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Primary Schools

Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what was the average funding per pupil provided to (a) primary schools in Cheshire, (b) secondary schools in Cheshire, (c) primary schools in Hertfordshire, (d) secondary schools in Hertfordshire, (e) primary schools in England and (f) secondary schools in England in the last financial year. [11079]

Mr. Timms: The information requested is as follows:

£ million

	Primary	Secondary
Cheshire	1,903	2,532
Hertfordshire	1,926	2,639
England	2,010	2,663

The figures do not include School Standards Grant.

8 Nov 2001 : Column: 406W

GCSE Results

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the 100 secondary schools with the worst GCSE examination results in England in order of their performance indicating in each case the responsible local education authority; and if she will make a statement. [11483]

Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 5 November 2001]: The Department will publish 2001 GCSE (and GNVQ equivalent) results for schools in England in the secondary school performance tables on 22 November.

The White Paper "Schools Achieving Success" describes the programme of challenge and support designed to ensure that in all schools at least 25 per cent. of pupils should achieve 5 A*-C grades at GCSE (or equivalent) by 2006. Many of the schools currently below this target are working in deprived areas and adding considerable value given the prior attainment of their intake. We are working with schools and LEAs to identify what support is needed to deliver equality of outcome for their pupils.

Local Education Authorities

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the local education authorities which are (a) partly and (b) wholly run by private sector entities; which they are; and if she will make a statement. [11487]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 5 November 2001]: There are 10 interventions that involve private sector companies delivering services or functions under contract. The LEAs still remain responsible and accountable for the services in question.

Intervention authorities where private sector involved in the delivery of services

Bradford

Hackney

Haringey

Islington

8 Nov 2001 : Column: 407W

Leeds

Sandwell

Southwark

Thurrock

Walsall

Waltham Forest.

State Schools (Private Firms)

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which state schools in England have had their management taken over by private firms. [11535]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 31 October 2001]: None. The legal responsibility for managing a school rests with the governing body and head teacher, even where they are supported by expertise from the private sector.

Free School Meals

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of children, on average, were receiving free school meals in (a) specialist schools and (b) other secondary schools in the state sector, on 30 September. [11539]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 31 October 2001]: Free school meals data are not available for September.

The percentages of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in specialist secondary schools and other maintained secondary schools as at January 2001 are 14.7 per cent. and 16.2 per cent. respectively, and in those specialist secondary schools designated between January and October 2001 is 15.9 per cent.

Independent School Fees

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations she has received on her policy relating to the provision of support towards the cost of independent school fees by her Department. [12005]

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Mr. Timms [holding answer 2 November 2001]: Earlier this year I received representations from the Independent Schools Council and others on proposals for more open access to independent schools. Their proposals sought Government assistance to subsidise the cost of school fees that could not be met by children's parents. However, the Government have a manifesto commitment from 1997 to phase out the Assisted Places Scheme (APS) and to use the available resources to raise standards and enhance opportunities for children in maintained schools. Savings from phasing out the APS are going towards the significant reduction in infant class sizes, as demonstrated in the achievements of the past four years. Any new scheme that would assist relatively few children to attend independent schools would be incompatible with the long-standing commitment to phase out APS.

Teachers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 26 October 2001, Official Report, columns 469–70W, on teacher recruitment, what was the allocation of the recruitment and retention fund, 2000–01 to each local education authority. [12155]

Mr. Timms: A press notice (PN 2001/0191) announcing the details of the fund and the allocations to local education authorities was issued on 2 April 2001. A copy can be found on the departmental website www.dfes.gov.uk.

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her written answer of 26 October 2001, Official Report, column 461W, on teachers, if she will list the (a) age profile and (b) reasons for leaving of the teachers leaving service in the maintained schools in each of the last four academic years. [12172]

Mr. Timms: Qualified full and part-time regular teachers (headcount) who left service in the maintained schools sector in England are as follows:

	1996–97
Age at end of financial year	Age retirement	Ill-health retirement	Premature retirement	All retirements	Left for reasons other than retirement
Less than 25	0	(29)—	0	(29)—	400
25 to 29	0	(29)—	0	(29)—	3,600
30 to 34	0	(29)—	0	(29)—	3,300
35 to 39	0	100	0	100	2,600
40 to 44	0	400	0	400	3,200
45 to 49	0	1,200	0	1,200	3,200
50 to 54	0	1,800	4,500	6,300	1,700
55 to 59	(29)—	1,100	4,500	5,600	700
60 and over	1,700	100	1,300	3,200	200
Total	1,700	4,800	10,300	16,800	18,900

⁽²⁹⁾ less than 50

	1997–98
Age at end of financial year	Age retirement	Ill-health retirement	Premature retirement	All retirements	Left for reasons other than retirement
Less than 25	0	0	0	0	500
25 to 29	0	(30)—	0	(30)—	4,100
30 to 34	0	(30)—	0	(30)—	3,900
35 to 39	0	100	0	100	2,900
40 to 44	0	300	0	300	3,700
45 to 49	0	800	(30)—	800	4,200
50 to 54	0	1,300	5,600	6,900	2,300
55 to 59	0	800	4,500	5,200	800
60 and over	1,900	100	1,100	3,100	300
Total	1,900	3,400	11,200	16,600	22,600

⁽³⁰⁾ less than 50

8 Nov 2001 : Column: 409W

	1998–99
Age at end of financial year	Age retirement	Ill-health retirement	Premature retirement	All retirements	Left for reasons other than retirement
Less than 25	0	0	0	0	500
25 to 29	0	(31)—	0	(31)—	4,600
30 to 34	0	(31)—	0	(31)—	4,000
35 to 39	0	(31)—	0	(31)—	2,900
40 to 44	0	200	0	200	3,300
45 to 49	0	600	0	600	4,100
50 to 54	0	1,000	1,300	2,200	2,800
55 to 59	0	500	1,700	2,100	1,100
60 and over	1,900	100	800	2,900	300
Total	1,900	2,300	3,800	8,000	23,700

⁽³¹⁾ less than 50

	1999–2000
Age at end of financial year	Age retirement	Ill-health retirement	Premature retirement	All retirements	Left for reasons other than retirement
Less than 25	0	0	0	0	500
25 to 29	0	0	0	0	4,700
30 to 34	0	(32)—	0	(32)—	4,300
35 to 39	0	(32)—	0	(32)—	3,400
40 to 44	0	100	0	100	3,500
45 to 49	0	500	(32)—	500	4,500
50 to 54	0	1,000	1,300	2,200	3,600
55 to 59	0	600	2,000	2,600	1,400
60 and over	2,300	100	900	3,300	300
Total	2,300	2,300	4,300	8,800	26,200

⁽³²⁾ less than 50

The totals may not be the sum of the component parts due to rounding.

The most recent data available are for March 2000.

The figures exclude 10 per cent. to 20 per cent. of part- time teachers not included on the Teacher Pension Scheme records.

The reasons for leaving cannot be broken down accurately into any additional categories.

Some teachers who left service will return subsequently.

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