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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 15 July 2003
EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Connexions
Valerie Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the performance of the Connexions service as a universal advice service for all young people. [123693]
Margaret Hodge: There are now 47 Connexions partnerships in operation covering all of England. 31 started during the financial year 2002–03. The last one started in April 2003. Ofsted have reported full inspections of six partnerships so far and initial indications are that Connexions partnerships are making progress at different rates with implementation of services. Performance was assessed as good in four of the partnerships, while the other two were rated as less effective. There is now a substantial programme of work developing performance in these two partnerships to address the concerns expressed by Ofsted.
Among the findings from an independent survey of 16,000 young people who had been in contact with Connexion services were the following:
- 91 per cent. said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the service;
90 per cent. agreed that "Connexions has a lot to offer young people";
86 per cent. felt that "Connexions helps me see all the options available to me";
68 per cent. said Connexions had helped them make life-changing decisions;
47 per cent. said that contact with Connexions had made them more confident;
irrespective of the topic discussed, respondents were positive about the usefulness of the advice given—for example, 85 per cent. thought the advice on housing either very useful or useful.
Departmental Policies (Pendle)
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what policies (a) initiated and (b) managed by his Department since 2001 have had an impact on Pendle; and if he will make a statement. [124096]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: Outlined are details of the effects of a range of the Department's policies on the Pendle constituency and Lancashire LEA.
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Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)—East Lancashire Transport Pilot
This is a pilot EMA area operating the transport variation. Young People receive a free travel pass to their place of learning. They can also receive up to three £50 bonuses a year plus a £50 achievement bonus at the end of their studies.
There is one school in Nelson—Maries Hill Pupil Referral Unit—which has been in special measures since February 2003.
Lancashire is one of 25 LEAs that has received £200,000 in 2002–03 to run an extended school pathfinder (made available through the Standards Fund). An additional £25,000 was allocated to each of the pathfinders specifically for childcare provision. Overall the aim of the pathfinders has been to test out various approaches used by schools and authorities in the development of family and community facilities and services on school premises.
The Lancashire pathfinder has built upon existing and emerging developments in community use of maintained schools in the County. The project has focused primarily on five specific areas in the county where serious issues of social unrest, lack of community cohesion, significant levels of deprivation and poor health have already been identified. One of the five areas is Pendle, where six schools have been involved (listed as follows)
- Nelson Walton High School
West Craven High School
Nelson Edge End High School
Colne Saints John Fisher and Thomas Moore High School
Brierfield Mansfield High School
Nelson Marsden Early Excellence Centre
Connexions is the Government's front line support service for all young people in England aged 13–19. It is a universal service, offering integrated information, advice and guidance and access to personal development opportunities, to help remove barriers to learning and progression and ensure young people make a smooth transition to adulthood and working life. The headline aim is to reduce the number of young people aged 16–18 years who are not in education, employment or training.
Connexions Lancashire went live in April 2002. Its budgets were:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 12,132,753 |
| 2003–04 | 12,666,525 |
Note:
A breakdown for Pendle itself cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost.
School Achievement Awards
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The following schools in Pendle have received School Achievement Awards since 2001:
Round one awards announced March 2001
- Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary School
Barrowford School
Colne Gibfield School
Colne Lord Street School
Holy Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School, Nelson
Kelbrook Primary School
Brierfield Mansfield High School
McMillan Nursery School
Nelson Bradley Primary School
Nelson St. Paul's Church of England Primary School
Nelson St. Philip's Church of England Primary School
Nelson Whitefield Infant School and Nursery Unit
Salterforth Primary School
St. John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School, Colne
St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Barnoldswick
Trawden Forest Primary School
- Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary School
Barrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary School
Bradley Nursery School
Laneshaw Bridge Primary School
Marsden Community Primary School
McMillan Nursery School
Nelson Whitefield Infant School and Nursery Unit
Newjown Nursery School
Park Primary School
Reedley Primary School
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, Colne
Salterforth Primary School
St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Barnoldswick
Walton Lane Nursery School
West Street Primary School
- Bradley Nursery School
Walton Lane Nursery School
Newtown Nursery School
McMillan Nursery School
Barrowford School
Blacko Primary School
West Street Community Primary School
Bradley Primary School
Walverden Primary School
Nelson Whitefield Infant School and Nursery Unit
Kelbrook Primary School
Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Nelson St. Philip's Church of England Primary School
St. John Southworth Roman Catholic Primary School, Nelson
Wheatley Lane Methodist Voluntary Aided Primary School
West Craven High Technology College
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-
Capital Allocations (£000) for Lancashire LEA:
Since 1999 the LEA has received the following capital allocations:
| Capital allocation | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 3,5179 |
| 2000–01 | 38;021 |
| 2001–02 | 29,778 |
| 2002–03 | 44,303 |
| 2003–04 | 62,607 |
Lancashire is one of the Authorities that have been funded through the £11.25 million Capital Modernisation Funding project to provide funding for electronic registration systems in secondary schools with high levels of unauthorised absence which was initiated by the Department in 2001–02. Lancashire has received £444,340 towards setting up electronic registration in 23 secondary schools including two schools (Walton High School and West Craven High School) in the Pendle constituency receiving a total of £38,570. Independent evaluation has shown that, used effectively, electronic registration can significantly reduce levels of truancy within the first two years of implementation.
Lancashire has also participated in the nationally co-ordinated truancy sweeps, for example in December 178 truants were found. Lancashire also conducts a termly programme of truancy sweeps. Truancy sweeps have not only been found useful in returning truanting children back to school and publicising the importance of school attendance, but also through them children who have been missing from the school system altogether have been identified.
Pendle district has two Pupil Referral Units: Maries Hill PRU (40 places), and Pendle PRU (24 places). The LEA has a well structured Pupil Referral Service with clear policies and procedures for admissions and exit.
On reintegration of teenage parents into education
Lancashire has received funding from the DfES Standards Fund since 2000 to help reduce the levels of conception for under 18 by half by 2010—and the social exclusion of teenage parents within the Authority. Details of funding are as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 137,400 |
| 2001–02 | 137,400 |
| 2002–03 | 163,847 |
Lancashire has recruited five part time Learning Mentors to complement the work of the re-integration officer. For example, altogether they dealt with over 140
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secondary educational bases. 62 young girls and four young men were referred to the re-integration officer in the 2001–02 financial year.
There are currently two beacon schools in the Pendle constituency—they are Laneshaw Bridge Primary School and Walton Lane Nursery School. Laneshaw Bridge became a beacon school in September 2000 and has just has its beacon status renewed for a further year until September 2004. Walton Lane Nursery School became a beacon school in September 2001 and its beacon status also ends in September 2004.
Newchurch in Pendle St. Mary's CE Primary School ceased to be a beacon school in September 2002.
Pathfinder Young Community Champions Fund (PYCCF) Funding
£45,000 shared between four Boroughs (February 2003—September 2004).
- Note:
- Pendle forms part of the Lancashire Partnership pathfinder community cohesion area (consisting of Lancashire county council, Burnley borough council, Hyndburn borough council, Pendle borough council and Rossendale borough council). The area will receive £45,000 to implement the PYCCF between February 2003 to September 2004.
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