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School Capital Grants (Northampton)
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list (a) the schools in Northampton, North which have received capital grants and (b) the value of grant in each case. [131947]
Jacqui Smith: The table shows the schools in Northampton, North constituency which have benefited from allocations of New Deal for Schools grant. All schools in the constituency will have benefited from Devolved Formula Capital in 2000-01, which is allocated by the local education authority.
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| School | Total grant allocated under NDS (£) |
|---|---|
| Kingsthorpe Community | 409,457 |
| Northampton School for Girls | 60,000 |
| Stimpson Avenue Lower School and Nursery | 13,000 |
| Thomas Becket RC Upper School | 20,000 |
| Trinity School | 60,000 |
| Kings Heath Lower School and Nursery | 10,000 |
| Booth Lower School | 20,000 |
| Gladstone Lower School | 22,000 |
| Weston Favell Upper School | 50,000 |
| St. Mary's RC Middle | 53,500 |
| Emmanuel C. of E. Middle | 21,400 |
| St. Gregory's Lower | 14,980 |
| Blackthorn Middle | 20,000 |
| Kingsthorpe Middle | 90,000 |
| Gladstone Lower | 85,000 |
| Package Bids(1) | 1,188,700 |
| Cedar Road Lower, Boothville Middle, Sunnyside Lower, Booth Lower, Kings Heath Lower, Spencer Middle, Kingsley Lower, Kingsthorpe Middle Community, Trinity School, Booth Lower, Emmanuel Church of England Voluntary Aided Middle, Whitehills Lower, and the Camrose Centre(1) | 2,226,114 |
| Total | 4,364,151 |
(1) A total of £1,888,700 was awarded for 10 package projects in NDS round three. Details of schools to which funding was allocated are held by Northamptonshire local education authority.
(1) The schools listed were included in package projects totalling £2,226,114 in NDS round four. Details of allocations for individual schools are held by Northamptonshire local education authority.
School Inspections (Racial Equality)
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many Ofsted school inspection reports, since the publication of the report of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, have included (a) consideration of the school's effectiveness in preventing and addressing racism, (b) highlighted racial equality issues among the key action points and (c) identified improvements in the school's practice in promoting racial equality; [131961]
- (2) how many schools placed under special measures since the publication of the report of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry have had failure to address issues of racial equality identified among their weaknesses; [131962]
(3) how many schools which have been identified by Ofsted as having serious weaknesses have, since the publication of the report of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, had failure to address racial equality as one of the identified weaknesses; [131963]
(4) if he will request Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools to respond in writing to the recommendations of the report of the Commission for Racial Equality, "Inspecting Schools for Race Equality: Ofsted's Strengths and Weaknesses". [131964]
Ms Estelle Morris: These are matters for HM Chief Inspector of Schools, Chris Woodhead. I have asked him to write to my hon. Friend and to place a copy of his letter in the Library. Post-inspection action plans are prepared by schools' governing bodies to address the key issues for action identified by inspectors, which could include the need better to address issues of racial equality. In the case
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of schools requiring special measures or with serious weaknesses, HM Inspectors judge whether action plans adequately address the key issues and monitor improvement on subsequent visits. My Department checks on the progress made by each school and, in cases where progress is limited, works with the local education authority to ensure that urgent action is taken to improve the quality of education provided for pupils.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will respond to the recommendations of the report of the Commission for Racial Equality, Inspecting Schools for Race Equality: Ofsted's Strengths and Weaknesses. [131965]
Ms Estelle Morris: This Government are committed to ensuring high standards and equal opportunities for every child in every school and Ofsted has an important role in achieving that aim. Most of the recommendations in the CRE's report are matters for Ofsted. We will respond to the other recommendations after we have completed our consideration of the report.
Class Sizes
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the average class size was for classes taught by one teacher in (a) Great Britain and (b) each local education authority, for (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools, in (A) 1979, (B) 1992 and (C) each year since 1996; and what the figure was for (x) Key Stage 1 and (y) Key Stage 2 in each year since 1996. [132026]
Ms Estelle Morris: Information is not available in the form requested. The available information is contained in tables, copies of which have been placed in the Library.
For information on classes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, I refer the hon. Member to the Secretaries of State for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.
Youth Unemployment (Greater London)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the impact of the New Deal on reducing youth unemployment in the Greater London area. [132073]
Ms Jowell: The New Deal for Young People is aimed at people aged 18-24 who have been claiming unemployment benefits for six months or more.
Claimant unemployment among this group has fallen by 70 per cent. in the three years since April 1997 and by 56 per cent. since April 1998 when the New Deal was introduced. Part of this fall is due to the delivery of a strong and stable economy, but the New Deal for Young People has helped unemployment to fall even faster. The fall of 56 per cent. since the New Deal was introduced compares with a fall of 18 per cent. in total unemployment, 23 per cent. in total youth (18-24) unemployment and 26 per cent. in the total number unemployed for six months or more. The effect of the New Deal is confirmed by independent research from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
It is not possible to measure the New Deal effect exactly in each part of the country. However, in Greater London the fall in unemployment among the New Deal
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client group has also been substantially faster than for other groups. In Greater London, in the two years since April 1998, claimant unemployment among those aged 18-24, unemployed for six months or more, has fallen by 56 per cent., from 19,346 to 8,552. This compares with a fall of 21 per cent. in total unemployment, 29 per cent. in total youth (18-24) unemployment, and 26 per cent. in the total number unemployed for six months or more.
Rural School Closures
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools and colleges in rural areas have closed in each of the last five years. [131900]
Ms Estelle Morris [holding answer 21 July 2000]: The table shows the number of schools in rural areas approved for closure in each of the last five years.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 21 |
| 1997 | 4 |
| 1998 | 5 |
| 1999 | 2 |
| 2000 | 2 |
Although a number of governing bodies of further education colleges in rural areas have been dissolved, in each case the educational provision has continued by arrangement with another institution in the further or higher education sector.
Hendon Schools
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much extra has been and will be awarded in direct cash payments to each school, by name, in Hendon as a result of (a) the budget and (b) the Comprehensive Spending Review. [131905]
Ms Estelle Morris [holding answer 24 July 2000]: A table was placed in the Library of the House on 3 June giving details, by constituency, of the allocation of the extra budget funding for schools--the School Standards Grant. This information is not normally published for individual schools. The amount of School Standards Grant paid to schools in Hendon is £615,000.
I will place a similar table in the Libraries, with estimates of the grant payable to schools by constituency, as a result of the 2000 Spending Review, as soon as possible.
Access to Work Scheme
Mr. Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what research his Department has carried out on the level of awareness of the Access to Work scheme among (a) employers and (b) disabled people. [131820]
Ms Hodge [holding answer 21 July 2000]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
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Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Richard Allan, dated 24 July 2000:
- As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about research on the level of awareness of the Access to Work programme among employers and disabled people. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
- We have not undertaken any specific research into the level of awareness of Access to Work. However, in 1998 the Institute of Employment Studies carried out an independent evaluation of Access to Work for the Employment Service. They found that recipients had learnt about Access to Work from a wide range of sources, indicating that knowledge of Access to Work is widespread among agencies helping disabled people, including family doctors, social services departments, health services, hospitals, employment agencies, employers and organisations and support groups for disabled people.
- We have recently contracted for an independent survey of Access to Work recipients to be undertaken later this year. The survey will ask how recipients found out about the Access to Work programme and about their knowledge of what it can provide for disabled people.
- I hope this is helpful.
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