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2 Feb 2006 : Column 682W—continued
Mature Students
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the 10 most popular subjects taken up by mature students in the most recent period for which figures are available. [39877]
Bill Rammell: The latest available information is given in the table.
(9) 'Mature' enrolments are those aged 21 years or over on undergraduate courses or 25 years or over on postgraduate courses.
(10) Around 70 per cent. of these are students at the Open University who code a large number of their courses as 'Combined' in their HESA return.
(11) Includes 'Environmental health', 'Occupational health', 'Occupational therapy' and 'Counselling'.
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.
Figures are on a HESA standard registration population basis and are rounded to the nearest 5.
Subjects are classified using the Joint Academic Coding scheme (JACS).
2 Feb 2006 : Column 683W
New School Providers
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the delivery of education to a specified number of pupils will be a pre-requisite of the authorisation of a new school provider. [46437]
Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 January 2006, Official Report, column 87W, which explained that decisions about the provision of new schools will be taken by local authorities, in their modernised role as the commissioners of education in their areas, or by the schools adjudicator. Local authorities and the schools adjudicator will consider all proposals for new schools on their individual merits.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether her Department will impose limits on the number of new school providers in any given local authority area. [46454]
Jacqui Smith: No. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 January 2006, Official Report, column 87W, which explained that decisions about the provision of new schools will be taken by local authorities, in their modernised role as the commissioners of education in their areas, or by the schools adjudicator.
Postgraduate Courses
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of entrants to postgraduate courses in 2004–05 had already obtained (a) an honours degree and (b) an ordinary degree; and how many and what proportion had attained (i) first, (ii) upper-second, (iii) lower-second and (iv) third class honours. [40527]
Bill Rammell:
The available information is given in the tables. Details of degree classifications on entry to postgraduate courses are available for entrants to postgraduate certificate of education courses only.
2 Feb 2006 : Column 684W
n/a=Not applicable.
(12) Includes doctorates, masters, PGCE, postgraduate diplomas and certificates and postgraduate professional qualifications.
Note:
Figures are on a HESA standard registration population basis and are rounded to the nearest 5.
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.
Figures for the degree classification of entrants to postgraduate certificate of education courses are shown in the following table:
n/a=Not applicable.
Note:
Figures are on a HESA standard registration population basis and are rounded to the nearest 5.
Source:
Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average A-level attainment has been of entrants to postgraduate courses leading to qualified teacher status in each year since 1995. [40526]
Bill Rammell: The information requested is not held centrally.
Pupil Performance
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made towards replacement of the pupil achievement tracker and the performance and assessment reports with RAISEonline; and if she will make a statement. [47061]
Jacqui Smith: RAISEonline is being developed jointly by my Department and Ofsted.
An initial pilot of RAISEonline took place in December 2005 with 250 users. An extended pilot of the full system involving 2000 users will take place in May 2006. The full system is expected to be implemented in July 2006, as planned.
2 Feb 2006 : Column 685W
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent on producing the revised version of the 2005 unvalidated Secondary Performance and Assessment reports; and if she will make a statement. [47063]
Jacqui Smith: These are matters for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Maurice Smith, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
Letter from Maurice Smith, dated 30 January 2006:
Your recent parliamentary question has been referred to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of schools, for reply.
You asked how much was spent on producing the revised version of the 2005 unvalidated Secondary Performance and Assessment reports.
In response, the New Style" PANDA based on 2005 unvalidated data released on 23 December 2005 contained an error. The analysis in table 3.4.14 excluded A* grades from the calculations. The error required one line of programming code to be corrected. Following the correction the production of the revised documents required IT processing time which incurred no additional cost. The only additional cost was for a letter sent to all secondary schools informing them of the error and the remedial action being taken. This additional letter cost £1,500.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Jacqui Smith and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.
School Improvement Services
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps her Department is taking to assist local authorities with School Improvement Services rated unsatisfactory by Ofsted. [47433]
Jacqui Smith: Where the Secretary of State is satisfied that a local authority is failing to perform its duties to the minimum standards required, the Secretary of State has the power to intervene. Forms of intervention and engagement are decided in the light of independent evidence and tailored to the specific needs of the local authority. The authority will receive co-ordinated support and advice from officials in the Government Office, DfES advisers and from senior officers of the Primary and Secondary National Strategies. Action taken to improve local authority services following an Ofsted unsatisfactory rating has included establishing partnership arrangements with a high performing local authority and directing the outsourcing of the strategic management of services. Similar action will be taken in future in the light of evidence from the new Joint Area Review undertaken by Ofsted and other inspectorates. From this April, Directors for Children and Learners (DCLs), based in the Government Offices, will provide tailored support and challenge for every local authority in their region. This will be based around annual priorities meetings, at which DCLs, local authorities and their partners discuss local priorities in the context of national priorities and the action being taken to address areas of weakness and concern.
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