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Selection
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools select more than 5 per cent. of their intake in England and Wales. [52530]
Mr. Timms: The 164 schools in England, designated by order as grammar schools, are wholly selective. My Department does not collect information on partial selection. However, a recent analysis of progress reports from specialist schools, undertaken by my Department, found that less than 6 per cent. of these schools select some pupils by aptitude.
In Wales, there are no maintained grammar schools, and only one partially selective school. The school selects more than 5 per cent. of pupils.
Specialist Schools
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of schools that will become specialist schools in each of the next three years. [52531]
Mr. Timms: By September 2002 we expect there to be at least 150 more specialist schools joining the 834 already designated. This puts us well on course to exceed our target of l,000 by 2003 and to reach our goal of at least 1,500 specialist schools by 2005.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of current applications to establish specialist schools contain a request to select more than 5 per cent. of their intake by aptitude. [52532]
Mr. Timms: None of the specialist school applications currently being assessed by my Department include a request to select a proportion of their intake by aptitude. School admission arrangements are a matter for local determination; they do not require approval by my Department.
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Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many maintained specialist schools there are in England. [52533]
Mr. Timms: There are currently 685 maintained specialist schools in England. A further 149 have been designated for September 2002.
Funding
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what conditions she will attach to the additional funding announced for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the Budget. [52537]
Mr. Timms: In his Budget statement, the Chancellor announced an additional £85 million of capital funding for schools and colleges in England in 2003–04. The share of this funding going to schools will be provided as an addition to New Deal for Schools devolved formula capital for schools. The increase will add around 20 per cent. to the previously announced allocations of this programme for both primary and secondary schools in 2002–03.
Guidance on the use of New Deal for Schools devolved formula capital was issued in April 2001, and revised guidance will be issued in the near future. There is no difference between the way in which primary schools and secondary schools may use this funding.
The Chancellor also referred in his Budget statement to previously announced increases in the School Standards Grant. This direct grant can be used for any standards directed expenditure in schools.
Further Education
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her Department's policy is on ensuring that public funds made available to further education colleges are reflected in pay offers made to teachers. [52564]
Margaret Hodge: We are investing significant funding in the FE sector. In 2001–02, £527 million extra was planned for FE—a 12 per cent. real terms increase, with a further 3 per cent. increase this year. By 2003–04, annual funding for FE will have increased by £1.4 billion since 1996–97, a real terms increase of 20 per cent.
It is for each college to agree annual pay rises and conditions of employment with its staff in the context of the overall resources available to them. In 2001–02, at least 93 per cent. of colleges were able to pay the recommended 3.7 per cent. pay award in full, or in part. The substantial additional investment we are making in the sector should enable colleges to ensure that staff receive an appropriate salary increase this year.
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the impact on forward planning by further education colleges of current funding structures and practices. [52566]
Margaret Hodge: The Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) funding arrangements aim to provide an appropriate balance between the need to move resources flexibly to meet changing student demand, and the advantages for colleges of being able to plan for the medium term.
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On funding for participation, resources need to follow the learner. Colleges which attract additional students should be supported with additional funding as resources allow. Colleges which do not meet their projected student numbers must expect to adjust their plans accordingly. The LSC has arrangements in place to support colleges in financial difficulties while they make the required changes.
On funding for improving standards and institutional development, the LSC is developing funding arrangements which support the medium term planning required for such changes. The LSC, when allocating Standards Funds to colleges for 2002–03 will indicate likely funding for the following two years, subject to availability of funds and progress towards agreed improvement targets.
The Government have also given commitments to colleges about future increases in Teaching Pay Initiative allocations and an assurance that future funding arrangements will recognise the on-going commitments these represent to colleges where they consolidate these payments into lecturers' salaries.
The Government expect the LSC, in deciding future funding arrangements, to keep under review the balance between flexible resourcing and stability in college funding.
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what role she plans for (a) further education colleges and (b) school sixth-forms in encouraging students to enter higher education. [52573]
Margaret Hodge: Further education colleges and school sixth forms both have a crucial role to play in encouraging young people to enter higher education. The Excellence Challenge brings schools and colleges together in partnership with higher education institutions to raise attainment and aspirations. Schools and FE colleges in Excellence Challenge areas will also benefit from the AimHigher roadshow, which was launched earlier this year to promote higher education to young people. FE colleges also have a valued role as providers of higher education.
We are working with both the Learning and Skills Council and the Higher Education Funding Council for England to strengthen ways in which progression to higher education can be supported and encouraged.
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average funding per pupil in 16 to 19 education in (a) school sixth forms, (b) sixth form colleges and (c) further education colleges was in 2000–01 in (i) England, (ii) Hampshire, (iii) Dorset, (iv) Surrey and (v) West Sussex. [52549]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 26 April 2002]: The figures for school and college funding have not been calculated on the same basis and cannot therefore be used to make comparisons. The FE unit funding figure includes total public funding allocated for further education, while the schools' figure does not. It is based only on delegated funds and excludes other funding the school receives centrally from LEAs which impacts on post-16 students.
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The latest estimate of the average delegated funding per sixth form student in schools per year in England for 2001–02 is £3,330. The total funding per full-time equivalent student in FE sector colleges per year in England for 2001–02 is estimated to be £3,660.
Separate figures for sixth form colleges are not available. Separate figures for county funding levels are not available.
Graduates
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of each 10-year age cohort over the age of 25 years are graduates. [52916]
Margaret Hodge: The following table shows the percentage of people within each 10-year age group who hold a first degree or higher qualification, estimated from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The estimates relate only to people of working age, as the LFS does not collect data on the qualifications of people above this age unless they are in employment.
| Age group | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 25–34 | 21 |
| 35–44 | 17 |
| 45–54 | 16 |
| 55–64* | 11 |
| All aged 25–64(15) | 17 |
(15) Excludes women aged 60–64
Source:
Labour Force Survey, spring 2001, GB figures
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