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20 Feb 2007 : Column 688W—continued
Language Courses
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many schools there were where no pupils studied a language at Key Stage 4 in each of the last five years; [112807]
(2) how many schools did not enter any pupils for a GCSE in (a) history, (b) geography and (c) a modern foreign language in each year since 1996. [108839]
Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of schools where no 15-year-old pupils were entered at GCSE in history, geography and a modern foreign language since 1996.
| History | Geography | MFL | All schools | |
| Note: Data for 2006 is provisional. Data for all other years is final. | ||||
This data cover all schools that are published in the Secondary Schools Achievement and Attainment tables and so include special schools and independent schools.
Leonardo da Vinci Programme
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what changes are to be implemented to the Leonardo da Vinci programme in the UK to improve efficiency for the second phase; what the co-funding procedures are; which projects are to be funded; what progress has been made on the development of a common qualifications standard; and if he will make a statement. [121391]
Bill Rammell: The European Union’s Lifelong Learning Programme came into force on 1 January 2007 and incorporates the Leonardo da Vinci Programme as one of its activities. The European Commission has included measures within the new programme to make applications easier and to allow lump sum funding for projects costing less than €25,000. New contracts with the National Agencies managing the programmes ensure that UK priority groups are targeted and take up monitored. Projects accepted for the programme are funded by up to 75 per cent. of the actual costs and project organisers provide co-funding for the remainder. The Commission issued an invitation for applications for the first round of projects with a deadline of 30 March 2007. Project applications received by the National Agency will be assessed and selected on the basis of their quality and available funds.
A recommendation on establishing the general approach to a European Qualifications Framework was agreed by Ministers at the Education Council 14 November. This text will be the basis for the ensuing negotiation with the European Parliament, whose endorsement is expected later this year.
Midwives: Qualifications
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he has taken to transpose into draft legislation the Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive, with particular reference to midwifery. [121200]
Bill Rammell: The Government are taking steps to implement the Directive in the UK. Transposing regulations are being drafted by the Department of Health and will be consulted upon in the spring.
Nurseries: Sure Start Programme
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many neighbourhood nurseries joined the Sure Start programme in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006. [121594]
Beverley Hughes: The neighbourhood nurseries initiative was launched in 2001. It had a target of creating 45,000 new child care and early education places for children aged 0 to five in the 20 per cent. most disadvantaged areas in England. 900 nurseries opened in 2004 and a further 33 opened in 2005. The full target of 45,000 places in 1,279 neighbourhood nurseries was achieved by August 2004. By the end of 2005, over 49,000 places across 1,380 neighbourhood nursery projects had been delivered.
Based on information received from local authorities, 300 of the 1,066 designated children's centres are based on or are linked to neighbourhood
nursery programmes. And we are encouraging local authorities to give neighbourhood nurseries the opportunity to help deliver children's centre services where this makes sense on the ground.
Primary Education: Hendon
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many free part-time early
education places were taken up by three and four year olds in Hendon in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 1996-97; and if he will make a statement. [118448]
Beverley Hughes: The available information on the number of part-time funded places filled by three and four year olds in Hendon parliamentary constituency and Barnet local authority area is shown in the tables.
| Number of part-time funded places( 1, 2, 3) filled by three and four year olds, parliamentary constituency: Hendon, position in January | ||||||
| Three year olds | Four year olds | |||||
| Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4) | Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 5) | Total three year olds | Maintained nursery and primary schools( 6) | Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 7) | Total four year olds | |
| (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate. (3) For 1997, information on early education places taken up by three and four year olds in the private, voluntary and independent sectors was derived from returns made by local authorities as part of the nursery education grant (NEG) data collection exercise. These data were collected at local authority level, therefore, data for Hendon parliamentary constituency is not available. (4) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census. (6) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census. | ||||||
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