Primary school pupils in Shropshire are taught by fewer teachers than anywhere else in the country, official figures showed today.

But county education bosses that said the figures came as no surprise and pointed to the low funding that they received in comparison with local authorities elsewhere.

Telford & Wrekin had the third worst figures in the West Midlands, behind Shropshire and Stoke.

The statistics published by the Department for Education reveal that in Shropshire Council primaries there are 20,230 pupils with an average of one teacher for every 23.8 children, the highest ratio in England.

Telford & Wrekin with 13,550 primary pupils has one teacher for every 23.2.

At secondary level Shropshire fares better. It has 16,830 pupils, though the figure of one teacher for every 16.4 pupils is still among the highest nationally.

Telford & Wrekin with 8,940 secondary pupils has a ratio of one teacher for every 16.5 children.

Warwickshire and Solihull head the regional table, both with a 16.6 ratio.

Anne Gribbin, Shropshire Council’s principal school improvement advisor, said that while it has high pupil-teacher ratios, that was not reflected in terms of performance.

She said: “The figures are not necessarily surprising, given the low funding we receive in comparison to other councils, but due to a commitment across the board to doing everything we can to enable children to reach their full potential, Shropshire children achieve very good results at both primary and secondary level.”

Regionally, primary pupils in the East Midlands have the lowest number of teachers. There is on average one teacher for every 22 children, compared with a national average of 21.3.

Outside London, the North East has the lowest teacher-to-pupil ratio with one for every 20.8 pupils.

The statistics also reveal that at secondary level the East of England and the East Midlands have the fewest teachers per pupil, with one teacher for every 16.2 children. The national average for England is 15.7.

Outside the capital, the North West has the lowest secondary teacher-to-pupil ratio, with one teacher for every 15.2 pupils.

By Education Correspondent Dave Morris