House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 6 Dec 2001 (pt 5)

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

School Discipline

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of levels of indiscipline in (a) state primary and (b) state secondary schools since the abolition of corporal punishment. [13396]

Mr. Timms: Corporal punishment was abolished in state schools in 1987 and we have no plans to reintroduce it. Data on levels of indiscipline are not available on a

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consistent basis since 1987, so it is not possible to give an assessment of how levels of discipline have changed since then.

Class Sizes

Mr. Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children there were in classes of 30 or more, by year group, in each of the last five years. [20181]

Mr. Timms: The following is the information:

Number of pupils in classes of 30 or more, by year group, in maintained primary and secondary schools

Maintained primary⁽⁴⁾

2001 2000 1999 1998

Reception 102,892 113,773 147,223 163,243

Year group 1 111,542 134,987 152,845 189,117

Year group 2 111,793 146,357 191,460 217,346

Year group 3 195,681 224,968 228,135 216,348

Year group 4 222,042 226,862 212,128 197,954

Year group 5 213,879 201,652 188,442 192,969

Year group 6 192,371 186,438 196,775 175,773

Year group 7 4,357 987 1,472 ⁽⁶⁾—

Mixed 320,592 374,445 419,725 482,822

Maintained secondary

2001⁽⁴⁾ 2000⁽⁵⁾ 1999⁽⁵⁾ 1998⁽⁵⁾ 1997⁽⁵⁾

Year group 5 8,423 ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾—

Year group 6 8,837 ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾—

Year group 7 131,250 ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾—

Year group 8 163,879 ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾—

Year group 9 146,462 ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾—

Year group 10 73,741 ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾—

Year group 11 65,838 ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾—

Year group 12 1,299 ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾—

Year group 13 485 ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾—

Mixed 28,489 ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾— ⁽⁶⁾—

Aged under 14 ⁽⁶⁾— 427,000 399,939 355,465 317,647

Aged 14 and 15 ⁽⁶⁾— 133,596 124,759 115,926 104,866

Aged 16 plus ⁽⁶⁾— 2,566 1,974 2,419 2,219

	Maintained primary⁽⁴⁾
	2001	2000	1999	1998
Reception	102,892	113,773	147,223	163,243
Year group 1	111,542	134,987	152,845	189,117
Year group 2	111,793	146,357	191,460	217,346
Year group 3	195,681	224,968	228,135	216,348
Year group 4	222,042	226,862	212,128	197,954
Year group 5	213,879	201,652	188,442	192,969
Year group 6	192,371	186,438	196,775	175,773
Year group 7	4,357	987	1,472	⁽⁶⁾—
Mixed	320,592	374,445	419,725	482,822

	Maintained secondary
	2001⁽⁴⁾	2000⁽⁵⁾	1999⁽⁵⁾	1998⁽⁵⁾	1997⁽⁵⁾
Year group 5	8,423	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—
Year group 6	8,837	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—
Year group 7	131,250	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—
Year group 8	163,879	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—
Year group 9	146,462	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—
Year group 10	73,741	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—
Year group 11	65,838	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—
Year group 12	1,299	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—
Year group 13	485	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—
Mixed	28,489	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—	⁽⁶⁾—
Aged under 14	⁽⁶⁾—	427,000	399,939	355,465	317,647
Aged 14 and 15	⁽⁶⁾—	133,596	124,759	115,926	104,866
Aged 16 plus	⁽⁶⁾—	2,566	1,974	2,419	2,219

⁽⁴⁾ Includes middle schools

⁽⁵⁾ Excludes middle schools

⁽⁶⁾ Not available

Note:

Information on class sizes by year group in primary schools was not collected prior to 1998

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Schools Adjudicator

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the right of hon. Members to make representations to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator about constituency issues. [20773]

Mr. Timms: The role of the Schools Adjudicator is to decide on LEA school organisation plans, and individual school proposals and admission arrangements, where it has not been possible to reach agreement locally and there has been a statutory objection. Adjudicators must consider each case on its merits, taking into account all the information available to them and the views expressed by all interested parties. Hon. Members do not have statutory objection rights but are free to make representations to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator on cases under consideration, in the same way as any member of the public with a local interest. Decisions of the Schools Adjudicator are binding on the parties concerned.

