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15 Oct 2002 : Column 767W—continued
Consultancies
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list external (a) public relations/communications companies, (b) advertising and marketing companies, (c) management consultancies, (d) accountancy companies, (e) banking firms, (f) individual consultants and (g) other specialist consultancies used by her Department since June 2001; what actions those consultancies/companies have performed within her Department; and what costs have been incurred through use of these consultancies/companies. [74675]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 25 January 2002, Official Report, column 1129W in relation to part (a) of the question. The Information requested for the remaining could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
Clitheroe Royal Grammar School
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will use her discretionary powers to award advanced status to Clitheroe Royal Grammar School. [73805]
Mr. Miliband: No, we propose to publish guidance in the Autumn and Clitheroe Royal Grammar School will be assessed against the criteria in the same way as any other school.
Infant and Primary Schools
Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what assessment her Department has made of the impact of phased admission to reception classes on children born in May, June, July and August; [74281]
- (2) what consideration her Department has given to the provision of part-time teaching within a school environment at the beginning of the academic year for children who will not become five years old until the months of May, June, July and August. [74283]
Mr. Miliband: Admission arrangements for infant and primary schools, including the timing of admission to school, are matters for the admission authority. For most schools this is the Local Education Authority but for some it is the Governing Body.
Many schools which admit children before compulsory school age do so initially on a part-time basis, particularly for the younger four year olds.
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Although the Government has not specifically assessed the impact of phased or part-time intake to reception classes, in September 2001 we published a summary of independent research into the effects of children starting school at different ages. This reported that research on the school starting age and summer born children is inconclusive.
What is important is the quality of care and learning experiences very young children receive. Young children in reception classes receive provision, as part of the Foundation Stage, which is appropriate for their age and stage of development.
Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the local education authorities operating (a) a single fixed date of admission to reception classes and (b) a system of phased admission. [74280]
Mr. Miliband: Information on the pattern of admissions into schools is not collected centrally.
Admission authorities—the Local Education Authority for community and controlled schools (unless it has delegated authority to the governing body) and the governing body for foundation and aided schools—set their own admission arrangements, including how many pupils are to be admitted and when they are to be admitted. (Some infant schools admit children at the beginning of each term).
Teacher Recruitment and Retention
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what changes she plans to make to the level of London weighting to which teachers are entitled to address recruitment and retention problems. [74526]
Mr. Miliband: The School Teachers' Review Body will be making recommendations early next year to the Secretary of State on this and other pay matters. The Government is aware that some schools have difficulties in retaining good, experienced teachers in inner London. The Secretary of State has asked the Review Body to give special attention to that issue. The Government does not, however, support further high, across the board increases next year covering the London Allowance areas, though does not rule out an increase in line with inflation. The value of the allowance has already increased by over 35 per cent. since 1997. The recruitment and retention issues across the London Allowance areas are complex. Schools are best placed to use their existing pay flexibilities to target the teachers they need. In addition, Stephen Twigg has been appointed as Minister for London schools, and the Secretary of State will shortly be appointing a London Schools' Commissioner to work alongside him. Their work will naturally take account of teacher recruitment and retention issues in London.
Sector Skills Councils
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of the workforce is covered by sector skills councils. [74634]
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Mr. Ivan Lewis: There are five Trailblazer Sector Skills Councils currently estimated to cover 15 per cent. of the UK workforce. Five further sectors are developing final proposals to become Sector Skills Councils. This is estimated to increase the proportion of the workforce covered by all Sector Skills Councils to 48 per cent., subject to these sectors being successful in receiving a licence and their proposed coverage being confirmed.
Youth Advice
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to consult (a) employers, (b) the CBI, (c) the Institute of Directors, (d) the Small Business Service and (d) sector skills councils on their role in delivering advice and guidance to young people. [73745]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: In recognition of the key role we envisage that all of the above mentioned groups will have in supporting a successful 14–19 phase of education, all were invited to respond to the proposals in the 14–19 Green Paper—including the advice and guidance aspects—earlier this year. In the light of responses from key stakeholders, we will be announcing how we intend to take forward our proposals shortly.
We will be consulting into all key organisations in this area, including these groups, as we more further into the implementation phase of the proposals.
Schools (Taunton)
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average teacher to pupil ratio in (a) primary school and (b) secondary school classes in Taunton was in each year since 1996. [74091]
Mr. Miliband: The available information is shown in the table.
| Primary 1 | Secondary 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 (provisional) | 22.0 | 18.7 |
| 2001 | 22.8 | 18.9 |
| 2000 | 23.9 | 18.6 |
| 1999 | 24.7 | 18.3 |
| 1998 | 24.5 | 17.9 |
| 1997 | 23.7 | 17.9 |
| 1996 | . | . |
Notes:
1 The pupil:teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of full-time equivalent pupils on roll in schools by the total number of full-time equivalent qualified teachers employed in schools.
2 Includes middle schools as deemed
. Data is not available by parliamentary constituency prior to 1997.
Source:
Annual Schools Census
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) pupils, (b) teachers and (c) support staff there are in each school in the Taunton constituency at the end of the 2001–02 academic year; and if she will make a statement. [74092]
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Mr. Miliband: The available information is shown in the table below. This relates to numbers of pupils published in the Primary and Secondary School Performance Tables for 2001. Otherwise, school level information is not routinely published.
Note:
1 Only includes schools which have pupils eligible for Key Stage 2 tests or pupils aged 15 and for whom results are published in the Primary and Secondary Performance Tables. The Primary Performance Tables only include mainained primary schools with Key Stage 2 eligible pupils. Independent schools and infant schools are therefore excluded.
Source:
2001 Primary and Secondary Performance Tables
15 Oct 2002 : Column 771W
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