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19 Feb 2008 : Column 533W—continued
Schools: Finance
Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what factors determine the level of the dedicated schools grant per pupil in Plymouth is below the national average; and what the dedicated school grant per pupil is in (a) Plymouth and (b) England. [165585]
Jim Knight:
The distribution method for Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) starts from each authority’s budgeted spend for schools in 2005-06, which largely reflects the historical allocation of resources through the Schools Formula Spending Share (FSS) formula, which gave additional funding for additional educational needs, sparsity, and area costs. The DSG per pupil for Plymouth is below the national average because it attracts no
additional funding for area costs or sparsity, and its proportion of funding for additional educational needs at 11.6 per cent. is only slightly above the national average of 11.3 per cent. for 2006-07. The DSG guaranteed unit of funding per pupil for Plymouth will be £3,889 in 2008-09, rising to £4,198 in 2010-11. The England averages are £4,066 and £4,398.
Schools: Isle of Wight
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of surplus places there were in each of the last three years in (a) primary, (b) middle and (c) high schools on the Isle of Wight. [184673]
Jim Knight [holding answer 5 February 2008]: We do not collate figures for middle schools as they are deemed to be either primary or secondary schools. The percentage of surplus places in primary and secondary schools (including middle schools) on the Isle of Wight in each of the last three years is as follows:
| Percentage | ||
| Primary | Secondary | |
Schools: Offensive Weapons
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what powers teachers have to confiscate weapons on school premises; and if he will make a statement. [185189]
Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 29 January 2008, Official Report, column 275W.
Schools: Rural Areas
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether all proposals to close rural schools have to be called into the Secretary of State for decision. [184187]
Jim Knight: Local authorities are responsible for deciding proposals to close schools, including rural schools. Where there is an appeal against closure, the schools adjudicator makes the decision. Ministers do not have a role in this process. In coming to a decision local authorities and the adjudicator must have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State. Those who may appeal against a local authority decision are the local Church of England and Roman Catholic dioceses, the governors and trustees of a foundation or voluntary school proposed for closure, and the Learning and Skills Council where proposals relate to a secondary school.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many rural schools closed in each year between 1996 and 2007; and if he will make a statement. [185339]
Jim Knight: The Department has only maintained information on rural schools closures since 1998. The number of rural schools closed in each year between 1998 and 2007 is given in the following table.
| Year | Number of rural school closures |
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many surplus places there are in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools designated as rural schools. [185778]
Jim Knight: The most recent data available on the number of surplus school places relate to January 2007. In primary schools designated as rural there were 111,187 (14 per cent.) surplus places. Rural secondary schools are not designated but are identified as being in an area classified as rural by the Office of National Statistics. In rural secondary schools there were 33,326 (7 per cent.) surplus places.
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what rural (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have closed in Cornwall since 1997. [186622]
Jim Knight: The Department has only maintained information on rural school closures since 1998. Rural primary schools that have closed in Cornwall between 1998 and 2007 are listed in the table. There have been no rural secondary school closures since 1998.
| School name | Date of closure |
| (1)Two schools on two separate sites amalgamated and were replaced by a new school on a new site in the same area. | |
The table excludes amalgamations of infant and junior schools where the resulting primary school was located on the same site.
Schools: Science
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government has taken to improve science facilities in schools since 1997. [180068]
Jim Knight:
The Government have been and continue to be committed to improving science facilities in schools as part of their aim to transform all
school buildings. More than £31 billion has been invested in school buildings since 1997 including through Schools for the Future and Academies during which time 6,644 new or refurbished laboratories have been provided.
This year £6.7 billion of funding is available for investment in schools, and this will rise to £8.2 billion a year by 2010-11. Most of this can be invested in science facilities where this is the local priority.
This unprecedented level of investment is a marvellous opportunity to create science facilities that inspire learners and teachers alike. With this in mind my Department set up Project Faraday in 2006, developing exciting design ideas at 12 demonstration schools that can act as ‘exemplars’ for science provision, to inspire and inform local authorities and schools.
A book showing the exemplar designs will be published later this month. The first built project will be completed at the end of 2008.
Schools: Standards
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) under what circumstances an executive board will take over the management of a failing school, as outlined by the Prime Minister in his speech of 31 October 2007; [186472]
(2) what powers an executive board taking over management of a failing school will have to improve that school; [186473]
(3) who will sit on the executive boards proposed by the Prime Minister to take over failing schools. [186474]
Jim Knight: The Prime Minister's speech indicated that the use of interim executive boards (IEBs) may be one of several measures to help raise standards in low attaining secondary schools.
Local authorities have existing legal powers to apply to the Secretary of State for permission to replace the governing body of a school with an IEB when, after an Ofsted judgment, a school is in special measures, or requires significant improvement. The power may also be used when a school has received a valid Warning Notice under section 60 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006,
The Secretary of State also has reserve powers to replace the governing body of a school with an IEB when a school is in special measures or requires significant improvement.
The IEB is the governing body of the school for the time it is in office. It has all the powers and responsibilities of a governing body. The IEB's main functions are to secure a sound basis for future improvement in the school and promote high standards of educational achievement.
Members of an IEB are chosen on a case-by-case basis by the appropriate authority, that is, the local authority or the Secretary of State, depending on the origin of the intervention.
Since the introduction of the policy in 2002, IEBs have proved to be an effective way of improving the leadership of failing schools.
Schools: Vocational Guidance
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government plan to take to improve career advice services in schools. [180066]
Beverley Hughes: We are taking a range of measures to improve the quality of the careers advice received by young people in schools.
We are seeking to place a statutory duty on schools to deliver careers education impartially. This will be backed up by guidance to which schools will be required to have regard.
The Children's Plan announced several measures designed to improve the quality of careers provision in schools; for example, by promoting experiential learning and by providing materials to support more effective peer mentoring. It also announced pathfinder projects in primary schools designed to explore the benefits of early careers interventions in extending young people's horizons and raising aspirations.
And we are looking at ways of ensuring the delivery of high quality careers education within the new PSHE: Economic Well Being curriculum. This is expected to include the development of new curriculum guidance and the provision of high quality teaching materials for use in the classroom. We are also looking into new arrangements for the continuing professional development of the careers workforce.
Schools' careers support for young people is backed up by external, independent advice from the Connexions service. From April 2008 responsibility for Connexions will pass to local authorities which will enable them to make improved links with other services for young people. Local authorities will also be expected to have regard to recently published “Quality Standards” which
set out my Department’s expectations of the information, advice and guidance services that they will provide.
Science: General Certificate of Secondary Education
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to encourage students to choose single science GCSEs. [179586]
Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 21 January 2008, Official Report, columns 1737-38W.
Secondary Education
Mr. Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many of the (a) highest and (b) lowest performing 100 secondary schools, as listed in the Government’s achievement and attainment tables for 2007, had (i) fewer than 500 pupils, (ii) between 500 and 1,000 pupils and (iii) more than 1,000 pupils in that year. [185390]
Jim Knight: The information requested can be found in the House of Commons Library.
Secondary Education: Enfield
Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were on the roll (a) in each secondary school and (b) at special schools in Enfield in each of the last five years; and how many children in Enfield with special educational needs attended special schools outside Enfield in each year. [183718]
Jim Knight: The requested information is shown in the tables.
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