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Learning Mentors
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many learning mentors there are in each local education authority. [53587]
Jacqui Smith:
Learning mentors are one of the strands of the Excellence in Cities (EiC) and Excellence Clusters (EC) initiative. Data relating to the numbers of learning mentors are not collected centrally but figures collected from local sources are shown in the following table. The Department does not hold figures of the numbers of learning mentors outside of this project.
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Lisbon Agenda
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what policies her Department has adopted to assist the United Kingdom's fulfilment of the Lisbon Agenda criteria. [55604]
Bill Rammell: The Government strongly supports the renewed Lisbon focus on jobs and growth" as the best way to meet the challenges of globalisation and boost prosperity and living standards for all. The UK national reform programme details our policy response to these challenges.
We expect the spring council in March to emphasise the importance of implementation of national commitments to reform.
London Academy, Edgware
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of
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the academic results of the London Academy, Edgware since it became a city academy; and if she will make a statement. [56810]
Jacqui Smith: The London Academy opened in September 2004 and has already made excellent progress in improving educational opportunities for young people in the Barnet area. The proportion of pupils gaining 5 or more good GCSEs increased in 2005 to 48 per cent. up nine percentage points from the 39 per cent. achieved in the last year of the predecessor school.
Ofsted have recently made a monitoring visit to London Academy and reported that Pupils' rapid progress is a testimony to the positive ethos for learning." The Academy has risen to the top five per cent of schools nationally for progress for 11 to 14 year olds, and the top three per cent for 14 to 16 year olds.
This is a particularly impressive achievement given that the Academy serves some of the most socially deprived wards in the country. Over 45 per cent. of the pupils in Years 7 to 10 are entitled to free school meals, increasing to 57 per cent. in Year 11; over half of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups; well over a third of the pupils have a language other than English; and a similar percentage have a special educational need. The Academy is also a local authority-designated base for 30 pupils with speech and communication difficulties.
Looked-after Children
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the proposed consultation on proposals for transforming outcomes for looked-after children. [53584]
Maria Eagle: We announced in the Schools White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools for All" that we would be consulting on a wide-ranging set of proposals for transforming outcomes for looked-after children. We are currently developing these proposals, including taking views from a range of stakeholders on the nature of the problem. We expect to publish the document for wide consultation within the next few months.
Modern Apprenticeships
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans her Department has to increase the number of women undertaking Modern Apprenticeships in 2006. [56272]
Phil Hope: Overall 40 per cent. of apprentices are female but we recognise there are gender imbalances in different occupations. We are working with the Equal Opportunities Commission, the LSC and sector bodies to promote and improve access to apprenticeships by improving information, broadening choice and exploring more flexible learning opportunities. This includes mailing non-traditional tasters for young people making choices at 14; and evaluating how well trials of apprenticeships for more mature workers tackled under-representation in shortage sectors.
Alongside this work to tackle stereotyping at work and in training, we will consider over the coming months the recommendations of the Women and Work Commission published on 27 February 2006.
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Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if her Department will assess the merits of extending the age limit to 24 years for modern apprenticeships. [56275]
Phil Hope: Government-supported apprenticeships are currently available to learners between the ages of 16 and 24. We are also currently trialling apprenticeships for more mature workers in engineering, construction, health and social care and IT. The final evaluation is being undertaken and will be ready by September 2006.
National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the expenditure of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth was in each year since 1999. [53572]
Jacqui Smith: The National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth was established in 2002; its annual expenditure is set out in the following table. The figures represent 100 per cent. expenditure against the Department's annual core grant to the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth, plus philanthropic and other income provided through private sponsorship. The 2005–06 figures are projected spend based on latest figures available.
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