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14 Jan 2003 : Column 561W—continued
Class Sizes
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will include a question concerning pupil turnover in future Form 7 measures of class size and composition. [88853]
Mr. Miliband: There are no plans to analyse routinely class size statistics by pupil turnover.
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many infant classes had 31 or more pupils as a result of a statement of special educational needs specifying that a child should attend a particular school in September 2002. [88890]
Mr. Miliband: Provisional figures show that in September 2002 there were 47 infant classes taught by one teacher which had 31 or more pupils as a result of a statement of special educational needs specifying that a child should attend a particular school.
Provisional infant class size information for September 2002 was published on 20 November 2002 in the statistical first release entitled, XInfant Class Sizes in England: September 2002". This showed that nationally there were 307 classes of 31 or more pupils of which 288 were recorded as acceptable under the Education (Infant Class Sizes) Regulations 1998.
Classroom Assistants
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he has estimated what impact the introduction of classroom assistants has made on teacher workload; and if he will make a statement. [89304]
Mr. Miliband: This will depend on exactly how the support staff are deployed and managed but we have estimated that every additional 10,000 support staff could save every teacher on average at least 50 minutes per week.
We shortly expect to conclude a Workforce Reform Agreement with virtually all the teacher unions and support staff unions and employers, who agree with us that extra support staff are critical to tackling excessive teacher workload.
Connexions Service
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which Connexions Partnerships
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(a) are operational, (b) are still to take effect, (c) offer a one-stop shop service and (d) offer Connexions Direct. [89571]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information is as follows:
- (a) There are currently 46 out of 47 Connexions Partnerships operating in England.
(b) Just one remaining Partnership, Northumberland, has yet to start and is aiming to commence operation from April 2003.
(c) All Connexions Partnerships are developing one-stop services where a range of multi-agency services can easily be accessed in a single location, with flexible opening hours to suit the needs of young people.
(d) The Connexions Partnerships currently operating in the Connexions Direct pilot are Durham, Tyne and Wear, Tees Valley, Cheshire and Warrington, Greater Merseyside, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is given in the following table.
The majority of Connexions Partnerships are currently in the process of recruiting Personal Advisers and securing support from other agencies working with young people. In most case the figures in the table do not therefore reflect the final complement of Personal Advisers in Partnerships. In addition to the 6,952 Personal Advisers in post in Partnerships in November 2002, Connexions services are being delivered by a further 1,652 front line delivery staff whose main role is client/customer contact making a total of 8,604 Connexions delivery staff available to help young people.
Notes:
1. Data relates to November 2002—the latest period for which information is available and is taken from NEXUS, the Connexions Service National Unit management information system.
2. No data is included for Norfolk and Berkshire Partnerships which started in January 2003 and Northumberland which will start in April 2003.
3. Personal Adviser numbers include those funded through the Connexions Services Grant and those seconded and supported by other organisations in the Partnership.
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Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his target maximum wait is for an appointment with (a) a Connexions personal adviser and (b) a careers adviser. [89573]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Connexions service has a broad remit: to offer to all young people between 13 and 19 information, advice and guidance (including on careers) to improve participation and achievement in learning, and to signpost personal development opportunities. Since type and level of need is a key determinant of the kind of personal adviser support made available, it is not appropriate to set maximum waiting times. Rather, the Connexions service has developed access to personal adviser support via a wide range of traditional and modern-day channels. In addition to conventional appointment systems, personal advisers are available on a Xdrop-in" basis in schools or colleges as well as in High Street Connexions centres, that are open at times young people want. Instant access is a key feature of Connexions Direct, a telephone and web-based service currently being trialled in several areas of England. Here, support is available from 8 am to 2 am seven days per week and 365 days per year. This is in fulfilment of one of the key Connexions principles: to design and deliver the service around the needs of young people and to listen to their views.
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria he will use to judge the effectiveness of Connexions Partnerships in (a) providing a vibrant high quality youth service, (b) making many more young people active citizens, (c) engaging many more young people in developmental activities and (d) ensuring that parents,
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carers and teachers are supportive of Connexions, as set out in Youth Support Services for 13 to 19-year-olds: A Vision for 2006. [89574]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Government set out its future vision for the Connexions Service in XYouth Support Services for 13 to 19-year-olds: A vision for 2006". This is a forward-looking document, which shows how Connexions will bring together a range of existing agencies to deliver seamless support for 13 to 19-year-olds, and reduce the number of 16 to 18-year-olds who are not in learning or work. We will use the following criteria to judge progress towards meeting the vision:
The Department has published a clear statement of what is expected of local education authorities who are responsible for delivering youth services. In December 2002 the Government launched the document XTransforming Youth Work Resourcing Excellent Youth Services" which provides a cross-Government view of the key elements of a high quality, well managed and properly resourced youth service. The document underpins the Transforming Youth Work programme and the Government's commitment to work with local authorities to ensure the delivery of a high quality youth service for young people which is at the heart of the Connexions Service.
Making more young people active citizens and engaging them in developmental activities
This aspect will be assessed by the extent to which Connexions Partnerships provide access to opportunities for young people to broaden their horizons, develop their talents and become actively engaged in their communities, through for example Millennium Volunteers and other volunteering initiatives, sports, arts and recreational activities; and through specific programmes such as the Neighbourhood Support Fund.
