To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the difference is between the number of pupils currently studying in England and the number forecasted in 2015.

The Department publishes both pupil level projections and, separately, data on the numbers in school on an annual basis. The most recent figures on the numbers in school are from January 2016 school census and can be found in the statistical first release available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2016.

The 2015 projection of the 2016 school population (published at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-pupil-projections-trends-in-pupil-numbers-july-2015), and the equivalent school census figures, are given in the table below.

Projected and actual school population, January 2016, England

Full-time equivalent figures up to and including age 15

thousands

1 State funded nursery, primary, secondary, special and alternative provisions schools, plus independent and non-maintained special schools

2 As 1 but omitting independent and non-maintained special schools