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19 Nov 2007 : Column 630W—continued
Education Maintenance Allowance
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effect of education maintenance allowance payments on achievement by students receiving them. [165080]
Jim Knight: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for the operation of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) Scheme. An analysis of the impact of EMA on participation and attainment has been commissioned by the LSC and the results of this analysis are due to be published in November 2007. A copy of these reports, with a summary of key findings, will be placed in the House Library when they are published.
Education: Climate Change
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will provide grants for the recruitment of external experts to teach climate change science and sustainability in primary and secondary schools. [163342]
Kevin Brennan [holding answer 15 November 2007]: We want all schools to become Sustainable Schools by 2020. The Sustainable Schools Framework and self evaluation tool have been designed, following wide consultation, to help senior managers, teachers and pupils adopt a whole school approach so that schools’ commitment to sustainability is demonstrated by the way the buildings and grounds are managed, their relationships with the local community and through the curriculum. To become sustainable, schools need to develop their own expertise, drawing on external support where they identify it is needed.
Expert organisations, such as the Met Office, the Association of Science Education and the Royal Geographical Society already provide support and resources for teachers. Science Learning Centres provide training for both primary and secondary teachers in sustainability and the science of climate change. There are many other sources of support including businesses, local authorities and non-governmental organisations. We have no plans to provide grants for external experts to teach climate change and sustainability in schools.
Education: Isle of Wight
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what direction has been given to the Isle of Wight council in relation to proposed structural changes to the educational system on the island; [164465]
(2) what changes are (a) planned and (b) proposed for (i) high schools, (ii) middle schools, (iii) primary schools and (iv) nursery schools on the Isle of Wight. [164673]
Jim Knight [holding answer 15 November 2007]: The Secretary of State has not issued a direction to the Isle of Wight in relation to the structure of schools within the local authority’s area.
School place planning is a local matter and it is for the local authority to work with local stakeholders to determine whether structural changes should be proposed to the organisation of schools. Where changes are proposed, a statutory process must be followed which provides for consultation with those affected; formal publication of a notice in a local newspaper and other places where those affected might see it; and an opportunity for people to submit comments and objections. Most decisions will be taken by the local authority with some explicit powers of appeal to the schools adjudicator.
Education: Overseas Students
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether EU citizens from other member states aged between 16 and 18 years old resident in England will have to remain in education or training until the age of 18 years old under the terms of the proposed Education and Skills Bill; and if he will make a statement. [165146]
Jim Knight: All young people resident in England would be subject to the requirement to remain in education and training until their 18(th) birthday or completion of a level 3 programme, whichever is the earlier. This would include 16 and 17-year-olds resident in England who are citizens of other countries.
Education: Standards
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what results he expects his Department's pursuit of the five outcomes for children and young people to age 19 to have had by 2010 on (a) all pupils in education and (b) those pupils at Key Stage 4 in that year in schools which achieved (i) 70 per cent. or above five A*-C grades and (ii) 62 per cent. five A*-C grades including English and mathematics in the latest period for which figures are available. [165568]
Jim Knight: Pupil performance and well-being go hand in hand, and doing well in education is the most effective route for young people out of poverty and disaffection. We introduced the Every Child Matters agenda to give every child the best start in life so they realise their potential because this is crucial to every child's life chances and to society's well-being. Educational attainment is at the very heart of Every Child Matters. It is a key priority which goes hand in hand with a child's well-being.
We know that there are benefits to the individual, the country and society from the attainment of qualifications. Individuals who achieve a level 2 qualification, equivalent to five or more GCSEs at A*-C, earn on average around £100,000 more over their lifetime than those who leave learning with qualifications below level 2. In addition to higher wages, better qualified individuals enjoy improved employment prospects, are more likely to get promoted and undertake further learning in the future. There are also wider benefits such as better health and improved social skills. Higher skill levels lead to increased productivity for businesses and those who achieve qualifications are less likely to experience teenage pregnancy, be involved in crime or behave antisocially. That is why, by 2010-11, we expect 82 per cent. of 19 year-olds to achieve a level 2 qualification.
We know too that approximately 75 per cent. of young people who have had a positive experience at school, and have achieved level 2 by the age of 16, go on to attain level 3 qualifications. And, of those young people who obtain 5 A*-C GCSEs in year 11, approximately 52 per cent. go on to degree level study. We want more young people to gain higher level skills and have the opportunity to progress to higher education if they want to. To help deliver this ambition we have set a target of 54 per cent. of 19 year-olds to achieve a level 3 qualification by 2010-11 in CSR07.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) whether the new independent qualification regulator will be empowered to carry out sampling tests of pupils on a random basis to independently verify changes in educational standards; and if he will make a statement; [166039]
(2) on what date he plans to publish the consultation documentation on the future of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. [166042]
Jim Knight:
We plan to publish a consultation paper setting out our proposals for the future of qualifications regulation and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority around the turn of the year. This will include proposals for the powers of the new independent regulator of
qualifications and tests. My right hon. friend the Secretary of State will make a statement to the House to announce the start of the consultation.
Free School Meals
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether people aged 16 to 18 years in full-time education studying in (a) school sixth forms, (b) sixth form colleges, (c) further education colleges and (d) academies, whose parents fulfil the qualifying criteria in other respects, are entitled to free lunches; and if he will make a statement. [163222]
Jim Knight: Where parents fulfil the qualifying criteria, local authorities or school governing bodies have a duty to provide free school meals to children who are registered pupils at schools. This includes those in school sixth forms, and academies, but not those attending sixth form or further education colleges. We have no plans to change the criteria for free school meals.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what proportion of pupils were entitled to free school meals in each school in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement; [165753]
(2) what proportion of pupils had special educational needs in each school in England in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement. [165754]
Jim Knight: The available information has been placed in the Library. This contains figures for the current year, figures for earlier years cannot be provided within the time scale.
General Certificate of Secondary Education: Young Offenders
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what proportion of 16-year-olds who had been in custody for more than one year were entered for GCSE examinations in each year since 2001; [165164]
(2) what proportion of 16-year-olds in custody gained five A* to Cs at GCSE in each year since 2001. [165165]
Jim Knight: The information required to answer the question is not held centrally.
Head Teachers: Parenting Orders
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress his Department has made on granting new powers to head teachers to apply to courts for parenting orders. [164756]
Jim Knight: The provisions in the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to allow school governing bodies to apply to courts for parenting orders following either exclusion, or serious misbehaviour by pupils which would warrant exclusion if continued, came into force on 1 September 2007.
LEAs: Cost-effectiveness
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will list local education authorities in England ranked in order of value for money by correlating guaranteed per pupil funding for 2006 with the percentage of pupils attaining five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C including English and mathematics in 2006. [165054]
Jim Knight: The following table shows local authorities ranked, where 1 is the highest, by the percentage of pupils achieving 5+A*-C at GCSE and equivalent (including English and mathematics) in academic year 2005/06 and by funding per pupil in financial year 2005-06.
A correlation of funding and attainment would not provide a meaningful measure of value for money. Those local authorities with higher levels of deprivation and other needs receive higher levels of funding per pupil to deliver the additional support required to raise standards and narrow the attainment gap between these groups of pupils and their peers. The factors which attract higher levels of funding are also those which are known to be associated with lower levels of attainment.
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