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9 Jan 2008 : Column 657W—continued
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils took part in at least two hours of high quality physical education and school sport each week in each year from 1995-96 to 2004-05; and if he will make a statement. [176818]
Kevin Brennan: The annual PE and School Sport Survey was introduced in 2003/04 and collects data relating to participation in PE and school sport. The percentage of pupils who took part in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport each week is as follows:
| Percentage | |
Since 2004/05, the figures have increased further, so that the 2006/07 survey found that 86 per cent. of pupils take part in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport a week. Prior to 2003/04, no data was collected relating to the amount of time spent on PE and school sport.
School Leaving
Bob Spink:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will commission research on the likely effect of his policy of extending compulsory education to 18 years on the demand for
capacity in (a) secondary schools, (b) stand alone vocational training establishments and (c) further education colleges. [175780]
Jim Knight: We were already planning on the basis of our existing aspiration for 90 per cent. participation among 17-year-olds by 2015. With compulsory participation, our modelling suggests that, nationally, this does not require a big expansion of places. We estimate that there will be around 15,000 more 16 and 17-year-olds in schools in 2015 than there are this year and all of this growth is accounted for by the already planned growth in academies, most of which will have sixth forms. In FE, we estimate that in 2013 13,000 additional places will be needed compared to this year, and in 2015 another 31,000 will be needed. We are not planning to commission any further research at this stage. Demographic changes will vary between local areas and local authorities will need to use their own projections to plan accordingly.
School Meals
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects to determine whether his Department has met its March 2008 target for take-up of school lunches; and if he will make a statement. [176696]
Kevin Brennan: In 2008, the SFT will undertake its third annual survey of school lunch take-up, and this will show if the target has been achieved.
Increasing the take-up of school lunches remains a priority for this Department and for the School Food Trust (SFT).
Schools: Carbon Emissions
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government are taking to support schools in reaching targets of zero carbon emissions. [175931]
Kevin Brennan: The Children's Plan, published in December 2007, set an ambition for all new school buildings to be zero carbon by 2016. A task force will be appointed to advise on how to achieve this ambition.
We are taking action now to reduce carbon emissions in new school buildings while we work towards zero carbon. About 200 projects in buildings schools for the future and the academies programme will benefit from an additional investment of £110 million over the next three years, with the intention of reducing carbon emissions by around 60 per cent. We have published guidance on the energy efficiency and renewable energy measures that can be applied to meet the target reduction.
These initiatives support our wider aim for all schools to be sustainable schools by 2020.
Schools: Closures
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether local education authorities are obliged to consult interested parties before deciding to close schools. [176339]
Jim Knight: Yes. Local authorities (LAs) are required by section 16 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to consult such persons as appear to them to be appropriate, having regard to guidance given by the Secretary of State. Guidance states that the Secretary of State considers that the interested parties who should be consulted include: the governing body; pupils; families of pupils; teachers and other staff and the trade unions who represent them at the school and at other schools who may be affected; MPs whose constituencies include the school or other schools that may be affected; the local parish or district council; other LAs who may be affected such as neighbouring authorities where there is cross-border movement of pupils; the local diocesan authority if the school has a religious character; any trust or foundation that provides the school; and any other interested party.
Where a rural primary school is proposed for closure section 16(1) places a statutory duty on the LA to consult parents of registered pupils, the district and parish councils and for any rural special schools, any LA that maintains an SEN statement for a pupil at the school and any other persons that appear to be appropriate.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many school closures occurred in the Essex Local Education Authority in each of the last five years. [176680]
Jim Knight: The numbers of schools closed in Essex local authority in each of the last five years are given in the following table.
| Number of schools closed | |
Schools can be closed for a number of reasons including: to meet demographic changes (population decline); as part of an amalgamation; to allow a Fresh Start school to replace a school in special measures; to allow a school with a religious character to replace a school without a religious character; or as part of another type of local reorganisation.
Schools: Finance
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what the average percentage change to the devolved formula capital grant awarded to modernised schools was in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [177215]
(2) what the expected percentage change to the devolved formula capital grant awarded to modernised schools will be in each of the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [177216]
Jim Knight: The Devolved Formula Capital grant (DFC) has been paid to schools each year since 2000-01. The distinction between modernised schools and schools not yet modernised comes into effect from 2008-09.
The following table sets out the absolute and percentage changes in DFC allocations from 2001-02 to 2007-08.
| £ million | Percentage change | Percentage change cumulative | |
| (1 )reduction | |||
While the overall trend is sharply up, there are significant differences in the percentage change year-on-year. These are caused by a number of factors which cannot be easily separated out. These are (a) changes in total pupil population (b) changes in the size of individual schools (c) changes in the total number of schools (d) increases in the formulaic allocation rates per school (d) abatement of DFC for schools in the Building Schools for the Future programme.
