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20 Mar 2006 : Column 103W—continued
Part-time Education
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what provision her Department has made for parents who wish their children to go to school part-time and be home-schooled part-time; [59505]
(2) if she will make a statement on home schooling; [59506]
(3) how many children in (a) Leicester and (b) England were home-schooled in each of the last five years; [59507]
(4) what research her Department has evaluated on home schooling; and what the conclusions were of the research; [59508]
(5) how many local education authorities (a) allow children to enrol in schools on a part-time basis and (b) have children that have enrolled in schools on a part-time basis [59509]
(6) what estimate she has made of (a) how many children are enrolled in schools on a part-time basis and (b) what proportion of those children are also home-schooled. [59510]
Jacqui Smith:
Parents of children of compulsory school age are required to ensure that their children receive a full-time education, by attending school or through other arrangements. They may exercise their right to educate their children at home full-time on a
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temporary or permanent basis. Schools have the discretion to agree arrangements that combine part-time school attendance with home education.
Curently, 328,344 children attend school on a part-time basis across all 150 LAs. We do not collect data on the reasons that these pupils are attending on a part-time basis, which may include education in reception classes, reintegration to school following illness, and partial home-education.
My Department has not evaluated any research on home education.
I also refer my hon. Friend to the replies given on 23 January 2006, Official Report, column 1916W and 13 February 2006, Official Report, column 1566W.
Physical Literacy
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether she has made progress in introducing the concept of physical literacy as part of the national curriculum in primary schools. [59651]
Jacqui Smith: Physical Education is a compulsory foundation subject within the National Curriculum. The Physical Education Programmes of Study sets out—for all Key Stages—the knowledge, skills and understanding pupils need in order to be physically literate.
The Office for Standards in Education 2003/04 Physical Education subject report shows that the quality of teaching is good or better in 60 per cent. of primary schools and 80 per cent. of secondary schools. Pupils' achievement in Physical Education is satisfactory in the majority of primary schools, and good or better in over 50 per cent. In the secondary sector, pupils' achievement in Physical Education is good or better in 80 per cent. of schools at Key Stage 3 and 66 per cent. of schools at KeyStage 4.
The professional development programme within the National School Sport strategy is also helping to ensure teachers and others have the tools and expertise that they need to deliver high quality Physical Education. So far this financial year, over 43,000 teacher places have been taken up on the programme.
Private Offices
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost of her privateoffice was in the last year for which figures are available. [55732]
Ruth Kelly: The cost of my private office for 2004–05 was £566,000.
Professional Institutes
Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which learned institutes are recognised by her Department as professional bodies. [57351]
Jacqui Smith:
The Department works with a number of organisations, many of which might be termed as learned institutes or professional bodies. While my Department does not operate a recognition system for
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learned institutes or professional bodies, many bodies have sought a Royal Charter and are regulated through the Privy Council. Other highly respected learned and professional bodies have chosen to stay independent.
Racist Incidents
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many racist incidents among pupils were recorded in (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) further education institutions in Lancashire in each year since 1997. [59601]
Jacqui Smith: The requirement to record and report all racist incidents in schools came into force in November 1999. However, Lancashire county council independently kept records before that date. On the basis of information provided by Lancashire county council, in 1997–98, 52 racist incidents were reported to the then LA, of which 21 were in primary schools and 31in secondary. In 1998–99, 76 racist incidents were reported, (26 in primary, and 50 in secondary schools). In 1999–2000 110 incidents were reported (48 in primary, and 62 in secondary schools); in 2000–2001, 244 incidents (127 in primary, and 117 in secondary schools; and in 2001–02 , 289 incidents (190 in primary and 99 in secondary schools). In 2002–03, 396 incidents were reported to Lancashire county council (183 in primary schools and 173 in secondary); in 2003–2004, 351 incidents (165 in primary schools and 148 in secondary); and in 2004–05, the latest year for which figures are available, 472 incidents were recorded, of which 230 took place in primary schools and 191 in secondary schools.
For 2002–05, the combined numbers of racist incidents between pupils recorded in primary and in secondary schools are lower than the total number. This is because the total figure includes numbers of racist incidents recorded as taking place in nursery, infant, junior, special schools and short stay institutions.
Information in relation to racist incidents among students in further education institutions in England, is unavailable as statistics are not routinely collated by the Department or by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the main funding body for further education.
School Finance (Swindon)
Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding per pupil was provided to schools in Swindon in (a) 1997 and (b) the last year for which figures are available. [59441]
Jacqui Smith: Total funding per pupil aged 3–19 (real terms) in Swindon was £2,790 in 1997–98 and £3,790 in 2005–06.
These figures include all funding for education via Education Formula Spending (EFS) and education grants allocated at an authority level. They exclude the pensions transfer to EFS and the Learning and Skills Council, and are in real terms.
Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of Standard Spending Assessment / Education Formula Spending (EFS) settlements and exclude the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC.
Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to pupils aged 3–19 and exclude education maintenance allowances (EMAs) and grants not allocated at LEA level.
The pupil numbers used to convert £ million figures to £ per pupil are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC 3-year-old maintained pupils and estimated 3–4 year olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers.
School Sport
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much her Department has spent on school sport in each year since 2000. [59675]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 17 March 2006]: The table sets out the actual, and for the current financial year (2005–06) the projected, spend by the Department for Education and Skills on school sport since 2000–01. The figures have been rounded up to the nearest thousand.
| Financial Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| Actual Spend on School Sport | |
| 2000–01 | 9.5 |
| 2001–02 | 14.6 |
| 2002–03 | 23.5 |
| 2003–04 | 84.254 |
| 2004–05 | 116.463 |
| Projected Spend on School Sport | |
| 2005–06 | 155.25 |
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