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22 May 2007 : Column 1200W—continued
Educational Attainment
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) maintained secondary schools and (b) independent secondary schools fell within each percentage point in terms of the proportion of pupils at the end of key stage 4 who achieved grade C or above in GCSE (i) English, (ii) mathematics, (iii) a modern foreign language, (iv) history and (v) geography. [117656]
Jim Knight: The information requested has been placed in the House Library.
Home Education
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of children who receive education at home; and if he will make a statement. [138564]
Jim Knight:
We do not collect information about the number of children whose education is arranged by their parents. A recent study on the prevalence of home education in England, conducted by York Consulting estimated that there were around 16,000 children being educated at home that were known to the local
authority. We have not made any estimate of the number of home educated children that are not known to their local authority.
Home Education: Standards
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advice he has given local education authorities on monitoring the emotional and physical welfare of home-educated children. [138448]
Jim Knight: We have recently published draft guidelines which set out advice to local authorities and home educating parents on their respective responsibilities. In the guidelines we refer local authorities and all agencies to the principles set out in “Working Together to Safeguard Children” (Home Office/Department off Health/DfES/Welsh Office, 1999).
The guidelines also explain that section 175(1) of the Education Act 2002 requires local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. If there are welfare concerns about any child, including a home educated child, the local authority can insist on seeing the child concerned to make appropriate inquiries.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he has taken to ensure that education given at home is to the same standard as that in schools. [138565]
Jim Knight: The Government believe that for most children school is the best place for them to be educated. However, there are circumstances where parents choose to educate their children at home, and we respect the decisions that these parents have made. On 8 May we published draft guidelines for consultation which set out how local authorities can best support home educating parents.
Home educating parents must provide a suitable education for their children. Local authorities can make inquiries to establish whether suitable education is being provided, using section 437(1) of the Education Act 1996 to support their inquiries with a formal notice where necessary. The parents of any child who is not receiving an adequate education may be served with a school attendance order.
Learning and Skills Council for England
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which policy documents his Department has published since the establishment of the Learning and Skills Council that are relevant to its work. [138134]
Bill Rammell: The information requested is not held centrally. Each year, the Department for Education and Skills Departmental Report lists publications it has produced. Copies of each of the departmental reports since April 2001, when the LSC became operational, are available in the House Library. In addition, in the Learning and Skills Council's Annual Grant Letter, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State sets out the key priorities for the year as well as the resources available.
Music: Teachers
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers have applied to the £2 million fund for the professional development of music teachers; and how much of that fund is expected to be spent. [138296]
Jim Knight: The contract to develop and deliver a programme of professional development for practitioners involved in music in primary schools was agreed with the Open University and Trinity College London after a tender exercise last autumn. Funding for the programme is for both the development and delivery of a national CPD programme, which is free for participants.
Every practitioner has a mentor and an individualised training programme. So far 356 applications have been received from people wanting to become training mentors and 203 people have already been trained. 760 applications have been received for the practitioner training, which began last month. Registrations can continue to be taken up to November 2007 and we expect that the funding available will all be spent by the end of this financial year.
Nurseries: Closures
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pre-schools have closed since the introduction of foundation stage units in each parliamentary constituency; and what assessment he has made of the impact of closures on parental choice of education provision. [132840]
Beverley Hughes: It is entirely a matter for local authorities how they organise pre-school provision in maintained settings. Some have, at different times, chosen to brigade provision for all foundation stage pupils together in what are sometimes described as “Foundation Stage Units”.
Data in the form requested is therefore not collected centrally. The total number of pre-school child care providers has stayed the same between 2001 and 2005 at approximately 22,000, with the majority, 84 per cent., in the private, voluntary and independent sectors. (DfES Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey 2005.)
The Government are committed to ensuring that parents have access to a range of high quality early education providers so they are able to choose the type and pattern of early years and school provision which best meets their needs and those of their children.
Part-time Education
Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of strategies adopted by higher education institutions in England to support part-time students; and if he will make a statement. [135989]
Bill Rammell:
In 2006, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) reviewed widening participation initiatives for both full and
part-time study. I have placed a copy in the Library. The review identified significant progress; and emphasised good practice which HEFCE will disseminate to higher education institutions. HEFCE have allocated £53 million over two years (2006/07 to 2007/08) towards widening access for part-time students, and £56 million to improve their retention.
In September 2006 the Government improved the financial support available to part-time students, including a 27 per cent. increase in fee grant compared to 2005/06 and the introduction of discretionary additional fee support through the Access to Learning Fund. There are early indications that more part-time students are taking advantage of this financial support.
