School Standards and Framework Act 1998

11 (1) The admission authority for a maintained school shall keep under review any standard numbers applying to the school under paragraph 1, 2, 4 or 8, as the case may be, having regard to—

(a) the school’s capacity to accommodate pupils, and

(b) in the case of any standard number applicable to admissions to an infant class (as defined by section 4), the need to secure that the admission to the school in any school year of a number of children in any relevant age group equal to the relevant standard number would not cause prejudice of the kind referred to in section 86(3)(a) by reason of measures required to be taken as mentioned in subsection (4) of that section.

(2) The admission authority for a maintained school containing any infant class (as defined by section 4) shall in particular carry out a review under sub-paragraph (1) as soon as reasonably practicable following the coming into force of regulations under section 1 by virtue of which any limit on class sizes is to apply, or be varied, in relation to any such class at the school.

(3) Where, as a result of a review under sub-paragraph (1), the authority consider that any standard number at the school should be varied in order to enable the objective referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(b) to be achieved, they shall make an application for a decision under paragraph 4(2) or 8(2) (as the case may be) varying the standard number.

(4) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) a school’s capacity to accommodate pupils shall be calculated having regard to any guidance given from time to time by the Secretary of State.