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29 Oct 2007 : Column 841W—continued

GCSE and A-Level

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of marks for each GCSE and A-level were allocated to each subject in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [161041]

Jim Knight: The figures readily available relate to the percentage of pupils who got each grade at different A-level and GCSE subjects respectively. These can be found at


29 Oct 2007 : Column 842W

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what assessment he has made of the accuracy of coursework marks for (a) GCSE and (b) A-levels; and if he will make a statement; [161042]

(2) what evidence (a) his Department and (b) the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has of re-drafting of (i) GCSE and (ii) A-level coursework after feedback from teachers; and if he will make a statement. [161213]

Jim Knight: It is for the awarding bodies to moderate coursework marks and ensure that the grades they award are fair and consistent. Accreditation of A-levels and GCSEs includes consideration of the quality assurance and controls they have in place. It is for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as the qualifications regulator to oversee standards and fairness within the exams system. Its Regulations and Standards Division runs monitoring and scrutiny programmes of awarding body practice on coursework.

The QCA’s 2005 review of coursework in GCE and GCSE identified concerns about the nature and amount of support that it is appropriate for teachers to give. In response to this QCA issued guidelines to teachers and pupils on how much help centres can give to candidates. The Joint Council for Qualifications also provided a set of rules, which took effect from September 2006, which cover how much help teachers can give students. Awarding bodies use these rules to challenge and deal with any individual instances of inappropriate behaviour. There is no evidence to suggest that breaches of the rules are in any way widespread.

The changes being made to strengthen further GCSE and A-level arrangements include changes to coursework arrangements in many subjects and the introduction of controlled assessments. These will bring tighter controls around: task setting by teachers or awarding bodies; supervision of task taking and task marking by teachers or awarding bodies. Teacher set and marked tasks will not be allowed in GCSE.

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what mark was required to obtain an (a) C grade and (b) A grade in each (i) GCSE and (ii) A-level course in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [161209]

Jim Knight: This information on grade boundaries is not held centrally. The process awarding bodies go through to ensure that standards are consistent means there will be variations in terms of the raw marks required between different awarding bodies’ qualifications and from year-to-year. It is for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority as the qualifications regulator to oversee the awarding process to ensure that standards are comparable both between different qualifications and over time.


29 Oct 2007 : Column 843W

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which GCSEs and diplomas were entirely assessed through coursework in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [161226]

Jim Knight: No GCSEs have been awarded entirely on the basis of 100 per cent. internal assessment since 1997. The first five lines of the new Diplomas will begin to be offered from September 2008 and will be awarded on the basis of both internal and external assessment.


29 Oct 2007 : Column 844W

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of (a) 15-year-olds and (b) pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including (i) English, mathematics and science and (ii) English, mathematics, science and a modern foreign language in (A) 2006-07 and (B) 2005-06. [160110]

Jim Knight: The information requested is given as follows:

(a) 15-year-olds
15-year-old pupils( 1) who gained 5+A*-C at GCSE including English, mathematics and science GCSEs 15-year-old pupils( 1) who gained 5+A*-C at GCSE including English, mathematics, science and a MFL GCSEs
Number Percentage Number Percentage

2006

263,525

40.6

167,114

25.8

2007(2)

264,520

40,3

154,520

23.5

(1) Aged 15 on 31 August.
(2) Figures for 2007 are provisional.

(b) Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4
Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 who gained 5+A*-C at GCSE including English, mathematics and science GCSEs Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 who gained 5+A*-C at GCSE including English, mathematics, science and a MFL GCSEs
Number Percentage Number Percentage

2006

265,309

411

168,338

261

2007(1)

266,020

41,0

155,462

24.0

(1) Figures for 2007 are provisional.

Independent Schools

Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2006, Official Report, column 80W, to the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale, West (Mr. Brady) on independent schools, how many and what percentage of children of (a) primary and (b) secondary school age in (i) Reading and (ii) Wokingham attended independent schools in each year since 1999-2000. [161353]

Jim Knight: The available information is shown in the following tables.

Independent schools( 1) : Number and percentage of pupils aged 5 to 10 and 11 to 15( 2) , position in January each year, by local authority area and government office region in England
1999 2000 2001
Pupils aged 5 to 10 %( 3) Pupils aged 11 to 15 % e( 3) Pupils aged 5 to 10 %( 3) Pupils aged 11 to 15 % e( 3) Pupils aged 5 to 10 %( 3) Pupils aged 11 to 15 % e( 3)

England

201,180

5.2

211,950

7.0

203,120

5.3

213,270

6.9

205,590

5.4

217,620

6.9

South east

52,400

8.5

51,210

10.7

53,830

8.7

51,680

10.5

54,720

8.9

53,230

10.6

870 Reading

817

8.2

1,446

21.1

804

8.2

1,452

20.8

843

8.7

1,500

21.4

872 Wokingham

1,100

8.7

1,027

10.2

1,109

8.8

1,047

10.2

1,124

9.0

1,082

10.4


2002 2003 2004
Pupils aged 5 to 10 %( 3) Pupils aged 11 to 15 % e( 3) Pupils aged 5 to 10 %( 3) Pupils aged 11 to 15 % e( 3) Pupils aged 5 to 10 %( 3) Pupils aged 11 to 15 % e( 3)

England

207,090

5.5

222,150

7.0

206,510

5.5

226,180

7.0

205,340

5.5

232,730

7.1

South east

55,110

9.0

54,740

10.7

54,420

9.0

55,780

10.7

53,690

9.0

57,570

11.0

870 Reading

782

8.2

1,516

21.6

795

8.5

1,540

22.3

776

6.5

1,530

22.8

872 Wokingham

1,140

9.3

1,185

11.2

1,147

9.5

1,254

11.7

1,152

9.7

1,236

11.6


29 Oct 2007 : Column 845W

29 Oct 2007 : Column 846W

2005 2006 2007
Pupils aged 5 to 10 %( 3) Pupils aged 11 to 15 % e( 3) Pupils aged 5 to 10 %( 3) Pupils aged 11 to 15 % e( 3) Pupils aged 5 to 10 %( 3) Pupils aged 11 to 15 % e( 3)

England

202,670

5.5

232,080

7.1

200,440

5.5

233,820

7.2

199,030

5.6

232,620

7.3

South East

52,960

8.9

57,730

11.0

52,390

8.9

58,160

11.1

52,040

8.9

58,020

11.2

870 Reading

794

8.7

1,455

22.2

778

6.6

1,439

22.0

727

8.2

1,449

22.2

872 Wokingham

1,168

9.8

1,106

10.7

1,108

9.5

1,169

11.2

1,036

9.0

1,164

11.3

(1) Excludes City Technology Colleges and Academies
(2) Age as at 31 August in previous year (start of academic year)
(3) Number of pupils in independent schools expressed as a percentage of number of pupils in same age group across all schools (excludes dually registered pupils)
National and regional totals may not appear to equal the sum of the component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.

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