Support for Connexions from parents, carers and teachers
The views of young people and a range of key stakeholders involved in Partnerships will be sought on a regular basis through a comprehensive programme of opinion surveys starting in December 2002. In addition, the findings of national and local evaluations, the self-assessments undertaken by Partnerships and the outcome of Ofsted inspections will be used to assess progress and inform the development of Connexions Partnerships.
One of the key criteria for judging the overall effectiveness of Connexions Partnerships will be the progress they make towards meeting their target of reducing the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds not in learning and work. With the exception of recently established Partnerships, all Partnerships have been set a target of reducing by 10 per cent. the proportion of young people who are not in education, employment and training by November 2004.
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of 16 to 18 year-olds are not in education, training or employment in each of the Connexions Partnership areas. [89575]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is given in the table.
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| Connexions Partnerships | Percentage NEET |
|---|---|
| Bedfordshire | 11 |
| Birmingham and Solihull | 14 |
| Black Country | 13 |
| Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole | 7 |
| Cambridge and Peterborough | 10 |
| Central London | 15 |
| Cheshire and Warrington | 7 |
| Cornwall and Devon | 7 |
| County Durham | 18 |
| Coventry and Warwick | 10 |
| Cumbria | 8 |
| Derbyshire | 10 |
| East London | 12 |
| Essex, Southend and Thurrock | 8 |
| Gloucestershire | 4 |
| Greater Manchester | 10 |
| Greater Merseyside | 12 |
| Hereford and Worcester | 7 |
| Hertfordshire | 5 |
| Humber | 10 |
| Kent | 5 |
| Lancashire | 10 |
| Leicestershire | 9 |
| Lincolnshire and Rutland | 6 |
| Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire | 6 |
| North London | 10 |
| North Yorkshire | 6 |
| Northamptonshire | 7 |
| Nottinghamshire | 8 |
| Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin | 6 |
| Somerset | 5 |
| South Central | 5 |
| South London | 8 |
| South Yorkshire | 12 |
| Staffordshire | 11 |
| Suffolk | 8 |
| Surrey | 2 |
| Sussex | 6 |
| Tees Valley | 14 |
| Tyne and Wear | 17 |
| West London | 10 |
| West of England | 7 |
| West Yorkshire | 10 |
| Wiltshire and Swindon | 6 |
| England | 9 |
Notes:
1. Data relate to November 2002—the latest period for which information is available and is taken from NEXUS, the Connexions Service National Unit management information system.
2. No data are included for Norfolk and Berkshire Partnerships which started in January 2003, and Northumberland which will start in April 2003.
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what outcome-driven performance targets he has set for (a) the Connexions service and (b) each Connexions Partnership. [89576]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Connexions Partnerships have been set a target of reducing by 10 per cent. the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds that are not participating in employment, education and training between November 2002 and 2004.
Connexions Partnerships are also working in support of a range of other local and nationally based targets covering young people aged 13–19, with a particular focus on those young people who require intensive support.
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Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the annual budget is of (a) the Connexions Service National Unit and (b) each Connexions Partnership. [89578]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The total running costs budget for the Connexions Service National Unit (CSNU) in 2002–03 is #5.791 million (budgets are not yet agreed for 2003–04).
CSNU is responsible for a range of programme budgets including the main Connexions Service budget, which totals #449 million in 2002–03. Of that total, #337 million is allocated directly to Connexions Partnerships through the Connexions grant, while roughly one half of the remainder (c. #52 million ) is used to maintain careers services in those areas where Connexions Partnerships are not yet operational. A further third (c. #35 million) goes to Partnerships to fund the pre-launch development costs of those starting during the year and to support Summer Plus activity in response to the Government's street crime agenda. The remaining funds are used centrally to support the Partnership network, for example, through the training of Personal Advisers and the development of tracking systems.
In 2003–04, the total Connexions Service budget will be #475 million, of which #439 million will be allocated directly to Partnerships through the Connexions grant. Of the remainder, #17 million will go to Partnerships to continue supporting Summer Plus while #20 million will, as this year, fund work centrally in support of the Partnership network.
The table shows the funding allocated via the grant to each Connexions Partnership in both 2002–03 and 2003–04. In addition to the main Connexions budget, CSNU is responsible for a range of other initiatives such as the Neighbourhood Support Fund, the Millennium Volunteers programme and a number of Youth Service funds. The total programme funding available for these other initiatives is #77.4 million in 2002–03 and #62.9 million in 2003–04.
Notes:
1. The allocations for 2002–03 reflect the fact that several Partnerships were launched during the year so, in some cases, represent only a proportion of the hypothetical full-year cost (e.g. the South Central Partnership was launched on 1 September so its 2002–03 allocation is 7/12 of what it would have been had the Partnership operated for the full year).
2. Those Partnerships starting during the current year received additional development funding to help them prepare for full operation. Those same areas have also received funding to maintain careers service operation prior to the launch of their Connexions Partnerships.
3. Some Partnerships have received further funding during 2002–03 for Summer Plus activities, Personal Adviser Drugs Education, etc.
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Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) qualifications and (b) professional standards are required of Connexions personal advisers. [89579]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Connexions personal advisers are drawn from a range of professional backgrounds. To be fully qualified they must possess an NVQ level 4 or equivalent in a relevant professional discipline
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(e.g. careers, youth work, social work) and have attended a bespoke training programme, either Understanding Connexions or the Diploma for Connexions Personal Advisers. Training is delivered at higher education institutions approved by the Connexions Service National Unit. A guide to professional practice for Connexions personal advisers is currently in draft and has been the subject of wide consultation.
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