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19 Feb 2007 : Column 442W—continued
Qualifications
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of the adult population in England have achieved at least a level (a) 2 and (b) 3 qualification. [121661]
Phil Hope: In Quarter 3 2006 in England, there were:
(a) 20.4 million working age adults qualified to at least Level 2, 69.6 per cent. of the population.
(b) 14.2 million working age adults qualified to at least Level 3, 48.3 per cent. of the population.
These figures have been estimated using the Labour Force Survey. Working age adults are males aged 18 to 64 and females aged 18 to 59.
Schools: Closures
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether his Department takes into account the recent academic performance of a school when deciding whether it should be closed; and if he will make a statement. [120970]
Jim Knight: Proposals to close schools are normally made by a local authority and are decided under local decision making arrangements. Under current provisions, such decisions are taken by the local School Organisation Committee (SOC) or, if the SOC cannot reach a unanimous decision, the schools adjudicator. SOCs and adjudicators must have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State when deciding proposals. The guidance sets out a range of factors that must be considered for the different types of proposals but stresses that all cases must be considered on their individual merits. The factors include: the overall impact on local standards of provision, the demand/supply of school places, the impact on the local community and the views of interested parties. Decision making arrangements will change in May, when we aim to introduce the new provisions of the Education and Inspections Act 2006. These provide for the local authority to decide most proposals for school closures, but with some explicit powers of appeal to the schools adjudicator.
The Secretary of State has a power to direct a local authority to discontinue a school where that school has
been judged by Ofsted to require special measures. We set out in the White Paper, “Higher Standards, Better Schools For All”, our expectation that, where a school in special measures is making inadequate progress after 12 months, the local authority will take radical action, with a presumption of closure, if necessary using the Secretary of State's power, with a replacement school or academy normally opened on the same site.
Schools: Community Relations
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that schools are fulfilling their duty to promote community cohesion; and if he will make a statement. [121250]
Mr. Dhanda: The duty on schools to promote community cohesion comes into force in September 2007. Ofsted inspections will also cover the discharge of the duty. My Department will publish guidance for schools in the summer term, so that schools will be prepared for the commencement of the new duty. The guidance will set out what is expected of schools in fulfilling the duty, including practical examples of schools which are already doing successful work in this area.
Schools: Construction
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many building or refurbishing projects under Building Schools for the Future for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have been subject to a Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method assessment. [120291]
Jim Knight: All new schools and refurbishment projects within the Department's capital programme are required to register for a BREEAM assessment if the total project costs are above a threshold(1). This requirement was introduced in March 2005, and registered schools are expected to achieve a minimum BREEAM rating of “very good”.
There are currently 411 schools within the capital programme (including BSF) that have registered for a BREEAM assessment. The Department does not have separate data on the numbers of primary and secondary schools that have registered. Timescales within the construction process are such that no schools that have been required to achieve the target rating have yet been formally assessed.
(1 )All projects involving remodelling or complete refurbishment of more than 10 per cent. of the total gross internal floor area where the cost of a school project costing £500,000 or more for a primary school, £2 million or more for a secondary school.
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many primary school newbuild and refurbishment projects under the Building Schools for the Future programme (a) are valued at over £500,000, (b) involve the rebuilding or complete refurbishment of more than 10 per cent. of the school’s floor area and (c) fit into both categories; [120292]
(2) how many secondary school newbuild and refurbishment projects under the Building Schools for the Future programme (a) are valued at over £2 million, (b) involve the rebuilding or complete refurbishment of more than 10 per cent. of the school’s floor area and (c) fit into both categories. [120293]
Jim Knight: There are 370 secondary schools, secondary special schools and pupil referral units in waves 1-3 of Building Schools for the Future (BSF). The scope—and therefore value—of works in projects beyond wave 3 has not yet been determined. Wave 4 projects are currently developing their plans.
(a) Work at 347 of the 370 schools has a proposed capital value of over £2 million.
(b) More than 10 per cent. of floor area will be rebuilt or completely refurbished at all 370 schools.
(c) Consequently, 347 schools fit into both categories.
Primary schools are not covered by BSF. However we are taking a similarly transformational approach to capital investment for the primary sector. Funding for the pathfinder phase of the primary capital programme will commence in 2008-09 with £150 million of additional funding being shared among 23 regional pathfinders. The programme will be rolled out nationally from 2009-10 underpinned by £500 million of additional investment. Subject to future government spending decisions, we anticipate that the additional investment will continue at that level for at least 15 years. The scope of these projects will be decided at local level.
