House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 15 Oct 2007 (pt 0029)

15 Oct 2007 : Column 878W—continued

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many and what proportion of people aged (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 were in (i) education, (ii) training, (iii) employment and (iv) none of the above in each year since 1995; [157821]

(2) how many and what proportion of 15-year-old secondary school leavers left school for (a) employment, (b) further education, (c) employer-funded training, (d) work based learning, (e) other education and training and (f) inactivity in each year since 1997. [157822]

Jim Knight: The figures provided in this answer are for individuals at academic age 16, 17 and 18⁽¹⁾. Participation is broken down by: full-time education; work based learning (WBL); employer funded training (EFT); other education and training (OET); not in any education or training—in employment; not in any
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education, employment or training (NEET). There will also be those that are in a category, e.g. full-time education, and also in employment.

Information on destinations of school leavers does not exist in this form. The tables for 16-year-old participation show the activities of all young people in the year following the end of compulsory schooling.

These figures are available in the Statistical First Release published by the Department in SFR 22/2007, please see the following web link:

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000734/8fr22_2007.pdf.

⁽¹⁾ Academic age is the age of the individual measured at the beginning of the academic year, 31 August.

Definitions

WBL for young people comprises advanced apprenticeships, apprenticeships, entry to employment (E2E) and NVQ learning.

EFT covers employees who have received training in the past four weeks; these figures are restricted to training other than WBL. It will include non-WBL apprentices and others on long and short term training programmes, but exclude those who have previously received training in their current job, though not in the last four weeks. It covers only young people who are in employment.

OET covers young people who are studying but are not included in other categories. For example: those attending independent colleges or training centres; at any college in part-time study not reported as released from a job; or receiving training in part-time education but not currently employed.

Further Education: Finance

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the annual cost of bringing per capita funding of pupils aged 16 to 18 years old in further education colleges in line with funding levels in secondary schools. [154337]

Jim Knight: Following a consultation earlier this year the Learning and Skills Council will introduce, from 2008/09, a new, common funding methodology for all 16 to 18-year-old learners. This will ensure that comparable funding is offered for comparable activity, irrespective of the type of institution providing the education and training to the learner.

Per capita funding for pupils aged 16 to 18 years old is at a broadly comparable level in school sixth forms and further education colleges. In 2005-06 per capita funding for full time equivalent 16, 17 and 18-year-old learners in further education colleges was £5,000. In 2006-07 we estimate this will rise to £5,100 but this will not be confirmed until final student numbers are available later in the year.

For 16, 17 and 18-year-olds in school sixth forms the level of funding per pupil was £4,900 in 2005-06, this rose to £5,200 in 2006-07.

Funding figures for school sixth forms and colleges are not directly comparable as a range of factors affects them including the mix of provision offered, achievement and retention levels and the location in which the provider is based. It is also impossible to get an entirely accurate full-time equivalent learner figure
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for college students whereas for schools, as almost all pupils study full-time in sixth forms, the pupil count is precise.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of GCSE students achieved (a) five GCSEs at A-C and (b) English and mathematics GCSEs at A-C since 1995-96; and if he will make a statement. [154711]

Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the following table:

Percentage of 15-year-old pupils achieving (a) 5 or more GCSE at grades A-C and (b) English and Mathematics GCSE at grades A-C since 1996
	Percentage of 15-year-olds^{( 1)} obtaining 5 or more GCSEs at A-C*	Percentage of 15-year-olds^{( 1)} obtaining an A-C at both English and Maths GCSE*
1996	45	35
1997	46	37
1998	48	38
1999	49	40
2000	50	41
2001	52	42
2002	53	43
2003	54	43
2004⁽²⁾	54	44
2005	56	46
2006	59	47
⁽¹⁾ Aged 15 at the beginning of the academic year, i.e. 31 August. ⁽²⁾ Percentages from 2004 onwards include GCSEs and equivalents.

Standards in secondary schools have risen dramatically since 1996. Record numbers of pupils are now achieving five good GCSEs.

Over 91,000 more pupils achieved five good GCSEs last year compared with 1996 and 78,000 more achieved five good GCSEs including English and maths compared with 1996.

This is as a result of a number of factors, including: challenge and support through the secondary National Strategy; swift and targeted intervention to tackle school failure; more effective use of data by schools and local authorities, helping to track and monitor the progress of pupils; and a system within which schools and local authorities are setting ambitious targets for their pupils.

