3 July 2003

PUPIL: TEACHER RATIOS IN GRANT AIDED SCHOOLS IN NORTHERN IRELAND 2002/03

Key Points

• The overall Pupil:Teacher Ratio (PTR) of 16.4 was 0.1 lower than in 2001/02.

• Between 2001/02 and 2002/03 the PTR for nursery schools fell by 0.3 to 24.1, the primary figure fell by 0.2 to 19.7, the preparatory department of grammar schools figure rose by 0.3 to 17.2, the secondary (non-grammar) remained constant at 13.8, the grammar figure also remained constant at 15.3 and the special schools figure rose by 0.1 to 6.0.

• In 2002/03 the PTR in nursery schools was 1.7 lower in the controlled schools (23.5) than in the maintained sector (25.2). The PTR in maintained/GMI primary schools was 0.5 lower (19.4) than that in the controlled sector (19.9). The PTR in maintained/GMI secondary schools was 0.1 higher (13.8) than in controlled secondary schools (13.7) and in voluntary grammar schools the PTR was 0.5 lower (15.2) than in controlled grammar schools (15.7).

• The Belfast Board had the lowest primary PTR (18.5) while the ‘all secondary’ PTR was also lowest in the Belfast Board (14.2). The North Eastern Board had the highest primary PTR (21.1) and the North Eastern and Southern Boards had the highest ‘all secondary’ PTR (14.5).

The 2001/02 and 2002/03 PTRs for the main school sectors are as follows:

School Sector	2001/02	2002/03
Nursery	24.4	24.1
Primary	19.9	19.7
All Secondary	14.4	14.4
Special	5.9	6.0
All Grant-aided Schools	16.5	16.4

Comparisons with England

The latest available non-provisional figures for England relate to 2001/02. In that year PTRs in Northern Ireland were below those in England in all sectors except nursery. However, the comparison needs to be treated with caution as it is affected by varying school size distributions and, in the case of secondary PTRs, by the fact that teachers and students in sixth form colleges in England are not included.

School Sector	2000/01		2001/02
	N. Ireland	England	N. Ireland	England
Nursery	24.4	17.7	24.4	16.6
Primary	20.2	22.9	19.9	22.5
All Secondary	14.5	17.1	14.4	16.9
Overall*	16.7	18.1	16.5	18.0

* Includes Special Schools

Figures

Figure 1 shows the Pupil:Teacher Ratios by sector 1993/94 to 2002/03.

Tables

Table 1 shows the Pupil:Teacher Ratios for Northern Ireland between 1993/94 and 2002/03 broken down by school type and management type.

Table 2 shows the Pupil:Teacher Ratios for 2002/03 broken down by area board, school type and management type.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. National Statistics

   This is a National Statistics publication. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.
2. For general enquiries about National Statistics, contact the National Statistics Public Enquiry Service on:
   

   Tel: 0845 601 3034
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   Fax:01633 652747

   Letters: The Library
   Office for National Statistics
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3. You can also find National Statistics on the Internet: www.statistics.gov.uk.
4. Pupil:Teacher Ratios

Since the introduction of Local Management of Schools (LMS) in 1991/92 all secondary schools have had fully delegated budgets, which means that decisions on staffing levels are taken by the schools themselves. LMS has also been phased in gradually in the primary schools sector with the result that all primary schools have had fully delegated budgets from 1998/99.

5. Teachers

The following types of teacher are taken into account in calculating the Pupil:Teacher Ratio:

- full-time teachers;
- part-time teachers;
- full-time temporary teachers who are filling a vacancy pending the appointment of a permanent teacher; and
- teachers paid on a 1/365^th basis. (These are temporary teachers who are appointed for a period of not less than one year).

Numbers are expressed as full-time equivalents and part-time hours are converted on the basis of a 32.4 hour week.

Excluded from the teacher element of the calculation are:

- substitute teachers; and
- peripatetic teachers.

6. Pupils

   Pupil figures are taken from the Annual School Census conducted in October each year.

   Pupils include those on a full-time and part-time attendance mode expressed as full-time equivalents. A part-time pupil is counted as 0.5 of a full-time pupil.

7. Comparisons

   Comparisons of PTRs between area boards, management types and territories must be interpreted with caution as differences will reflect varying school size distributions and differences in the proportion of schools of each type (nursery, primary and secondary). It should also be noted that since 1 April 1993 sixth form colleges in England were reclassified as further education colleges. Teachers and students in these colleges do not feature in the PTRs for England.

8. PTR in Voluntary Grammar Preparatory Departments

Prior to 1994/95 only teachers who were spending all of their time in the preparatory departments could be identified. From 1994/95 new information has become available which enables teachers’ time to be allocated between secondary and preparatory departments. Hence from 1994/95 teachers who were spending any of their teaching time in the preparatory department have been included in the FTE count of preparatory department teachers. Consequently there was an increase in the FTE teacher numbers in this sector and a drop in the PTR.

9. School Management types

   In the tables and text, ‘Controlled’ includes Controlled and Controlled Integrated schools, whilst ‘Maintained/GMI’ includes Catholic Maintained, Other Maintained and Grant Maintained Integrated (GMI).

10. Further Enquiries:

For more details about any of the statistics in this Press Release, please contact:

Mr Martin Thompson
Statistics and Research Branch
Department of Education
Rathgael House
Balloo Road
Bangor
BT19 7PR
Telephone 028 9127 9613

11. Press enquiries should be made to the Department’s Press Office at the same address, telephone 028 9127 9207.

To view Pupil:Teacher Ratios 1993/94 - 2002/03 in Adobe PDF format, click here.

To view PTR's For 2002/003 By Area Board And Management Type (at October 2002) in Adobe PDF format, click here.

A free copy of the Adobe reader is available here.

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