizes down wards to 18.