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Education

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she has taken to increase the number of teachers in state schools in Battersea. [218523]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: We are committed to improving recruitment and retention of teachers. Nationally, there are around 29,000 more qualified teachers working in schools than there were in 1997. In Wandsworth, the latest statistics show that teacher vacancies have fallen from 3.8 per cent. in 2002 to 2.1 per cent. in 2004.
 
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We have put in place a number of measures nationally to improve recruitment and retention. For example, graduates training to teach receive bursaries of up to £6,000; and new teachers of shortage subjects receive golden hellos of up to £4,000 on starting teaching.

In London, the London Challenge seeks to make London a world leader for secondary education, including making London one of the most attractive places to teach. Significant changes have been made, including the introduction of a new inner London pay scale. For example, an experienced classroom teacher at the start of the upper pay scale in London now earns £34,851, compared to £29,385 outside London. From April 2004, teachers working in London have been able to apply for interest-free equity loans of up to £100,000, through the London Challenge Key Teacher Homebuy scheme, in order to be able to afford a home in London.

The Chartered London Teacher status is now available to teachers working in London. It rewards the skills and expertise of London teachers and provides a one-off payment of £1,000 for those who achieve the status, and provides recognition of professional achievement that teachers will carry with them throughout their careers. And a new 'Preferred Supply Agency' list has been established to make it easier for Headteachers to access agencies which endeavour to provide better trained teachers and better value for money.

Furthermore, London Challenge is funding a teacher recruitment project, to offer a free teacher recruitment service to London schools in challenging circumstances for September 2005. Through this project, GOL are working with Battersea Technology College. GOL has already met with the head teacher to discuss staffing needs and is creating a pool of candidates for vacant posts. Currently, the staffing picture across Battersea in both primary and secondary schools is stable.

Mr. Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the budget was for the Brighton and Hove local education authority in each year since 1997–98. [220109]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The information requested is only available from 2000–01 onwards and is contained within the following table.
Brighton and Hove LEA's total net revenue education budget⁽²³⁾ since 2000–01⁽²⁴⁾ Total Education Revenue

	Expenditure(25) (£)
2000–01	88,085,000
2001–02	95,533,000
2002–03	100,379,000
2003–04	106,061,000
2004–05	113,247,000

⁽²³⁾Financial data is drawn from the net column of the Total Education Revenue Expenditure line of the Section 52 Budget Statement (Table 1) submitted by Brighton and Hove LEA to the department
⁽²⁴⁾Section 52 budget data has only been collected since financial year 2000–01.
⁽²⁵⁾Figures are as reported by the LEA in cash terms rounded to the nearest £1,000.



 
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Mr. Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were in classes of 31 or more in infant schools and infant classes in primary schools in Brighton and Hove in each year since 1996–97. [220110]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The information requested is shown in the table.
Maintained primary schools ⁽²⁶⁾: number of pupils in key stage 1 classes of 31 or more pupils taught by one teacher—1997 to 2004 Position in January each year

	Brighton and Hove local education authority
		Number of pupils in classes of 31 or more
	Total pupils in all classes	Number of pupils	Percentage of pupils (27)
1997(28)	22,141	10,130	45.8
1998	7,080	3,422	48.3
1999	6,988	2,811	40.2
2000	6,709	2,262	33.7
2001	6,517	408	6.3
2002	6,432	0	0.0
2003	6,353	32	0.5
2004	6,795	31	0.5

⁽²⁶⁾Includes middle schools as deemed.
⁽²⁷⁾Percentage of pupils in those classes expressed as a percentage of pupils in all classes taught by one teacher.
⁽²⁸⁾Before Local Government Reorganisation (was East Sussex LEA).
Source:
Annual Schools' Census

Mr. Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many full-time equivalent teachers were working in maintained schools in Brighton and Hove in each year since 1996–97. [220111]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The information requested has been published in the Statistics of Education, School Workforce in England Volume, 2004 edition, annex table A2 refers. A copy of this publication has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Alternatively it is available at the following URL: www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000554/index.shtml

Mr. Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much capital funding was allocated to schools in Brighton and Hove in each year since 1996–97. [220159]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The following table sets out the total capital resources allocated to Brighton and Hove local education authority, and schools in its area, since 1997. Information is not held centrally for 1996–97 when Brighton and Hove was part of East Sussex LEA. Decisions on how resources should be invested in schools are taken by the local education authority in accordance with locally prepared asset management plans.
£000

LEA	Brighton and Hove
1997–98	3,926
1998–99	4,467
1999–2000	6,139
2000–01	8,161
2001–02	29,193
2002–03	6,856
2003–04	7,338
2004–05	13,357

Notes:
1.2001–02 figures includes Private Finance Initiative credits of £24.5 million
2.2004–05 figures include Targeted Capital Funding of £6.8 million




 
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Further Education (Funding)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the funding gap is between school sixth forms and further education colleges; and what plans her Department has to reduce the funding spending gap. [219897]

Dr. Howells: In 2002/03 the difference between the AS/A2 base rates for school sixth forms and further education colleges was 10.5 per cent.

At the 2002 Spending Review a record funding increase for the FE sector was delivered. The increased funding enabled the Learning and Skills Council to deliver a 4.5 per cent. increase in funding rates in 2003/04 for all colleges that agreed development plans. In the same year, school sixth form funding rates increased by 3 per cent.—resulting in a narrowing of the funding gap to 9 per cent. FE colleges that delivered against their plans received a further 5 per cent. increase in funding rates for 2004/05 compared with a 4 per cent. increase for schools—a further narrowing of the gap to 8 per cent. We expect a similar step in funding rates in 2005/06, further reducing the gap to 7 per cent.

Our policy has been to raise the level of funding for colleges, as and when we are able to secure the resources to do so.

Qualifications

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of pupils in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough left school with no qualifications in 2004. [220182]

Mr. Stephen Twigg: The table shows the proportion of pupils aged 15 at the start of the 2003/04 school year who did not achieve any passes at GCSE and other qualifications approved pre-16 (including entry level qualifications) in each London LEA.

Government Office Region local education authority	Number of 15-year-old pupils(29)	Percentage of 15-year-old pupils(29)achieving no passes at GCSE and equivalents
London	73,425	3.7
Camden	1,429	3.9
Hackney	1,283	2.5
Hammersmith and Fulham	1,184	3.0
Haringey	2,164	7.3
Islington	1,411	4.4
Kensington and Chelsea	579	4.7
Lambeth	1,370	2.5
Lewisham	2,294	3.7
Newham	3,137	1.8
Southwark	2,057	5.0
Tower Hamlets	2,468	3.0
Wandsworth	1,868	4.6
Westminster	1,400	4.1
Barking and Dagenham	1,956	4.2
Barnet	3,549	4.1
Bexley	3,075	2.6
Brent	2,645	3.2
Bromley	3,618	3.1
Croydon	3,619	3.1
Ealing	2,682	2.5
Enfield	3,431	3.5
Greenwich	2,524	4.6
Harrow	2,222	2.7
Havering	3,068	2.3
Hillingdon	2,933	5.9
Hounslow	2.642	3.6
Kingston upon Thames	1,480	3.3
Merton	1,595	6.4
Redbridge	3,016	2.1
Richmond upon Thames	1,486	3.2
Sutton	2,628	2.9
Waltham Forest	2,612	6.5

⁽²⁹⁾Aged 15 at the start of the 2003/04 academic year, ie. 31 August 2003.
⁽³⁰⁾Including attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years.



 
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