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21 May 2007 : Column 1079W—continued
Schools: Inspections
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many specialists in (a) mathematics, (b) English, (c) music, (d) languages, (e) history, (f) geography, (h) sciences, (i) social sciences and (j) physical education are employed by Ofsted to undertake school inspections; and if he will make a statement. [135393]
Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 11 May 2007:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
You asked how many specialists in (a) mathematics, (b) English, (c) music, (d) languages, (e) history, (f) geography, (g) sciences, (h) social sciences and (i) physical education are employed by Ofsted to undertake school inspections.
Ofsted's general programme of Section 5 school inspections does not deploy subject specialists. There is a separate programme of subject survey inspections, sampling 45 primary and 45 secondary schools for English and mathematics, and 30 primary and secondary schools for all other subjects, as agreed with the DfES. Subject specialist HMI and additional inspectors supplied by our Regional Inspection Service Providers are deployed for this work. An HMI is appointed as specialist adviser for each subject and carries the national responsibility for the subject inspection programme and the advice and dissemination that arises from it; he or she is supported by colleagues with regional responsibility.
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.
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what the (a) minimum and (b) maximum period is between which Ofsted inspections of individual schools may take place; [137886]
(2) how many schools there are in circumstances where the period since their last Ofsted inspection took place exceeds the maximum period laid down for the next inspection, broken down by local education authority; and if he will make a statement. [137887]
Jim Knight:
New statutory arrangements for school inspections came into effect in September 2005, including a new cycle of inspection. All maintained schools must be inspected under these new arrangements between September 2005 and August 2009 and thereafter within three school years from the end of the school year in which their last inspection took place. Ofsted is on course to meet the first of these
requirements. Before September 2005, schools were inspected on a six year cycle.
Schools may receive additional visits, for example as part of Ofsted's thematic survey work or programme of monitoring schools causing concern. While there is no specified minimum period between inspections, Ofsted does, for example, seek to avoid scheduling survey visits to schools which have recently had a school inspection.
Schools: Sanitation
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the outcomes of the revision of the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999, referred to in the answer of 21 February 2005, Official Report, column 294W, on school toilets, were in relation to the required standards of toilet facilities provision for pupils. [137731]
Jim Knight: It was our intention to revise the Education (School Premises) Regulations in 2005. Unfortunately due to pressure of work this did not occur. It is now in the business plan for the Department to revise the regulations later this year and school toilets will be one of the areas considered for revision.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of the £840 million allocated for extended schools which (a) has been and (b) will be spent on toilet and washroom facilities for pupils as referred to in the answer of 23 January 2006, Official Report, column 1927W, on school toilets. [137732]
Jim Knight: We do not currently collect data on the detail of how local authorities spend their extended schools funding. Of the £840 million allocated for extended schools services, £250 million will go direct to schools. The remaining £590 million will be distributed by local authorities who will be able to prioritise the allocation of resources according to local need and their plans for the development of extended services. We would expect local authorities and schools to plan for necessary toilet provision according to the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999. These set out the requirements regarding washrooms in schools.
Schools: Sports
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of the time taken to announce the 2008 budget allocations on PE in Sport and Schools Programmes. [136942]
Jim Knight
[holding answer 14 May 2007]: The Government allocate resources to Departments on a three year cycle through Spending Reviews. DfES received its settlement for 2008-09 to 2010-11 in the 2007 Budget. We are now thoroughly evaluating the financial implications and are working to allocate funding as effectively as possible to ensure the maximum benefit to children and young people. We recognise that forward planning is essential for public services—this is why we are committed to delivering
multi-year budgets—and are making it a priority to ensure allocations are made as soon as possible.
Schools: Standards
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the impact on schools of the use of target-setting by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [136752]
Jim Knight: Targets are an essential part of the Government’s commitment to raising educational standards and the results suggest that they work. Schools have responsibility for setting their own targets. The role of local authorities and School Improvement Partners is to support and challenge their schools to set ambitious targets for all their pupils. The table suggests that the setting of ambitious targets has provided a powerful stimulus for the improvement in both primary and secondary standards over the last nine years.
At Key Stage 2, 95,000 more 11-year-olds are now achieving the level expected for their age in English and 83,000 more in mathematics compared with 1997.
At Key Stage 3 104,000 more pupils are now reaching the level expected of 14-year-olds in maths than in 1997, with 94,000 more in English and 74,000 more in science.
At Key Stage 4, 86,000 more pupils are now achieving five A*-C grades at GCSE than did so in 1997.
| 1997 | 2006 | Percentage difference | |
Steiner Schools Foundation
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Steiner schools there are in England; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the education offered in those schools. [136833]
Jim Knight: There are currently 27 Steiner schools registered as independent schools with the Department. They are inspected by Ofsted to ensure they meet the statutory requirements which all independent schools must meet as a condition of registration. Inspection reports on Steiner and other independent schools inspected by Ofsted, which describe whether or not the statutory standards are met, are published on the Ofsted website http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/. There are no state maintained Steiner schools.
Teachers: Manpower
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) teacher to pupil ratio and (b) classroom assistant to pupil ratio was in (i) nursery, (ii) infant, (iii) junior and (iv) secondary school classes in (A) Hartlepool constituency, (B) the Tees Valley sub-region, (C) the North East region and (D) England in each year since 1997. [134630]
Jim Knight: The following tables show pupil to teacher ratios and pupil to teaching assistant ratios in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in Hartlepool constituency, Tees Valley region, the North East Government office region and England, January 1997 to 2007.
Information for infant and junior schools can not be provided separately.
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