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28 Nov 2005 : Column 182W—continued
Milwaukee Charter Schools Programme
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions her Department has held with representatives of the education sector in the state of Minnesota, US. [31015]
Bill Rammell: In March 2005, a delegation of teachers, principals and Minnesota State Education Officials visited the UK to meet local education authorities and schools in Southwark and Milton Keynes. In addition, the group held discussions with representatives from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the Office for Standards in Education, the National Association of Educational Inspectors, Advisers and Consultants and the Department for Education and Skills. The aim of the visit was to discuss best practice in policy relating to course content, teaching methods and other instructional strategies in schools with diverse student populations.
Shortly afterwards, a group of teachers from Milton Keynes visited Minnesota to learn about good practice in the provision of English as an Additional Language (EAL) programming in the US. The visit was part of the Teachers' International Professional Development Programme (TIPD), funded by DfES and managed by the British Council.
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MORI Poll
Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will publish the results of the MORI poll entitled Attitudes to Fees in Further Education, conducted during September and referred to in her Department's Press Notice 2005/0123. [23622]
Bill Rammell:
In line with my Department's standard practice on research findings these results were published on the Department's website on 11 November 2005.
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New Schools
Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) community, (b) voluntary aided, (c) voluntary controlled, (d) academy and (e) foundation schools have been opened in each of the last eight years, broken down by local education authority; and how many places there were in each school. [29261]
Jacqui Smith: Some 1,016 maintained primary and secondary schools have opened since January 1997, as follows:
(101)Opened prior to September 1999 (i.e. before the current Schools Framework was introduced.
The figures include schools that have opened as a result of an amalgamation or local reorganisation of schools and also those where the school has opened in place of a closing school e.g. to gain a religious character or a fresh start school.
A further table detailing the new schools by year, school category, local authority and number of places has been placed in the Library.
Ofsted Ratings
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of (a) faith schools and (b) non-faith schools have been awarded a (i) grade 3, (ii) grade 4 and (iii) grade 5 rating by Ofsted inspectors. [31607]
Jacqui Smith: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, David Bell, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of his letter has been placed in the Library.
Letter from David Bell to Dr. Ashok Kumar, dated 24 November 2005:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what percentage of (a) faith schools and (b) non-faith schools have been awarded a (i) grade 3, (ii) grade 4 and (iii) grade 5 rating by Ofsted inspectors.
The tables attached show the percentage of schools by different levels of effectiveness, by faith and non-faith school, inspected during the academic year 2004/05. In addition to the specific grades you asked for, I have included 'grade 6', no schools fell into the 'grade 7' category.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Jacqui Smith and will be placed in the Library of both houses.
(102)Indicates less than 0.5 per cent. but greater than 0.
Note:
No primary or secondary schools were graded 7 2004/05.
Pay Restructuring
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects to introduce pay restructuring into schools; and if she will make a statement. [31874]
Jacqui Smith:
Reforms to teachers' pay, which include the replacement of management allowances with teaching and learning responsibility payments and the introduction of a new excellent teacher grade, will come into effect from 2006. Schools have a three year period from the beginning of 2006 in which to implement these changes. It is for individual schools to apply these reforms in accordance with their three-year implementation plan, at a pace which best suits their needs, following a review of their staffing structures.
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Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of staff morale following the announcement of the proposal to restructure pay in schools; and if she will make a statement. [31875]
Jacqui Smith: The reviews of staffing structures currently under way build on work force remodelling and enable the introduction of pay reforms. These have been developed with the co-operation and agreement of representatives of teachers and support staff who work in social partnership with the Department, and in line with recommendations from the independent School Teachers' Review Body. The reviews are a vital development providing a focus on raising the standards of teaching and learning in schools and rewarding teachers appropriately and fairly. With our partners we will continue to monitor the implementation of these changes.
Physical Education
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Education and Skills what definition she uses of high quality physical education and school sport in respect of the 2004 Public Service Agreement target number 9. [29179]
Jacqui Smith: The document, High Quality PE and Sport for Young People" (DfES/DCMS, March 2004), provides a detailed description of the outcomes of high quality physical education and school sport. For the purposes of the joint DfES/DCMS PE and school sport public service agreement target, high quality PE and school sport produces young people with the skills, understanding, desire and commitment to continue to improve and achieve in a range of PE, sport and health-enhancing physical activities, in line with their abilities.
A further document, Do You Have High Quality PE and Sport in Your School?" (DfES/DCMS, January 2005), helps teachers to use the pupil outcomes of high quality to carry out self evaluation of the quality of PE and sport they provide. Copies of these documents have been placed in the house Libraries.
Public Service Agreements
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what recent assessment she has made of the attainability of 2004 public service agreement target number 10; [29197]
(2) what assessment she has made of the attainability of the 2004 public service agreement target number 7. [29180]
Jacqui Smith: Progress against the Department's outstanding public service agreements (PSAs) was most recently reported in the 2005 departmental report, published in June 2005, together with the Department's assessment towards achievement of the targets. A copy of the departmental report is available from the House of Commons Library. Further progress will be reported in the 2005 autumn performance report due to be published later this year.
Provisional results for 2005 GCSE and equivalent examinations were published in a statistical first release (SFR) on 20 October 2005. The data show 55.7 per cent.
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of pupils achieved five or more GCSE or equivalent at grades A*-C. This represents an increase of two percentage points compared with 2004 and an increase of 10.6 percentage points compared with 1997.
Provisional results for 2005 key stage 3 tests were published in an SFR on 8 September 2005. The data show 74 per cent. of pupils achieved level 5 and above in English; 74 per cent. in mathematics; 70 per cent. in science; and 69 per cent. in ICT. The corresponding figures for 2004 are: 71 per cent.; 73 per cent.; 66 per cent. and 67 per cent. respectively. In 1997, 57 per cent. of pupils achieved level 5 and above in English; 60 per cent. in mathematics; 60 per cent. in science; and 50 per cent. in ICT.
The numbers of schools below key stage 3 and GCSE and equivalent floor targets will be published in early 2006.
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the timescales are for the achievement of all aspects of 2004 Public Service Agreement target number 14. [29199]
Bill Rammell: The precise wording of the 2004 Public Service Agreement target number 14 is:
By 2010, increase participation in higher education towards 50% of those aged 18 to 30; and also make significant progress year on year towards fair access; and bear down on non-completion rates".
Only the first part of the target, on increasing participation, has a specific timescale. We measure the other aspirations year-on-year.
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