Sixth Forms

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools (a) opened a new sixth form and (b) closed their sixth form in each of the last three years; in which learning and skills councils area they are located; and what the average A level points score was of each school listed under (a). [18380]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: Proposals have been approved for the following schools to open new, or close existing, sixth forms during the past three years.

(a) New sixth forms

Year/name of school LEA LSC area Average point score per student based on 2001 A/AS/AGNVQ results

2001

Kesgrave High School Suffolk Suffolk n/a

2000

Hamstead Hall School Birmingham Birmingham and Solihull 16.6

The Axe Valley Community College Devon Devon and Cornwall n/a

St. Edwards RC/CofE VA School Poole Bournemouth/Dorset/Poole 15.2

1999

The Compton High School and Sports College Ealing London West 4.7

Filsham Valley School East Sussex Sussex 10.3

(b) Closed sixth forms

Name of school LEA LSC area

2001

St. Edmunds Catholic School Portsmouth Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Normanton Freeston Voluntary Controlled High School Wakefield West Yorkshire

The Petersfield School Hampshire Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Hull Trinity House School Kingston upon Hull Humberside

2000

Beaumont Leys School Leicester City Leicestershire

Breckfield Community Comprehensive School Liverpool Merseyside and Halton

Campion Catholic High School Liverpool Merseyside and Halton

St. Benedict's Catholic High School Wirral Merseyside and Halton

1999

Babington Community Technology College Leicester City Leicestershire

Malory School Lewisham London East

Our Lady's Catholic High School Liverpool Merseyside and Halton

Broadoak Community School North Somerset West of England

Year/name of school	LEA	LSC area	Average point score per student based on 2001 A/AS/AGNVQ results
2001
Kesgrave High School	Suffolk	Suffolk	n/a

2000
Hamstead Hall School	Birmingham	Birmingham and Solihull	16.6
The Axe Valley Community College	Devon	Devon and Cornwall	n/a
St. Edwards RC/CofE VA School	Poole	Bournemouth/Dorset/Poole	15.2

1999
The Compton High School and Sports College	Ealing	London West	4.7
Filsham Valley School	East Sussex	Sussex	10.3

Name of school	LEA	LSC area
2001
St. Edmunds Catholic School	Portsmouth	Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Normanton Freeston Voluntary Controlled High School	Wakefield	West Yorkshire
The Petersfield School	Hampshire	Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Hull Trinity House School	Kingston upon Hull	Humberside
2000
Beaumont Leys School	Leicester City	Leicestershire
Breckfield Community Comprehensive School	Liverpool	Merseyside and Halton
Campion Catholic High School	Liverpool	Merseyside and Halton
St. Benedict's Catholic High School	Wirral	Merseyside and Halton

1999
Babington Community Technology College	Leicester City	Leicestershire
Malory School	Lewisham	London East
Our Lady's Catholic High School	Liverpool	Merseyside and Halton
Broadoak Community School	North Somerset	West of England

n/a = not available

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Learning and Skills Council

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria she has established for the distribution of the Learning and Skills Council's standards fund in 2002–03. [19617]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 5 December 2001]: The Learning and Skills Council is responsible for setting the criteria for distribution of its standards fund. The council will publish the criteria to post-16 providers in time for the 2002–03 financial year.

School Links

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assistance is available to schools wishing to establish links with other schools in the (a) European Union and (b) Commonwealth. [20867]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 5 December 2001]: The Department for Education and Skills provides assistance for schools to establish links with schools in the EU, Commonwealth and worldwide through its funding of organisations such as the British Council. Programmes include practical help with finding a school as well as a range of assistance to help with the cost of visiting the partner school.

Increasingly, school links are being made by utilising information and communication technology. For instance, schools seeking partner schools anywhere in the world can consult the Windows on the World website on the

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internet at http://www.wotw.org.uk or the Montage Plus website at http://www.montageplus.co.uk which supports joint curriculum projects between schools in this country and abroad.

EU funding is also available through the Socrates Programme, the European Action Programme in the field of education that focuses specifically on schools in the EU through the Comenius action. The programme is open to the member states of the EU as well as all the applicant countries of central and eastern Europe, Cyprus and Malta. Contact seminars for schools wishing to find partners are held regularly across Europe. The British Council publicises the action, and holds UK regional briefing meetings on the Socrates Programme to advertise the opportunities. The Partbase database (partbase.eupro.se) provides schools with an on-line search facility for finding Comenius partners.

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