Commenting on the Government's new projections for the change in pupil numbers, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“Falling pupil numbers provide a precious opportunity for the government to evolve towards smaller, more inclusive classes, meaningfully improving education for children and school staff alike.
"We are emerging from a period with the highest pupil numbers for over 40 years, with class sizes the highest in Europe and over a million children crammed into classes of over 30.
"When pupil numbers last fell in the early 2000s, the Labour government responded by increasing school staffing levels and reducing class sizes, a model for their 2026 successors to follow.
"Unfortunately, early signs are that the current Government risks squandering this opportunity. Overall teacher numbers are down by 1,900 in the last year alone, making a mockery of the Government's promise of 6,500 extra teachers. If they continue down this path, they will lock in high class sizes and the harm caused by a decade and a half of neglect, overcrowding and underfunding. This has left school staff burnt out and schools running on empty.
"There is no room for complacency. The Government must properly fund schools and implement the fully-funded, above-inflation pay rises and improvements in workload that are urgently needed to tackle teacher shortages and protect our education service.”