The new secondary curriculum, to be introduced from 2008, will raise standards further still. Less prescription will allow for more time in the school day to concentrate on English and maths, particularly where pupils are struggling with literacy and numeracy. It will also allow schools to personalise learning in order to make teaching more engaging.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Gender

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of (a) girls and (b) boys gained five GCSEs at grade A to C in each year since 1987-88; and if he will make a statement. [154601]

15 Oct 2007 : Column 881W

Jim Knight: The information requested is given as follows:

Percentage of 15-year-old^{( 1)} girls and boys gaining five GCSEs at grades A- C at GCSE since 1988*
	Percentage achieving 5 or more grades A-C*^{( 2)}
	Boys	Girls	Total
1988	29.8	35.8	32.8
1989	30.8	38.4	34.5
1990	33.3	40.3	36.8
1991	34.1	42.7	38.3
1992	36.8	45.8	41.2
1993	39.1	47.8	43.3
1994	39.0	48.1	43.5
1995	39.9	49.4	44.5
1996	40.5	50.0	45.1
1997	41.3	51.5	46.3
1998	42.8	53.4	47.9
1999	44.0	54.6	49.2
2000	44.8	55.4	50.0
2001	46.4	57.0	51.6
2002	47.9	58.2	52.9
2003	48.7	58.8	53.7
2004	48.8	58.8	53.7
2005	51.4	61.4	56.3
2006	53.8	63.4	58.5
^{(1 )}Aged 15 on the 31 August. ^{(2 )}Percentages from 2004 onwards include GCSEs and equivalents.

A statement regarding the differences in educational attainment between boys and girls was provided in the reply to question 149080.

Primary Education: Buildings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many primary schools in each local education authority area primarily occupy buildings built before 1930. [156634]

Jim Knight: It is not possible, on the basis of data received from local education authorities on the ages of buildings, to assess numbers of primary schools primarily occupying buildings built before 1930.

Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under £700 million in 1996-97 to £6.4 billion in 2007-08 and will rise further to £8.0 billion by 2010-11. Progress is being made year-by-year in improving the quality of the school building stock.

Primary Education: Standards

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils attained (a) level 2 or above, (b) level 2A or above and (c) level 3 or above in the key stage 1 assessments in (i) mathematics, (ii) reading and (iii) writing in each year between 1995 and 2007. [155591]

Jim Knight: The information is shown in the following table.

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National curriculum : key stage 1: pupil achievements in key stage 1 all schools: England, 1995 to 2007^{( 1)}
	Number of pupils achieving			Percentage of pupils achieving
	Level 2 or above	Level 2A or above	Level 3 or above	Level 2 or above	Level 2A or above	Level 3 or above
Reading
1995	466,500	—	199,600	78	—	33
1996	464,600	—	176,600	78	—	30
1997	489,500	—	160,300	80	—	26
1998	500,800	265,700	163,600	80	42	26
1999	513,000	282,500	184,300	82	45	29
2000	504,600	282,500	168,900	83	47	28
2001	505,700	289,800	174,400	84	48	29
2002	495,700	285,700	177,200	84	49	30
2003	487,900	281,400	162,200	84	49	28
2004⁽²⁾	499,100	293,700	168,000	85	50	29
2005⁽³⁾	484,800	282,200	153,500	85	50	27
2006	474,500	273,900	143,800	84	49	26
2007⁽⁴⁾	457,900	270,800	141,200	84	50	26

Writing
1995	477,300	—	88,200	80	—	15
1996	474,600	—	36,700	79	—	6
1997	490,200	—	36,900	80	—	6
1998	507,800	139,300	45,200	81	22	7
1999	519,600	156,200	51,000	83	25	8
2000	511,000	163,200	53,400	84	27	9
2001	515,800	170,600	57,100	86	28	9
2002	506,100	170,800	55,800	86	29	9
2003	471,000	217,000	93,400	81	37	16
2004⁽²⁾	480,900	217,000	93,500	82	37	16
2005⁽³⁾	469,200	201,600	85,800	82	35	15
2006	457,300	192,400	78,300	81	34	14
2007⁽⁴⁾	439,000	176,200	68,900	80	32	13

Mathematics
1995	470,700	—	116,200	79	—	19
1996	491,500	—	114,300	82	—	19
1997	512,700	—	124,400	84	—	20
1998	529,000	233,700	118,400	84	37	19
1999	544,000	261,400	134,000	87	42	21
2000	542,900	303,700	153,000	90	50	25
2001	546,100	307,000	166,700	91	51	28
2002	531,900	332,400	184,200	90	56	31
2003	523,300	313,400	169,400	90	54	29
2004⁽²⁾	531,500	311,800	165,700	90	53	28
2005⁽³⁾	518,000	285,200	130,400	91	50	23
2006	507,300	274,500	120,400	90	49	21
2007⁽⁴⁾	491,400	270,300	120,400	90	49	22
⁽¹⁾ Numbers rounded to the nearest 100, percentages to 0 decimal places. ^{(2 )}The figures for 2004 are derived from combining task/test results for non trial schools and teacher assessment results for trial schools. ^{(3 )}Due to a change in policy the figures for 2005 onwards are taken from teacher assessment results. ^{(4 )}The 2007 analysis is taken from provisional data. Note: Fine grading at level 2 did exist in 1995, 1996 and 1997 but these data are not easily assessable.

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