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27 Feb 2006 : Column 539W—continued

General Teaching Council

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer of 7 February 2006, Official Report, column 1134W, on the General Teaching Council, what proportion of the cases referred to the General Teaching Council in each year since 2001 were (a) recommended for a full formal hearing before (i) a professional conduct committee and (ii) a professional competence committee hearing and (b) not recommended for a full formal hearing; and what proportion of those that were recommended for a formal hearing have been dealt with by the relevant committees. [52608]

Jacqui Smith: According to information provided by the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE), the number of cases recommended by the Investigating Committee to proceed to a disciplinary hearing in each financial year was as follows:
Number

Financial year	Professional Conduct Committee	Professional Competence Committee	All cases
2001–02	6	4	10
2002–03	32	5	37
2003–04	32	4	36
2004–05	59	18	77
2005–06(129)	105	14	119
Total	234	45	279

⁽¹²⁹⁾ To 31 January 2006

The number of disciplinary cases heard and concluded in each financial year was as follows:
Number

Financial year	Professional Conduct Committee	Professional Competence Committee	All cases
2001–02	1	2	3
2002–03	16	4	20
2003–04	39	4	43
2004–05	34	6	40
2005–06(130)	38	15	53
Total	128	31	159

⁽¹³⁰⁾ To 31 January 2006



 
27 Feb 2006 : Column 540W
 

Cases referred to the Council, or onward to an Investigating Committee or hearing, towards the end of a financial year may be dealt with in the following financial year. 120 cases recommended by the Investigating Committee are awaiting completion; either being part-heard, scheduled but not heard, or not as yet scheduled.

As of 31 January 2006, the total number of cases that were referred to the GTCE since 2001 that have not been referred for hearings is 813. This figure does not include 140 cases that have not yet been considered by the Investigating Committee which could be referred for hearings, found as having no case to answer, or referred to the Department for Education and Skills.

Geography Development Fund

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the planned allocation of resources from the Geography Development Fund in 2006–07. [53168]

Jacqui Smith: The Geography Focus Group has made recommendations for action, following discussion and consultation within the geography community. We are now considering proposals for a Geography Action Plan. No decisions have been taken about allocation of resources to support the teaching and learning of geography in schools in 2006–07.

Gershon Review

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will set out the changes in staffing (a) levels and (b) patterns made in response to the Gershon Review's conclusions. [53162]

Jacqui Smith: The information is as follows:

(a) My Department is committed to achieving a total of 1,460 staff reductions by end March 2008 in response to the Gershon Review. As at 1 February 2006 my Department has reduced by 876 staff since the October 2003 baseline.

(b) In October 2003, 87 per cent. of my Department's staff were employed full time and 13 per cent. part-time; the current percentages are 85 per cent. and 15 per cent. respectively.

Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the implications of the Education White Paper for compliance with the Gershon Review of Public Expenditure. [53436]

Jacqui Smith: The proposals in the White Paper are not expected to have an adverse impact on meeting the Gershon efficiency targets. The Department will continue to provide guidance and assistance to all schools to help them improve the efficiency and effectiveness with which they use their resources, so as to drive up standards for all pupils, and we shall expect local authorities to do the same.

The Department will continue to promote greater value for money in the broad areas of procurement of goods and services, procurement and use of ICT, management of resources within schools, and deployment of staff through the continuation of workforce reform.
 
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GNVQs

Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what proportion of pupils aged 15 years were entered for GNVQs in the last academic year for which figures are available; [51276]

(2) what proportion of pupils achieved (a) five GCSEs A*-C grades and (b) five GCSEs A*-C grades including English and mathematic with a GNVQ award in the last academic year; [51277]

(3) what proportion of pupils in (a) community schools, (b) foundation schools, (c) voluntary aided schools and (d) voluntary controlled schools were entered for GNVQs in the last academic year; [51278]
 
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(4) what proportion of pupils who achieved five GCSEs A*-C grades in (a) community schools, (b) foundation schools, (c) voluntary aided schools and (d) voluntary controlled schools did so by gaining a GNVQ in the last year for which figures are available; [51392]

(5) what proportion of pupils who achieved five GCSEs A*-C grades including English and mathematics in (a) community schools, (b) foundation schools, (c) voluntary aided schools and (d) voluntary controlled schools did so by gaining a GNVQ in the last year for which figures are available. [51393]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is presented in the following table.
Percentages of 15-year-old pupils achieving described thresholds at GCSE and equivalent in 2005

	All schools	Community schools(131)	Foundation schools(131)	Voluntary aided Schools(131)	Voluntary controlled schools(131)
Number of pupils	636,796	371,727	95,704	82,603	20,504
Percentage of pupils assessed as pass, merit, distinction or fail at GNVQ(132)	10.0	11.0	11.7	10.6	4.3
Percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more A* to C grades at GCSE and equivalent	56.3	51.6	61.8	64.0	62.9
Percentage of pupils who achieved 5 or more A* to C grades at GCSE or equivalent who did so by gaining a GNVQ	8.5	9.2	10.3	9.3	3.6
Percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more A* to C grades at GCSE and equivalent including English and maths	44.3	38.9	49.9	51.4	52.7
Percentage of pupils who achieved 5 or more A* to C grades at GCSE or equivalent including English and maths who did so by gaining a GNVQ	4.6	4.7	6.1	5.2	1.7

⁽¹³¹⁾ Consistent with statistical publications, figures for specific school types do not include results of special schools.
⁽¹³²⁾ The Department does not have information on numbers of GNVQ entries, only on GNVQ results; these figures include those pupils whose results were: pass, merit, distinction or fail.

Grammar Schools

Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many grammar schools (a) with and (b) without sixth forms are (i) community schools, (ii) voluntary aided schools, (iii) voluntary controlled schools and (iv) foundation schools; and what proportion of pupils gained (A) five GCSEs A*–C and (B) five GCSEs A*-C including English and mathematics in each category of grammar school in the last year for which figures are available. [50028]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested on grammar school results can be found in the following table, all grammar schools had sixth forms.
GCSE and equivalent achievements of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4⁽¹³³⁾ in grammar schools with sixth forms, 2004/05

	Number of schools(134)	Percentage achieving 5+ A*–C	Percentage achieving 5+ A*-C including English and mathematics
Community	41	97.4	95.9
Voluntary Aided	33	98.6	97.5
Voluntary Controlled	13	98.0	97.2
Foundation	77	98.1	96.8

⁽¹³³⁾ Pupils on roll at the end of Key Stage 4 in the 2004/05 academic year
⁽¹³⁴⁾ Source:
Annual Schools Census

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