30ish is normal here at that age, but DS's school imposes a limit of 16. Without having looked into it very carefully, I gather there's essentially no research evidence that a smaller class size is better, although people have looked. Yet, it's a big part of what I'm paying for. This is because I suspect what's the case is that a small class makes it possible - not automatic - to teach in a different and better way. If you're trained and experienced in big class techniques, giving you a small class may not benefit the children at all. But if your entire school culture is based round small classes, you may learn that it's normal and practical to treat children as individuals.

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