5. A statement setting out the authority’s strategy for planning school places (including the action they consider is needed to match supply of school places with identified need), taking into account—
(a)any projected reduction or growth in pupil numbers in any part of the authority’s area which would result in a surplus or deficit of available places;
(b)any existing levels of surplus places and incidence of overcrowding;
(c)demand for Welsh medium places;
(d)demand for places at faith schools;
(e)the need to bring all school buildings up to a fit standard for delivery of the National Curriculum for Wales and, where appropriate, to do so in a way which facilitates community use of school premises;
(f)the legal requirements to secure compliance with the statutory limit on infant class sizes prescribed under section 1 of the 1998 Act(1), and the desirability of limiting junior classes to 30 pupils;
(g)the need to secure nursery education (in accordance with requirements imposed by virtue of Regulations under section 118 of the 1998 Act)(2);
(h)their legal responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995(3), or any other legislation, to improve access for disabled pupils and to facilitate access for disabled employees and other users of school premises;
(i)the need to provide post-16 school places; and
(j)the need to provide for pupils with special educational needs in special schools maintained by the authority, or in special units attached to other categories of schools so maintained, or by placement in non-maintained special schools or in independent schools.
The Education (Infant Class Sizes) (Wales) Regulations 1998 (S.I. 1998/1943) specifies the infant class size limits to ordinarily be 30.
See the Education (Nursery Education and Early Years Development and Childcare Plans) (Wales) Regulations 2003, S.I. 2003/893, (W.113) as amended by Education (Nursery Education and Early Years Development and Childcare Plans) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 S.I. 2005/1813, (W. 143).