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether Academy building projects are subject to a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method assessment. [120294]
Jim Knight: All new schools and refurbishment projects within my Department's capital programme are required to register for a BREEAM assessment if the total project costs are above a threshold(1). This requirement was introduced in March 2005, and registered schools are expected to achieve a minimum BREEAM rating of “very good”. Academies funded since then have been required to meet this standard.
Academies now being procured under the Building Schools for the Future programme or via the Partnerships for Schools national framework will also be required to subscribe and comply with BREEAM and achieve a rating of “very good”.
(1) All projects involving remodelling or complete refurbishment of more than 10 per cent. of the total gross internal floor area where the cost of a school project costing £500,000 or more for a primary school, £2 million or more for a secondary school.
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools which have had a building or refurbishing project subject to a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method assessment achieved a mark of very good. [120896]
Jim Knight:
All new schools and refurbishment projects within my Department's capital programme are required to register for a BREEAM assessment if
the total project costs are above a threshold(1). This requirement was introduced in March 2005, and registered schools are expected to achieve a minimum BREEAM rating of ‘very good’.
Timescales within the construction process are such that no schools that have been required to achieve the target rating have yet been formally assessed. However, four schools in England have been assessed and had their BREEAM rating independently certified, even though these were designed before there was a requirement for DfES-funded projects to meet the rating of ‘very good’. The ratings achieved for those schools were ‘pass’, ‘good’, and two of ‘very good’.
(1) All projects involving remodelling or complete refurbishment of more than 10 per cent. of the total gross internal floor area where the cost of a school project costing £500,000 or more for a primary school, £2 million or more for a secondary school.
Schools: Hendon
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in Hendon were inspected by Ofsted in the last 12 months; what the outcome of each inspection was; and if he will make a statement. [118442]
Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 2 February 2007:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector for reply.
You asked how many schools in Hendon were Inspected by Ofsted in the last twelve months; what the outcome of each inspection was! and if the Secretary of State for Education and Skills would make a statement.
During the calendar year 2006 eleven schools In Hendon(1) were inspected; ten primary schools and one secondary school. The schools and the outcome of their inspections are listed below; four were judged to be outstanding five good and two satisfactory.
| School | Address | Postcode |
(1) The figures are based on schools identified to be in the Parliamentary Constituency of Hendon in the DfES Education database as at 30(th) January 2007.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Schools: Lincolnshire
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the capital allocation for schools in North Lincolnshire was in (a) 1995 and (b) 1996. [118230]
Jim Knight: The Department has maintained central records of allocations to individual local authorities since the financial year commencing 1 April 1996. In 1996, the capital allocation for schools in North Lincolnshire was £0.3 million. This has risen to £6.2 million in 2006-07.
Capital allocations to schools have increased from £683 million in 1996-97 to a planned £6.4 billion in 2007-08, a six-fold increase in real terms.
Schools: Sustainable Development
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) visits and (b) meetings Ministers (i) have had and (ii) are scheduled to have in 2007 on the 2006-07 Year of Action on sustainable development for schools. [120296]
Mr. Dhanda: The following table shows the external visits and meetings Ministers (i) have had, since it started in September 2006, and (ii) are scheduled to have in 2007 on the ‘2006-07 Year of Action on sustainable development for schools’. Ministers have regular internal meetings with departmental officials on this and a wide range of subjects.
| Date | Meeting/visit detail |
|
Learning for Environmental Sustainability: Implications for classrooms, curriculum and community conference |
Secondary Education: Financial Education
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of financial education programmes for 14 to 16-year-olds; and if he will make a statement. [121018]
Jim Knight:
Ofsted regularly reports on Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Citizenship education, through which financial education is most often delivered. We are seeking to give financial education a more secure place in the curriculum by introducing a new ‘economic well-being’ strand within
PSHE, as part of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority review of the secondary curriculum (11 to 16-year-olds). We are also introducing functional mathematics to the maths GCSE from 2010, which will ensure that all pupils who achieve a grade C or above will have mastered the basics, including elements of financial capability.
Secondary Education: Sherford
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in what timescale he expects a decision to be made on a new secondary school at Sherford, Devon. [120320]
Jim Knight: It is for Devon county council to decide when a new secondary school will be needed for Sherford. The local authority does not expect a school to be needed until at least 2010-11. The authority has consulted on its proposals and I understand the authority intends to publish a notice for a competition for the new school in due course.
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