Teachers choosing smaller classes over pay rises, TES reports

According to TES Global research, teachers believe that smaller class sizes are more effective than staff pay rises at improving learning.

The news comes as new poll findings by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), have suggested that teaching smaller groups has little or no effect on pupil performance. However, a survey by TES Global questioned around 4,300 UK teachers, and found that many teachers deemed smaller class sizes as an effective way of improving learning.

Around 56 per cent of respondents said reduced class sizes would improve learning, compared to just 19 per cent which claimed better teacher pay would help. 11 per cent of teachers said better professional development could help improve learning.

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) said that reducing class sizes in itself would not improve learning. However, it did maintain that if the reduction was accompanied by more personalised teaching with good quality feedback, there is evidence that pupils will do better.

In an interview with TES, Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the NUT teaching union, said: “Teachers know in their gut that a smaller class improves education because pupils get more individual attention. Many politicians and wealthy people send their children to private schools, which have smaller class sizes than we have in the state sector.”