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3 Dec 2007 : Column 935W—continued
Education: Assessments
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what the costs of administering national tests at (a) Key Stage 1, (b) Key Stage 2, (c) Key Stage 3, (d) Key Stage 4 and (e) AS level were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [163447]
(2) what the cost of the national examination and national testing systems in England was for all maintained schools in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement. [163448]
Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's estimate of the costs of delivering the national curriculum tests for Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 are as follows:
| Total cost of NCT | |
| £000 | |
QCA's records do not support the split of this information between the various key stages.
Public examinations at Key Stage 4 and GCE AS level are administered by independent awarding bodies. Information on their costs is not collected centrally in the form requested. There are no fees for national curriculum tests for maintained schools. The information in the following table covers the costs incurred by all local authority maintained primary, secondary and special schools, for test administration and examination entry fees and any accreditation costs related to pupils taking GCSEs, GNVQs, AS and A2 qualifications.
| £ million | |
| Academic year( 1) | Amount spent on examination entries |
| (1) It was only in 2002-03 that the Department began collecting information in sufficient detail to answer this question. | |
These costs, essential for recognising individual achievement and monitoring the performance of the system, represent a small fraction of the total annual public investment in education.
Education: Cost Efficiency
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much of the planned efficiency savings under the Spending Review 2004 are expected to be generated by (a) Using Cover Supervisors, listed as element A1(b) on page 7, (b) Pay Restructuring, listed as element A1(c) on page 7 and (c) Modernisation of the Teachers Pension Scheme, listed as element A1(d) on page 8 of the departmental Efficiency Technical Note of April 2006. [167725]
Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 26 November 2007, Official R eport, column 267W, to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable). Details of DCSF’s progress towards our Gershon target will be reported in the Department’s Autumn Performance Report. This will be published on 7 December 2007.
Education: Disabled
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what studies his Department has made of the effectiveness of assistive technologies to assist with the learning of visually impaired and dyslexic children in primary and secondary schools. [165767]
Kevin Brennan: The Department has not carried out formal studies into the effectiveness of assistive technologies. The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice which provides advice on carrying out statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for pupils' special educational needs says that schools should explore the possible benefits of, and where practicable, secure access for a pupil to appropriate technology. The code also makes it clear that local authorities and schools must make decisions about which actions and provision are appropriate for which pupils on an individual basis.
The Department is currently working with RNIB and a number of other organisations including the British Dyslexia Association to improve the provision of educational materials in accessible formats in schools.
Education: Immigrants
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effect of migration from A8 countries on education spending per capita in each Government Office of the region. [167646]
Jim Knight:
The Government have made no specific assessment of the effect of migration from A8 countries on education spending per capita in each Government Office region. School funding is based on overall pupil projections, using ONS population projections, which take account of migration and birth
rate. School funding for individual local authorities is allocated on actual pupil numbers based on the January school census.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families has recently announced an additional exceptional circumstances grant to local authorities with significant extra pressures on their schools budgets from new arrivals, between January and the start of the school-year. This will be on a case by case basis when there is a significant increase in pupil numbers in a local authority; or where the proportion of EAL pupils significantly increases in a local authority.
Educational Institutions: Crime
Andrew Rosindell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students in Romford have been charged with a criminal offence by the police for incidents that took place (a) in
educational institutions or (b) on school property in each of the last five years. [168423]
Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Free School Meals
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the change in the proportion of children entitled to free school dinners at (a) denominational primary schools, (b) denominational secondary schools, (c) maintained primary schools, (d) maintained secondary schools, (e) grammar schools and (f) academies in each year since 1990. [167575]
Jim Knight: The available information for 1997, 2002 and 2007 is given in the table:
| Maintained primary and secondary schools ( 1) : School meal arrangements by denomination of school Position in January each year: 1997, 2002 and 2007—England | |||||||||
| Maintained primary schools | |||||||||
| Faith schools | Other schools | Total | |||||||
| Number of pupils | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Number of pupils | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Number of pupils | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | |
| Maintained secondary schools | |||||||||
| Faith schools | Other schools | Total | |||||||
| Number of pupils | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Number of pupils | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Number of pupils | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Number of pupils include those with sole and dual registration. Excludes boarders. (3) Includes pupils with sole and dual main registration. Includes boarders. Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown. Source: School Census | |||||||||
| Secondary schools: School meal arrangements Position in January each year: 1997, 2002 and 2007—England | ||||||
| Maintained secondary schools | ||||||
| Grammar schools | Other maintained secondary schools | |||||
| Number of pupils | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Number of pupils | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | |
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