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31 Jan 2005 : Column 666W—continued
Education Provision (Northamptonshire)
Ms Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many teachers were employed in schools in Northamptonshire in the academic years (a) 1997–98 and (b) 2003–04; [211280]
(2) how many teachers were employed in schools in Northampton in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 2003–04; [211281]
(3) how many learning support assistants were employed in schools in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) Northampton in (i) 1997–98 and (ii) 2003–04. [211282]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: The following table shows the full-time equivalent number of teachers in the Northampton, North and Northampton, South constituencies and Northamptonshire LEA in 1998 and 2004:
(20)Includes middle schools as deemed.
(21)Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
(22)Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
(23)Source:
DfES 618G Survey
The following table shows the full-time equivalent number of support staff in the Northampton, North and Northampton, South constituencies and Northampton LEA in 1998 and 2004:
(24)Includes middle schools as deemed.
(25)Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
(26)Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Annual School Census
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Extended School Programmes
Mr. Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list known sources of funding for extended school programmes; and if she will make a statement. [208783]
Margaret Hodge: The Government are committed to supporting the development of extended schools, to offer enrichment activities and child care to parents and children. By 2010 all parents with children aged 5–11 will be offered the guarantee of affordable child care between the hours of 8 am to 6 pm, all year round. Provision could be available in a local school, in a neighbouring school or on a different site, provided by the school or in partnership with voluntary and private sector providers, including local childminders. Half of all parents will be able to enjoy this service by 2008. For secondary school aged children, all secondary schools will, by 2010, be open 8 am to 6 pm all year round offering a range of interesting activities. By 2008 we want at least a third of all secondary schools making this offer.
We have already committed around £50 million over the period 2003–04 to 2004–05 to support the roll out of extended schools. This has comprised just under £44 million paid via the Standards Fund (including £2.8 million made available by the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit and £1.8 million from the Home Office) and £6.8 million paid through the Sure Start General Grant, In addition to this £14 million from the Young People's Fund element of the Big Lottery Fund has been made available to 78 local authorities over three years from 2004–05 to support the development of extended schools across their areas
Funding should also be available from the agencies which deliver services provided on school premises such as health and social care. Schools can also charge for some services such as community use of the schools premises and child care. In the case of school based child care, parents, who are eligible, can claim part of the cost through the child care element of the working tax credit.
In the financial year 2005–06 my Department will be making available just over £107 million to support the development of extended schools. In later years we will provide further sums including funding to support the development of school based child care. An announcement will be made in due course. The funding for extended schools is to kick start the delivery of services with the intention that the facilities should be self-sustaining over time.
Foster Carers
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the availability of foster carers. [210205]
Margaret Hodge:
At 31 March 2004 approximately 61,100 children were looked after, of whom 68 per cent. were in foster placements in England. The Department itself does not collect information centrally about the number of foster carers. However, a recent survey of local authorities, carried out by the Fostering Network, indicated a shortage of around 8,200 foster carers in England.
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Supporting local authorities to act effectively to recruit and retain foster carers is therefore a priority for my Department and we have recently produced a Fostering Publicity Pack designed to help local authorities to run targeted local campaigns to recruit new foster carers for looked after children. We have also awarded a 3 year grant of £180,000 to the Fostering Network to support Foster Care Fortnight, which has a particular focus on recruitment.
In addition, the Choice Protects grant, which provides funding of £113 million over three years, has a specific emphasis on fostering services. We are currently developing a number of new initiatives to improve the status, support and training of foster carers. These include the development of a national award ceremony, a national advice line, measures to improve the support given to foster carers who are subject to allegations and new training resources for foster carers. We will also shortly be commencing detailed work on payments to foster carers in the context of the Children Act 2004.
GCSEs
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average GCSE point scores were for each category of school in England in 2003/04. [211638]
Mr. Stephen Twigg: The following table shows the average GCSE and equivalents point score by school type by the end of 2003/04.
(27)Including City Technology Colleges and Academies.
(28)Including community and foundation special schools, hospital schools and pupil referral units.
(29)Including non-maintained special schools.
Looked-after Children
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many looked-after children have been placed in private boarding schools in each of the last four years for which figures are available, broken down by local authority. [211955]
Mr. Twigg: This information has not been collected in 2004 and earlier years. It will be collected for the first time through the 2005 annual schools census.
Natural Auralism
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of natural auralism on teaching children with hearing impairment. [207540]
Margaret Hodge:
In 2003 the DfES commissioned Cambridge and Manchester Universities to carry out a joint study of teaching approaches for different types of special educational needs (SEN). The study found that
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there was a large degree of overlap between different effective approaches—in essence, good teaching skills are much the same for all pupils, regardless of whether or not they have SEN, or the type of SEN.
The 2003 research did not include an assessment of the effectiveness of the different specialised approaches used in teaching children with hearing impairment—oral/aural, total communication and sign bilingualism. We are considering what further work might be taken forward in this area.
Parents of deaf or hearing impaired pupils who have statements of special educational needs, are able to express a preference for the maintained school they would like their child to attend, and can also make representations for a place at an independent or non-maintained special school. Before expressing a preference they are able to consider teaching approaches offered by different schools. Local authorities decide which school should be named in a child's statement taking account of parental preference and the individual needs of the child.
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