An Ofsted report has revealed that the majority of secondary schools are increasing class sizes to save money.
According to the education watchdog schools are axing teachers as part of widespread cost-cutting measures which is leading to quieter pupils becoming 'lost' in bigger lessons.
Inspectors visited 16 primary and secondary schools in England last year, surveying 201 head teachers and carrying out telephone interviews with 18 of them.
Ninety-one per cent of secondary school head teachers reported that 'class sizes have increased because of their school's response to financial pressures'.
According to the report Ofsted said: 'Most of the secondary schools that we visited had shifted to fewer but larger classes in order to save money on teachers.'
One secondary school teacher told inspectors: 'Some quieter students get lost in a bigger classroom. It's hard for staff to get round all the students and support them.'
Forty-eight per cent of secondary heads predicted their school would be in debt by the end of the 2019-20 budget year.
A Department for Education spokesman said: 'We recognise schools have faced cost pressures in recent years. That is why we are providing the biggest funding boost for schools in a decade, giving every school more money for every child.’
