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8 Nov 2006 : Column 1744W—continued
| Table 3: Proportion of 15-year-old( 2) pupils attaining at least five, at least six, at least seven, and at least eight A*-C grades at GCSE excluding equivalents( 3) | ||||||||||
| Percentage | ||||||||||
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006( 4) | |
| (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. (2) Aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August. (3) These other qualifications are not the same as GCSEs. Not all approved qualifications are exactly the same, but they can be measured and accredited on a common scale, which gives point scores according to their different challenges and different breadth. The value of a qualification will depend entirely on the young person’s needs and aspirations and the context for their learning. (4) Data for 2006 are provisional. Data for all other years are final. | ||||||||||
Graduates
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the number of graduates who one year after graduating in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005 were (i) in post-graduate training, (ii) unemployed, (iii) employed in graduate-level roles and (iv) employed in non-graduate-level roles; and if he will make a statement. [100462]
Bill Rammell: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Headteachers
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools were without a permanent headteacher for more than six months in each year since 1997. [96773]
Jim Knight: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Islam and Muslim Affairs
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements his Department has in place for offering him advice on Islam and matters relating to Muslims; and who his advisers are on Islam and Muslim affairs. [94341]
Bill Rammell: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Learning and Skills Councils
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what codes of advertising practice local Learning and Skills Councils are expected to comply with. [100123]
Bill Rammell: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Literacy
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of written material for people suffering a reading disability. [98084]
Mr. Dhanda [holding answer 2 November 2006]: The Department follows the advice given by Her Majesty’s Stationery Office in their Guidance Note number 16 “Official Publications and Extending Availability for Disabled People”.
The Department produces a large number of publications to a wide range of target audiences, and requirements are considered on an individual basis according to the subject topic, target audience and potential demand. The Department will respond to any request for access to publications in alternative formats and will in principle make all publications available in the formats mentioned in the Guidance Note.
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what financial support his Department has provided in each year since 1997 for the production of written materials for people with reading disabilities. [98175]
Mr. Dhanda: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what support his Department provides to ensure that reading materials are available in accessible formats for children with disabilities. [99191]
Mr. Dhanda:
The Government want all children to have the right to a good education and to fulfil their potential. It provides a wide range of support and guidance to help schools meet the duties they have towards children with special educational needs and disabilities; including the recently published training resource "Implementing the Disability Discrimination Act in schools and early years settings". The resource includes advice to help schools and local authorities
improve the delivery to disabled pupils of information that is provided in writing for pupils who are not disabled.
More resources are going into schools to support children with special educational needs—local authority indicative figures show spending rising from £3.5 billion in 2003-04 to over £4.5 billion in 2006-07. This is in the context of increases in overall funding that have seen total revenue funding for schools increase nationally by £1,440 per pupil in real terms between 1997-1998 and 2006-2007. By 2007-2008 the increase over 1997-1998 will have reached over £1,630 per pupil in real terms.
Lyons Review
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many jobs in his Department have been relocated (a) to Liverpool and (b) elsewhere as a result of the Lyons Review; and on how many occasions Liverpool has been considered for relocation of staff under this programme. [100095]
Mr. Dhanda: [holding answer 7 November 2006]: The Department and sponsored organisations are implementing the Lyons Review recommendations to relocate around 800 posts from the Department and its Non-Department Public Bodies out of London and the South East by 2010.
(a) No jobs from my Department have been relocated to Liverpool to the period ending March 2006.
(b) The Department is required to report to Parliament on progress against the Lyons Review relocation targets in the departmental report and autumn performance report. The autumn performance report will provide a further update on progress towards these targets. Until then I can inform you that by the end of March 2006, the DFES had, relocated 88 posts out of London and the south east area, 47 of which have moved to the DFES Castle View House office in Runcorn, Cheshire. The other 41 posts have moved to Dfes offices in Darlington and Sheffield. In addition to this, our partner organisations, including Ofsted, CAFCASS, the Quality Improvement Agency and the School Food Trust, have relocated 251 posts out of the south east. These posts have moved to locations such as Nottingham, Manchester, Bristol, Sheffield and Coventry.
This means a total of 339 posts had been relocated at 31 March 2006.
The Department has actively sought to relocate DFES posts to our Runcorn office as part of our contribution to boosting Government jobs in the North West/Liverpool travel to work area. We will continue to actively work with other Government Departments to encourage them to move work out of London/SE to our Runcorn office, or to use corporate shared service located there, thus increasing jobs on site.
