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Education Funding

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what additional funding over and above the standard allocations (a) was spent and (b) has been allocated by the Learning and Skills Council to assist colleges in financial health category C in (i) 2000–01, (ii) 2001–02 and (iii) 2002–03 from (A) participation, (B) Standards Fund and (C) other budget heads; [124702]

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(2) how many further education colleges were assessed by the Learning and Skills Council or its predecessor bodies as being in financial health category C at (a) 31st March 2000, (b) 31 March 2001, (c) 31 March 2002 and (d) 31 March 2003; [124703]

(3) what steps have been taken by the Learning and Skills Council since April 2000 to assist colleges in financial health category C to improve their position. [124704]

Alan Johnson: These are matters for the Learning and Skills Council. John Harwood, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

GCSE/GNVQ Point Scores

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what proportion of the average capped GCSE/GNVQ point scores was obtained by (a) GSCE results and (b) GNVQ results by pupils in (i) sports colleges, (ii) technology colleges, (iii) languages colleges and (iv) arts colleges in each year between 1995 and 2002; [123587]

(2) what proportion of the average capped GCSE/GNVQ point scores was obtained by (a) GCSE results and (b) GNVQ results by pupils in (i) grammar schools, (ii) secondary modern schools, (iii) non-specialist comprehensives and (iv) specialist comprehensives in each year between 1995 and 2002. [123591]

Mr. Miliband: The proportions of the GCSE/GNVQ point scores obtained by GCSEs and by GNVQs are shown in the table. The GCSE/GNVQ point score that has been used is the total uncapped GCSE/GNVQ point score, rather than the average capped GCSE/GNVQ point score, in order to be consistent with earlier years' data which were uncapped.

GCSE/GNVQ achievements of 15-year-old pupils in schools in England, 1995 to 2002

Academic year	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
Sports colleges
Percentage of total points from GCSEs	—	—	—	99.8	99.2	98.8	98.8	97.1
Percentage of total points from GNVQs	—	—	—	0.2	0.8	1.2	1.2	2.9
Technology colleges
Percentage of total points from GCSEs	100	100	99.4	98.9	98.7	98.4	98	95.5
Percentage of total points from GNVQs	0	0	0.6	1.1	1.3	1.6	2	4.5
Language colleges
Percentage of total points from GCSEs	—	100	99.9	99.8	99.3	99.2	99	98.1
Percentage of total points from GNVQs	—	0	0.1	0.2	0.7	0.8	1	1.9
Arts colleges
Percentage of total points from GCSEs	—	—	—	98.9	99.3	99.1	98.8	96.6
Percentage of total points from GNVQs	—	—	—	1.1	0.7	0.9	1.2	3.4
Grammar schools
Percentage of total points from GCSEs	100	100	100	100	100	100	100	99.9
Percentage of total points from GNVQs	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.1
Secondary moderns
Percentage of total points from GCSEs	100	100	99.6	99.5	99.3	98.8	98.5	96.7
Percentage of total points from GNVQs	0	0	0.4	0.5	0.7	1.2	1.5	3.3
Non specialist comprehensives
Percentage of total points from GCSEs	100	100	99.8	99.7	99.5	99.3	99	97.6
Percentage of total points from GNVQs	0	0	0.2	0.3	0.5	0.7	1	2.4
Specialist comprehensives
Percentage of total points from GCSEs	100	100	99.5	99.1	98.8	98.7	98.4	96.3
Percentage of total points from GNVQs	0	0	0.5	0.9	1.2	1.3	1.6	3.7

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Growing Schools Programme

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in Chesham and Amersham were involved in the Growing Schools Programme in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [123916]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: No schools in either Chesham or Amersham were involved in the Growing Schools programme in either 2001–02 or 2002–03. However, three schools from Buckinghamshire LEA, High Wycombe CE Primary, The Wycombe Grange Pupil Referral Unit and Verney Avenue Special School, were involved. They participated in one of the five flagship projects managed by Berkshire College of Agriculture and National Association of Principal Agricultural Education Officers between April 2002 and April 2003.

Independent Schools

Mr. Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many prosecutions in relation to the inadequacies of boarding quarters have been brought by the National Care Standards Commission against (a) the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference and Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools and (b) other independent boarding schools in each of the last five years. [125172]

Mr. Miliband: The National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) does not prosecute independent schools if there are inadequacies in their boarding provision. It reports deficiencies to the Department for Education and Skills which is the registration authority for independent schools.

My officials press independent schools to respond quickly to concerns raised by NCSC, and schools that fail to address these concerns may be served with a Notice of Complaint setting out the remedies we are seeking. If the concerns set out in the Notice of Complaint are not addressed, the Department will deregister and close the school.

During the last five years four boarding schools have been served with a Notice of Complaint on welfare grounds. One of these schools belonged to the Incorporated Association of Independent Schools, the others did not belong to the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference or any other association affiliated to the Independent Schools Council.

Learning and Skills Councils

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the relationship is between (a) Connexions, (b) LEAs, (c) young offenders institutions, (d) Jobcentre Plus and (e) learning and skills councils. [121776]

Margaret Hodge: They provide different forms of support to young people and adults. Where young people are at risk, it is particularly important that they work closely together.

The Connexions service provides information, advice, guidance and access to personal development opportunities for 13 to 19-year-olds. Its focus is on helping young people stay engaged in education, training and employment. Connexions partnerships support LEAs in a number of ways. For instance fines

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agree with them how they will contribute to the achievement of reducing unauthorised absence of young people from school.

Young offender institutions accommodate 15 to 21-year-olds. Many of these young people face many barriers to taking part in education, training or employment—e.g. they may have been in care, are substance abusers, and have mental health problems. Connexions provides access to holistic support that overcomes these barriers. Connexions partnerships are therefore developing strong links and formal agreements with young offender institutes in their areas.

Connexions and Jobcentre Plus work in close partnership to provide an efficient, supportive and integrated service to young people claiming benefit, with particular emphasis on those aged 16–17.

The Learning and Skills Council is responsible for all post-16 education and training. Connexions partnerships and local learning and skills councils have joint working strategies to ensure that all young people aged 16–19 receive appropriate learning and development opportunities.

Learning Disabilities

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures he supports to ensure that those with learning disabilities are not disadvantaged within the examination system. [124754]

Mr. Miliband: The Joint Council for General Qualifications (JCGQ) is responsible for determining the detailed regulations and guidance relating to candidates with particular requirements.

We support special measures that help those candidates for whom the standard arrangements for the assessment of their attainment may present an unnecessary barrier, where such measures do not affect the validity of the assessment.

Literacy (Battersea)

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the effect of the national literacy strategy on literacy skills amongst primary school children in Battersea. [123670]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The National Literacy Strategy (together with the National Numeracy Strategy) has transformed standards in our primary schools and the 2002 test results at age seven and 11 were the best ever. Nationally, 75 per cent. of pupils achieved level four or above in the 2002 Key Stage 2 English tests, 10 percentage points more than in 1998. Compared to 1998, about 60,000 more 11-year olds achieved the expected level for their age in English.

The achievement gap between high and low performing schools and local education authorities (LEAs) has also narrowed significantly. The lowest achieving LEA is now performing at around the level of the average LEA of five years ago and the percentage of schools achieving below 65 per cent. in English and maths has been roughly halved since 1998.

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The improvement of literacy standards of pupils in Wandsworth LEA is broadly in line with the national improvement. In 1998 64 per cent. of pupils achieved level four or above in English at Key Stage 2. In 2002 the figure was 73 per cent. The Key Stage 2 results are provided at national, LEA, and school level. We are unable to disaggregate results for Battersea schools.

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