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Foundation Schools
8. Mr. Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): If he will make a statement on the cost of administering foundation schools. [94257]
The Minister for School Standards (Ms Estelle Morris): Foundation schools receive delegated budget shares from their local education authorities, which should reflect schools' additional costs arising from additional statutory responsibilities.
Mr. Evans: The Minister will be aware of the excellence of Clitheroe royal grammar school in my constituency, which has superb examination results. It was a grant-maintained school and is now a foundation school
and a beacon school. When I spoke to the headmaster this morning, he said that he has been told that next year his budget would be reduced by £107,000. He has a choice: he could get rid of some of the teachers, or he could do as other headmasters have done and ask parents to make a voluntary contribution.
The Minister will be aware of parents who are facing that dilemma. What advice would she give to parents who send their children to that school? Should they pay the money?
Ms Morris:
I am delighted to acknowledge excellence in any school in the hon. Gentleman's constituency. I am sure that it exists in many grammar, non-selective, infant and junior schools. I am surprised that the head of Clitheroe royal grammar school is in a position to talk about next year's budget, given that it has not been set. I assure the hon. Gentleman that, as a result of the announcement of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in the summer, foundation schools--former grant-maintained schools--will next year receive a 2.5 per cent. increase to protect them from inflation. That is on top of the cash protection that was offered last year.
Mrs. Theresa May (Maidenhead):
I congratulate the Minister on her appointment to the Privy Council. When abolishing grant-maintained schools by turning them into foundation schools, the then Minister for School Standards said that the Government were "levelling up" funding,
Ms Morris:
I thank the hon. Lady for her kind comments. Former grant-maintained schools still receive £62 more per pupil at primary level and £101 more per pupil at secondary level to reflect their additional responsibilities. The hon. Lady knows that, following evidence from the Public Accounts Committee in 1994, her Government took action progressively to withdraw excess funding for central services, which had been provided under that Administration. This Government are about fairness and ensuring that all schools benefit from the increased money that we are putting into the system--no matter their status. Every school--not just the 1,000 former grant-maintained schools, but all 24,000 schools--will benefit over the years from the extra resources that the Government are providing.
9. Ms Chris McCafferty (Calder Valley):
What direct consultation his Department has had with personal advisers working on the new deal for disabled people pilots. [94258]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Ms Margaret Hodge):
Ministers and officials have frequent contact with the Employment Service and with the private sector, local
Ms McCafferty:
I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Can she assure me that personal advisers for disabled people who wish to participate in the new deal receive disability awareness training? Can she further assure me that there is effective monitoring of the treatment of and the help given to disabled people on the new deal, through, for example, exit surveys or interviews? Does that happen? What efforts are the Government making to ensure that disabled people who can work and who want to work are better off working, given their clear extra needs?
Ms Hodge:
I think that my hon. Friend asked three questions. First, there is specific training for personal advisers. We have the ambition that all personal advisers working on the new deal for disabled people should reach NVQ level 3. Ten per cent. of personal advisers are themselves disabled. They receive extensive training in all the areas that they need to cover.
On monitoring, we are closely and comprehensively evaluating the pilot new deal for the disabled. Loughborough university is undertaking a study and initial findings will be reported at the end of this year, with the full findings next year. The study includes, for example, surveys of clients who have participated in the new deal, group discussions and in-depth interviews. There will be plenty of feedback.
We have several initiatives on making work pay for disabled people. This week, my right hon. Friends the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Social Security launched the disabled persons tax credit, which will make work pay. We have introduced a linking rule to make it easier for disabled people to move from benefit into work. There are also initiatives such as jobfinders grants and a fast track to the disabled persons tax credit--all of which support disabled people in their move from benefit dependency to work.