Minimum Wage
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many employees in (a) his Department and (b) related agencies and non-departmental public bodies were affected by the increase in the minimum wage on 1st October. [96446]
Mr. Dhanda: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
National Skills Academy
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether there will be a national skills academy in one of the five Olympic boroughs; and if he will make a statement. [100403]
Jim Knight: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Non-resident Parents
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information regarding reports and school information schools are required to send to non-resident parents; whether his Department (a) checks and (b) asks local education authorities to check that such information is sent; what assessment he has made of the extent to which the information and computer technology is in place to support the provision of such information; and if he will make a statement. [99639]
Mr. Dhanda [holding answer 6 November 2006]: Any person with care of a child, with parental responsibility for a child or who is the natural parent of a child is entitled to receive certain information from a school about their child's progress at school and about school matters. On request, schools are required to provide information about the school and its policies and to allow the child's educational record to be inspected by parents. Schools must provide the child's parents with a copy of the head teacher's annual report on the child's achievements and general progress, together with details of how to arrange a discussion of the report with the pupil's teacher. Information must also be provided about the outcome of any assessment of the child's special educational needs requested for the child and provision made as a result of the assessment.
Through circular DfES/0092/2000, the Department provides advice to schools and local authorities as to who they ought to involve in issues about a child's education and who they ought to keep informed about school matters. The Department does not check with schools, or ask local authorities to check, that information is sent, or that computer technology is in place to support the provision of such information to parents.
Nursery Places
Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research his Department has undertaken on the costs of providing nursery places in the (a) private, (b) voluntary and (c) independent sectors. [100344]
Beverley Hughes: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Nursing/Midwifery
Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many higher education institutions have reported reductions in the number of students on (a) post-registration and (b) continuing
professional development courses in (i) nursing and (ii) midwifery and (iii) other health courses in 2006-07; [97787]
(2) how many higher education institutions have reported a reduction in the number of students on community nursing courses in 2006-07. [97788]
Bill Rammell: The latest available information allows the comparison of the number of students in 2003/04 with 2004/05. Figures for 2005/06 will be available in early 2007. From the available data we can not separate midwifery students from other nursing students and we can not separate between continuing professional development courses and post-registration courses.
The number of students studying post-registration nursing and midwifery courses in England increased from 85,750 in 2003/04 to 88,040 in 2004/05. The data shows that 32 of the 71 HE institutions providing these post-registration courses reported a drop in the number of students. In 39 institutions, the numbers increased.
For other post-registration health courses, the number of students in England increased from 7,460 in 2003/04 to 8,720 in 2004/05. 20 of the 52 higher education institutions offering this training reported a drop in numbers, in the other 32 the numbers increased or stayed the same.
Ofsted
Ms Angela C. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of school inspectors commissioned by Ofsted have met the required standard in the last five years. [99445]
Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Library.
Ms Angela C. Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements have been made by Ofsted for the assurance of consistent standards by companies contracted to inspect schools in England; and what measures are available if such a company falls short of necessary standards. [99446]
Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Library.
Online Teaching
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to promote the online teaching resource at www.wiseup2work.co.uk. [100152]
Jim Knight: Resources available on the wiseup2work.co.uk website are promoted to schools via TeacherNet and there are plans for the site to be promoted further in the coming months. Wiseup2work is one of many online resources highlighted to the schools workforce providing information, guidance and support.
The Department has reduced the number of websites for schools over the last two years. Extensive work is currently being undertaken to rationalise and migrate the remaining three portals (TeacherNet, GovernorNet and the Standards Site) into a single new online service enabling the Department to promote key online services more efficiently. This is due to be fully completed in mid-2007.
Pupil Achievement
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on progress towards replacement of the Pupil Achievement Tracker and the Performance and Assessment Reports with RAISEonline. [99238]
Jim Knight: RAISEonline, a new web-based system of performance data analysis to replace Ofsted's Performance and Assessment Reports and the Department's Pupil Achievement Tracker, is being introduced this year by my Department and Ofsted. It will provide a wide range of data analysis to inform school inspections and to support school self evaluation and target setting. The system is being introduced on a phased basis. Schools can currently access analyses of their 2005 data. Analyses of 2006 results are planned to be available in early December for primary schools, late December for GCSE results and January for key stage 3 results. The complexity of the system led to some delays in development. This has meant that earlier plans to release school information on a more rapid timetable than previous year's PANDA releases have not been achieved. Schools and local authorities have been informed about the revised planned release dates.
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