Between 2000/01 and 2005/06, the number of UK part-time undergraduate students has increased by 23 per cent. (the comparable increase in full-time students was 17 per cent.).
Prisons: Education
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many prisoners achieved (a) GCSEs, (b) A/S or A levels and (c) other qualifications in each of the last 15 years. [138185]
Phil Hope: The information requested is not collected centrally.
The introduction of the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) through the Learning and Skills Council from 31 July 2006, means that data on offender achievement will increasingly become available for adults, young offenders and juveniles in custody, in England.
Pupil Referral Units
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils were educated at some time during the year at a Pupil Referral Unit in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) local authority, (b) ethnicity, (c) gender and (d) age. [133783]
Jim Knight: The information requested has been placed in the House Library.
Pupils: Ethnic Groups
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the percentage change is in the proportion of children defined as black or minority ethnic in (a) denominational and (b) maintained schools in each English local education authority since 2000-01. [137768]
Jim Knight: The available information has been placed in the House Library.
A new set of codes to record the ethnicity of pupils was introduced in January 2002 consistent with the categories used in the 2001 national census. Schools were, however, permitted to report data on either the old or the new codes, between which there is no direct mapping. Therefore, the answer gives information on pupils’ ethnicity from 2003 onwards to promote consistency.
Schools: Combined Heat and Power
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2007, Official Report, columns 365-66W, on schools: combined heat and power, whether the £110 million allocated for the purpose of reducing carbon emissions as part of the refurbishment of secondary schools is ring-fenced. [138371]
Jim Knight: The funding of £110 million over three years to 2010-11 will be ring-fenced specifically for the purpose of reducing carbon emissions of school which will have at least 75 per cent. of their gross floor area rebuilt under the Building Schools for the Future programme, including academies.
The additional funding will reflect the size of the school and will provide about £500,000 for the average secondary school. The funding will be provided to the local authority specifically to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy measures that directly reduce schools’ carbon emissions. We will set a target reduction in carbon emissions of a minimum of 60 per cent. for this investment. We are also exploring the potential for investing in measures to offset carbon emissions through regulated schemes which will help the push towards carbon neutrality.
Schools: International Cooperation
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on progress on twinning British schools with schools abroad. [138061]
Bill Rammell: Under the DfES International School Award (ISA) programme, 1,248 new schools have become involved since September 2006, bringing a total of 2,663 schools involved in the programme to date. To achieve the award schools must have an international school partner.
Schools: Sport
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what financial provision the Government have committed to provision of sport in schools. [138146]
Jim Knight: Government investment in the National School Sport Strategy has been £978.5 million in the five years to 2008. Funding beyond 2007-08 is currently being reviewed by the Secretary of State following the Comprehensive Spending Review settlement.
Teachers
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions he has held on vertical tutoring; and if he will make a statement. [138256]
Jim Knight: We have not held any recent discussions on vertical tutoring.
We want schools to provide a tailored education for every child and believe that the effective use of pupil grouping plays an important part in supporting that
aim. We have been encouraging schools to use setting and other forms of pupil grouping since 1997. But it will continue to be for schools to decide how and when to group and set pupils; both in tutor groups and/or lessons. That is the only practical approach.
We published a cluster of guidance documents alongside independent research into pupil grouping last September. The guidance includes a set of principles for grouping policy, definitions of different types of grouping and a self-evaluation toolkit.
Unemployment: Young People
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people not in employment, education or training were aged (a) under 19, (b) under 21 and (c) under 25 years (i) in each constituency, (ii) local education authority and (iii) region in the latest period for which figures are available. [138118]
Bill Rammell: The following table shows the estimated number of young people aged 16-18 who were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in each local authority area and region. These figures are drawn from the operational client management systems maintained by Connexions Services. Connexions services do not report figures at constituency level or on young people aged under 21 or under 25 years.
The figures include 16-18 year olds known to the Connexions; young people who attended independent schools or were at school outside England may be excluded. The age relates to those of calendar year age 16-18 on the date of measurement. The figures are for the average percentage NEET between November 2006 and January 2007.
This NEET measure is that used for setting and monitoring local authority NEET targets. The definition differs from that used to measure the national departmental PSA NEET target. Along with not covering the entire population, the Connexions NEET measure excludes those on gap years, or in custody. The PSA measure is for academic rather than calendar age 16-18.
| Estimated number of 16-18 year olds not in education, training or employment | |
| 16-18 year olds NEET | |
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