The rate of DFC per modernised school for the years 2008-09 to 2010-11 remains the same as for 2007-08. Future years from 2011-12 have not yet been allocated funding. DFC can be combined with other local authority funding, in accordance with local authority asset management plans. Excluding DFC, other local authority formulaic allocations made so far for the next spending review period are £1,659 million in 2008-09, £2,311 million in 2009-10, and £2,932 million in 2010-11.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he expects schools and local authorities to take when their devolved formula capital grant allocation does not meet the estimated costs repair and maintenance; and if he will make a statement. [177217]
Jim Knight: Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) allocations are allocated direct to schools for capital improvement, determined at school level. It cannot be used for a revenue purpose. Normal repair and maintenance is a revenue expense, to be paid out of revenue allocations.
When planning to spend DFC, schools should discuss with local authorities what local authorities plan to spend on schools from their formulaic capital allocations. Where necessary, DFC can be combined with these other allocations, also any other funds raised locally, to ensure that total capital expenditure meets schools’ needs.
Schools: Mergers
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many school mergers occurred within the Essex local education authority in each of the last five years. [176679]
Jim Knight: Since January 2003, there have been nine school mergers within the Essex local authority, all of which comprise an infant and junior closing with a replacement primary school opening in their place. These are set out, by year, in the following table:
| Number | |
Schools: Milton Keynes
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the funding required to provide the additional school places, whether through new school provision or extension of existing schools, identified as necessary by Milton Keynes council to meet the current and future needs of the local population. [176846]
Jim Knight: No estimate has been made by the Department of the capital funding required to provide the additional new places identified by Milton Keynes local authority to meet the current and future needs of the local population, because the detailed information required to make such calculations is held locally. It is for each local authority to prioritise total capital allocations from the Department, and other capital resources available locally, between new pupil places and existing schools. In addition to the capital allocations already made, the Basic Need Safety Valve is designed to help those few authorities where there is exceptional pupil growth for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11, and its allocation takes account of the cost of new pupil places.
So far as revenue funding through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is concerned, additional pupils in schools in Milton Keynes, as elsewhere, are counted in the January preceding the start of the financial year for which the allocation is made. Any revenue start up costs for new schools are met from each local authority's allocation of DSG.
Where an authority experiences an increase in pupil numbers between January and September in any year of more than 2.5 per cent. they will be eligible for exceptional circumstances grant, full details of which are available of the Department website at http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=11544 document 9, Paragraph 40.
Schools: Public Participation
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which interested parties are eligible to make proposals during the newly introduced competition consultation phase for all new schools. [176337]
Jim Knight:
Any person or body is free to bring forward proposals for a new school in response to a local authority's invitation to bid in a competition. We
would particularly welcome proposals from local parents' groups, other successful schools and universities, the charitable arms of businesses and other voluntary groups, or combinations of these drawing on the strengths of each. We would also welcome proposals from faith groups where there is demand from parents for a faith based education.
Schools: Standards
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools have been categorised as (a) requiring significant improvement and (b) being in special measures in each term since May 1997; and which schools in each local authority were in each category at the latest date for which figures are available. [172085]
Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HMCI Christine Gilbert will write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Library of both Houses.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 17 December 2007:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, for a response.
Table A below shows the number of schools that have been placed in special measures during each term from autumn 1997 to the end of summer term 2007. Table B lists the schools which are considered to require significant improvement (see explanation below). The numbers shown are for schools going into the categories each term, rather than a running total of those in the categories at any given time. The data provided runs from the autumn term rather than May 1997, because data that is collated by Ofsted is in full terms and complete academic years.
Please note that in September 2005, the inspection cycle was changed to three years and a new category of ‘Notice to improve’ was introduced, covering all schools considered to require significant improvement. These are schools which are performing significantly less well than they might reasonably be expected to given their circumstances. A school which is currently failing to provide an acceptable standard of education, but has the capacity to improve, will also be in this category.
Prior to September 2005 there were three categories of schools requiring significant improvement: ‘Serious Weaknesses’, ‘Underachieving’ and ‘Inadequate Sixth Forms’. These categories are similar, although not identical, to the ‘Notice to Improve’ category insofar as they encompass all aspects of inadequacy not covered by ‘Special Measures’. All schools in these categories have since been re-inspected under the revised Section 5 inspections framework.
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