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12 Sep 2007 : Column 2051W—continued
EMA Take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05,2005/06 and to date in 2006/07 is now also available on the LSC website, at the following address:
I hope you find this information useful.
General Certificate of Secondary Education
Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what evaluation he has made of the policies of schools on entering students to GCSE examinations other than English and Mathematics. [155331]
Jim Knight: Schools take decisions on GCSE entries based on the individual circumstances of pupils, in discussion with them and parents as appropriate. Schools need to ensure that each pupil’s ability is properly assessed and recognised in the areas of the Key Stage 4 curriculum that they have chosen, or are obliged, to study. This summer’s results show that the number of GGSE entries overall continues to increase.
Pre-school Education
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research he has commissioned into the effectiveness of (a) state pre-school education and (b) privately funded pre-school provision in raising pupil attainment in the short and long term. [155167]
Jim Knight:
To assess the benefits of funded early education, delivered in a wide range of maintained and private, voluntary and independent settings, my Department commissioned the Effective Pre-school and Primary Education 3-11 (EPPE 3-11) study. This study, which began in 1997, followed 3,000 children from the age of three to the end of Key Stage 2 (at age 11) and will continue to do so until the end of Key Stage 3 at age 14. So far, the study has demonstrated that children who attend pre-school are better prepared for school, have better cognitive and social development at age six and seven (Key Stage 1), with benefits strongest for those who attended high quality
pre-school for a longer duration. It has also shown high quality pre-school experience continues to have a positive impact on children’s all round development at age 10.
The EPPE study has also shown it is the quality, rather than ownership of pre-school provision that is most important for improving children’s attainment and that while good quality provision is found across all sectors the maintained sector provides the highest quality provision overall. We want to see quality improve across all types of pre-school provision, and we have reflected this aim in draft statutory guidance to local authorities on the duty in the Childcare Act 2006 to improve outcomes for all children and reduce inequalities between them. The guidance requires local authorities actively to engage with the Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) sector to improve quality. We have also provided dedicated resource (through the Transformation Fund between 2006-08 and the Graduate Leader Fund from 2008-09) to support the development of graduate leadership in the PVI sector, focusing on full day care settings.
Finally, my Department has also commissioned a number of evaluation studies that will continue to explore the relationship between different types of pre-school provision and child development outcomes including the National Evaluation of Sure Start, a study of child care quality experienced by children in the Millennium Cohort Study, and an evaluation of free child care provision for disadvantaged two-year-olds. Findings from these studies will be published by the Department later in 2008.
Primary Education: Languages
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of state primary schools in England offer teaching in a modern foreign language other than French. [155252]
Jim Knight: There are no national data available on the total number of primary schools offering modern foreign languages. However, in the autumn term of 2006, the National Foundation for Educational Research carried out research on the Department’s behalf, based on a nationally representative sample of 8,000 primary schools in England. The response rate was 48 per cent. The results showed that 81 per cent. of schools were providing primary languages within class time. As it was recognised that schools already delivering primary languages might be more likely to respond, data were collected from all schools within a representative sub-sample of 500 schools from the original 8,000 primary schools. The results showed that 70 per cent. of schools in this sub-sample were providing primary languages within class time.
Figures for which languages were provided are available only for the larger sample. Of the 3,336 schools in the survey that were teaching primary languages in class time, 91 per cent. of these schools offered French. Other languages were offered by the following proportions of schools in this sample. Percentages do not add up to 100 per cent. as some schools offer two or more languages:
| Languages offered at KS2 in primary schools in England | |
| Percentage | |
Schools: Uniforms
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to address school uniform shop monopolies, including shops run by (a) schools and (b) external enterprises. [155171]
Jim Knight:
The Office of Fair Trading have indicated that schools or retailers that have expensive exclusive contracts with suppliers may, in principle, be subject to enforcement action under Chapter 1 of the
Competition Act 1998, on the grounds that these exclusive agreements restrict competition between retailers to supply uniform.
The Schools Admissions Code will also tackle covert selection methods by ensuring that other school policies (such as the uniform policy) do not discourage parents from applying to the school of their choice.
The Department plans to publish updated guidance on school uniforms and related policies next month. This guidance will provide schools with advice on how to develop fair and reasonable school uniform policies.
Teachers: Languages
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of teachers of modern foreign languages in state secondary schools have a degree level qualification in the languages they teach. [155254]
Jim Knight: The following table provides the number of full-time teachers employed in maintained secondary schools by the highest post A level qualification held in the subjects they teach.
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