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10 Dec 2007 : Column 249W—continued


National Council for Educational Excellence

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many times the National Council for Educational Excellence has met since June 2007; what recommendations it has produced; and if he will publish its (a) agendas and (b) conclusions. [172097]

Jim Knight: The council met on 18 July, 13 September and 20 November 2007.

Copies of the agenda, summary note and full minutes for each meeting have been placed in the Library, as well as a report of council members’ views and advice about setting 10 year goals for world class education performance. These papers provide an overview of the council’s work to date.

Children’s Plan: Primary Education

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to extend the academies programme to primary and junior schools; and if he will make a statement. [169289]


10 Dec 2007 : Column 250W

Jim Knight: There are currently no plans for the Academies programme to extend to schools solely catering for pupils of primary or junior school age. However, the programme does extend to all-age academies and there are currently eight all-through academies (providing education for all ages from three to 19), with a further six in the pipeline.

Sponsors may also enter an academy proposal in any of the competitions now required under the Education and Inspections Act 2006 for most new and replacement primary and secondary schools.

Primary Education: Admissions

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were in maintained primary schools in each year since 1997. [169805]

Jim Knight: The available information is largely published in SFR 30/2007 “Schools and Pupils in England: January 2007 (Final)”, which can be found via the following link: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000744/index.shtml. The information requested is given in the following table:

Number of pupils in LA maintained primary( 1) schools: Position in January each year: 1997 to 2007: England
Number of pupils (headcount)( 2)

1997

4,429,040

1998

4,460,650

1999

4,460,170

2000

4,435,350

2001

4,406,220

2002

4,363,340

2003

4,309,030

2004

4,252,540

2005

4,204,500

2006

4,148,950

2007

4,107,680

(1) Includes middle schools that are deemed primary schools.
(2) Excludes dually registered pupils.
Source:
School Census

Primary Education: Teachers

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the proportion of applicants accepted on to a primary teacher training course was in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [169803]

Jim Knight: Applications for primary initial teacher training (ITT) can be for either an undergraduate or postgraduate course. The number of trainees accepted to undergraduate ITT courses is not held centrally so it is not possible to calculate the overall proportion of applications which are accepted.

The following table shows the number of postgraduate applicants and acceptances to primary ITT courses in England along with the proportion of these applications which were accepted in each year between 2001/02 and 2007/08.


10 Dec 2007 : Column 251W
Year of application Number of applications to primary postgraduate ITT courses Number of acceptances to primary postgraduate ITT courses Proportion of postgraduate application to primary ITT courses which are accepted (Percentage)

2001/02

14,200

6,610

47

2002/03

16,690

7,770

47

2003/04

19,450

8,850

45

2004/05

20,180

9,320

46

2005/06

19,960

9,110

46

2006/07

20,000

8,540

43

2007/08

19,070

8,330

44

Notes:
1. Data prior to 2001/02 is not available on a consistent basis for England only.
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
3. Some applications for postgraduate ITT courses are made independently of the Graduate Teacher Training Registry and are not included in the figures.
4. The aforementioned figures include trainees to primary courses and do not include trainees to middle year’s courses.
5. Data are as at the end of the application process so are subject to change.
6. Membership to the GTTR changes between years, therefore the higher education institutes covered may vary.
Source:
Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR).

The figures are published on the GTTR website at:

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many qualified primary school teachers worked in maintained primary schools in each year since 1997. [169804]

Jim Knight: The available information is given in table 2 of SFR29/2007 School Workforce in England (including pupil: teacher ratios and pupil: adult ratios), January 2007 (Revised) which can be found at:

The following table shows the available figures, in thousands, for full-time equivalent regular qualified teachers in maintained nursery and primary schools as at January each year.

Qualified regular teachers

1997

190.7

1998

189.0

1999

189.9

2000

191.6

2001

192.6

2002

193.1

2003

191.9

2004

190.4

2005

189.9

2006

192.0

2007

191.6

Source:
The DCSF Annual Survey of Teachers in Service and Teacher Vacancies (618g).

Children’s Plan: Public Participation

Mr. Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress his Department has made in its consultation on the proposed children’s plan; and when he expects the consultation process to be completed. [168311]


10 Dec 2007 : Column 252W

Ed Balls: The consultation on the Children’s Plan was conducted during September, October and early November 2007. We obtained views from children, young people, parents and those working with children and young people. 3,181 responses were received. The responses, alongside the views of 400 parents, young people, teachers and people working with children who attended deliberative debates are captured in a report of the key themes emerging from the consultation. The findings of three expert groups, remitted to look at services affecting children and young people, are also big considered.

The consultation process is now complete.

Pupil Referral Units

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were sent to a pupil referral unit within six months of reaching the end of key stage 4 in the past year. [171038]

Jim Knight: The information is not collected centrally.

Pupils: Accidents

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the number of road accidents involving school children of introducing British summer time in winter and double British summer time in summer. [172343]

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.

A Government commissioned report by the Transport Research Laboratory published in October 1998, investigated the effects of the UK adopting single/double summertime (i.e. GMT + one hour in the winter, from October to March, and GMT + two hours in the summer, from March to October) thereby making the evenings lighter throughout the year. It concluded that, there could be a net saving of over 400 people killed or seriously injured per year in Great Britain, including over 100 deaths.

The 1998 research did not identify casualty savings by age.

Pupils: Attendance

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils attended secondary schools in which there were (a) over 1,000, (b) over 1,500 and (c) over 2,000 pupils in each year since 1997. [169139]

Jim Knight: To provide a full-time series since 1997 would involve disproportionate cost. Therefore the available information for a selection of years between 1997 and 2007 are given in the following table:


10 Dec 2007 : Column 253W
Maintained secondary schools, city technology colleges and academies( 1) : number of schools and pupils by size of school( 2) , England
Schools with up to and including 1,000 pupils
Position in January each year Number of schools Number of pupils Percentage of pupils( 3)

1997

2,429

1,612,510

52.8

1999

2,322

1,557,650

49.6

2000

2,226

1,497,750

46.8

2002

1,997

1,384,420

42.2

2005

1,839

1,296,690

38.7

2006

1,830

1,292,490

38.6

2007

1,841

1,290,040

38.8


Schools with 1,001 to 1,500 pupils
Position in January each year Number of schools Number of pupils Percentage of pupils( 3)

1997

1,019

1,216,690

39.8

1999

1,080

1,292,450

41.2

2000

1,146

1,377,020

43.1

2002

1.236

1,492,860

45.5

2005

1,296

1,572,330

47.0

2006

1,295

1,573,270

47.0

2007

1,270

1,539,480

46.3


Schools with 1,501 to 2,000 pupils
Position in January each year Number of schools Number of pupils Percentage of pupils( 3)

1997

130

215,010

7.0

1999

167

275,210

8.8

2000

186

308.740

9.7

2002

225

374,980

11.4

2005

261

435,420

13.0

2006

259

433,640

13.0

2007

266

444,480

13.4


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