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17 Sep 2007 : Column 2197W—continued
Children, Schools and Families
Academies: Finance
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will allow (a) independent schools, (b) successful secondary schools and (c) further education colleges to sponsor city academies. [154975]
Academies: Isle of Sheppey
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether any of the funding commitments to the proposed federated academy on the Isle of Sheppey are dependent on the sale of local school property for development. [155397]
Jim Knight: Kent county council has committed to using the capital resources at its disposal to contribute £4 million to the budget for establishing an academy on the Isle of Sheppey. On the basis of information it has supplied, this sum may be realised in total or in part by land sales at school sites in Sheppey or elsewhere in Kent. Any land sale at a school site will be managed in accordance with the relevant guidance and legislation.
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what (a) organisations and (b) individuals have lead responsibilities for taking forward the plans for a federated academy on the Isle of Sheppey. [155410]
Jim Knight: Dulwich college, as lead sponsor, is responsible for taking forward the educational proposals for the Sheppey academy. It is represented on the Project Steering Group by Ralph Mainard, deputy master.
In line with national academies policy, the project to develop and deliver the building programme will be managed by Kent's Local Education Partnership. On the basis of information supplied by Kent county council (KCC), a preferred consortia is due to be selected to form the Local Education Partnership with KCC and Partnerships for Schools in the fourth quarter of 2007. The project to develop and deliver the
academy will form part of the national wave 4 programme. Since the procurement is not yet complete, it is not possible to comment on which individual will have lead responsibility for this aspect of the project.
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the team in charge of the development of the federated academy on the Isle of Sheppey has met the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. [155411]
Jim Knight: The procurement of the Kent Local Education Partnership is not yet complete. However, all schools that are developed and delivered by the LEP will be subject to formal review, in line with national policy, by both CABE and Partnerships for Schools.
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans there are to appoint a client design adviser to the executive team responsible for the development of the federated academy on the Isle of Sheppey. [155412]
Jim Knight: Kent county council has appointed Gensler as client design adviser for this academy project.
Curriculum: Citizenship
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will take steps to ensure that the citizenship curriculum includes the teaching of (a) the words of the National Anthem and (b) knowledge of the flags and patron saints of the nations of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [154835]
Jim Knight [holding answer 10 September 2007]: The flags, patron saints and the national anthem of the United Kingdom are not a separate element of the citizenship curriculum and there are currently no plans to change this. However, understanding the origins and implications of the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom is an important part of citizenship curriculum, which has been statutory for 11-16 year olds since 2002. Following the recommendation in Sir Keith Ajegbo’s recent review of “Diversity and Citizenship in the Curriculum”, from September 2008 the revised citizenship curriculum for secondary schools will include a new strand entitled “Identity and Diversity: living together in the UK”. In this context, pupils will have the opportunity to explore what it means to be a UK citizen and the unique qualities that are part of our shared identity. They may consider the political, religious, social and constitutional systems that affect their lives and communities and that may include learning about the flags, patron saints and the national anthem.
General Certificate of Secondary Education: Science
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on the decision by the Joint Council for Qualifications to increase the proportion of lower demand questions in the GCSE science examinations. [154944]
Jim Knight [holding answer 10 September 2007]: It is for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as the independent regulator to ensure that standards at GCSE are maintained. The changes referred to follow a review of standards in GCSE double award science published in March 2007 and covering the five-year period 2000-05. QCA was involved in the process and believes that the changes in the proportions of questions will not affect the overall standard of the GCSE, while allowing lower achievers to demonstrate positive achievement.
Pupil Exclusions: West Yorkshire
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school children in (i) Leeds and (ii) West Yorkshire were excluded from school for a period of five days or fewer in each of the last five years. [154862]
Jim Knight [holding answer 10 September 2007]: The requested information can be provided at disproportionate cost.
Data on the number of fixed period exclusions in 2005/06 by local authority was published in June 2007:
Data for 2004/05 was published in June 2006:
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school children in (i) Leeds and (ii) West Yorkshire were permanently excluded from school in each of the last five years; in how many of these cases the decision was appealed; and in how many cases the appeal was successful. [154863]
Jim Knight [holding answer 10 September 2007]: The number of pupils permanently excluded from school in (a) Leeds and (b) Yorkshire and The Humber are shown in the table:
| Maintained Primary, Secondary and Special Schools( 1) : Number of Permanent Exclusions, 2001/02 to 2005/06 | ||||||||
| Leeds Local Authority Area | ||||||||
| Primary | Secondary | Special | Total (rounded) | |||||
| Number of permanent exclusions | Percentage of school population( 2) | Number of permanent exclusions | Percentage of school population( 2) | Number of permanent exclusions | Percentage of school population( 2) | Number of permanent exclusions | Percentage of school population( 2) | |
| * = Figures below 3 are suppressed. (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of all pupils (excluding dually registered pupils) in January each year. | ||||||||
| Yorkshire and the Humber | ||||||||
| Primary | Secondary | Special | Total (rounded) | |||||
| Number of permanent exclusions | Percentage of school population( 2) | Number of permanent exclusions | Percentage of school population( 2) | Number of permanent exclusions | Percentage of school population( 2) | Number of permanent exclusions | Percentage of school population( 2) | |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2 )The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of all pupils (excluding dually registered pupils) in January each year. Note: Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. | ||||||||
The number of appeals against permanent exclusion from schools for (a) Leeds and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber are shown in the table:
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