10. Mr. John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan):
What support schools will be given to ensure that all teachers are trained in the use of information communications technology. [94259]
11. Ms Ruth Kelly (Bolton, West):
If all teachers will be trained in the use of information technology. [94260]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Mr. Michael Wills):
The new opportunities fund is making available £230 million to support the training of serving teachers and school library staff in the maintained sector in the effective use of information and communications technology. The training is available to all teachers in maintained schools in the UK.
Mr. Smith:
I am grateful for that reply. Does my hon. Friend agree that our schools could become a vital resource for the whole community, giving access to
Mr. Wills:
I very much agree with my hon. Friend, and I am grateful to him for drawing the attention of the House to the important IT initiatives that we are undertaking.
We must ensure that all children leave school with basic competence in information and communications technologies. We must also ensure that they have the opportunity to receive the benefits that those technologies can contribute to the whole educational experience in the classroom. I strongly agree that we must use our schools as a basis for making those technologies available to the wider communities--a process that is already under way in the excellence in cities initiative, and that we shall pursue with the roll-out of more than 700 IT learning centres next year.
Ms Kelly:
I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. I very much welcome his commitment to turning schools into centres of excellence that the whole community can use. I take the opportunity to draw his attention to the bid by a school in my constituency, Rivington and Blackrod school, which not only intends to set up an IT centre of excellence but expects to be able to draw in business and industry, parents and members of the local community to develop a real learning town, both for Horwich and for Blackrod.
Mr. Wills:
I thank my hon. Friend for drawing that project to my attention. It sounds interesting and exactly the type of project that we want to encourage. I look forward to receiving a bid from the school when we invite bids for the IT learning centres.
Mr. Nick St. Aubyn (Guildford):
While considering support for teachers, is the Minister aware that yesterday the National Union of Teachers, in evidence to the Select Committee on Education and Employment, joined the chorus of criticism of the Prime Minister's patronising remarks to head teachers last week? Is he further aware that they will not be mollified by some spurious offer of laptop computers from someone who does not know how to use them?
Mr. Wills:
Perhaps the hon. Gentleman should read what the Prime Minister said. He congratulated the great majority of head teachers on the wonderful work that they are doing. I believe that every Labour Member would agree with those sentiments. I do not know why the hon. Gentleman supposes that the offer of £3 million for laptops for heads is spurious. Every head has welcomed it, and heads in my constituency have said how valuable they have found previous IT initiatives. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will open his eyes and see the real advantage that those technologies can bring to all teachers.
Mr. Desmond Swayne (New Forest, West):
Is the Minister convinced that such initiatives are cost-effective? The Prime Minister's lack of IT expertise is legendary,
Mr. Wills:
I am very interested to note that the hon. Gentleman has now become a Maoist, to add to all his other accomplishments. We shall ensure that the initiatives are cost-effective. We are absolutely convinced of the benefits that those technologies can bring to everyone in education. I look forward to the day--perhaps some time in the next century--when Opposition Members will join everyone else in the country in recognising those benefits.
Helen Jones (Warrington, North):
I, too, welcome my hon. Friend to his new post. Will he join me in congratulating the head teacher and staff of William Beamont high school in my constituency? They have made a great investment in new technology and, by linking up with Warrington collegiate institute, have given free internet access not only to their partner primary schools, but to a number of community groups in a deprived area in the centre of my constituency. Is not this the way in which we should encourage schools to proceed in future?
Mr. Wills:
I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. I should be interested to come and see that exciting project. She draws attention to an important point: as the technologies become more and more available in our society, it is fundamental that our most deprived areas should get exactly the same benefits from them as other areas. That is fundamental to the roll-out of the IT learning centres, which we are targeting on the 1,500 most deprived wards. I thank my hon. Friend for drawing our attention to the importance of making sure that no digital divide opens up in this country.
"not to cut grant-maintained schools' funds but to increase the funding for pupils in other schools".
Given that GM schools are losing £100 million this year, will the Minister admit that the Government have broken their promise not only to the former grant-maintained schools, but to teachers, governors, pupils and parents of all other schools?
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