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10 Mar 2008 : Column 192W—continued
Secondary Education: Admissions
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils (a) in total and (b) entitled to free school meals did not gain a place at their first preference secondary school in each of the last three years, broken down by ethnicity. [192627]
Jim Knight: The Department is collecting secondary school preference data from local authorities for the first time this year, which will include the number of families obtaining an offer at their first, second, third or lower preference school in each authority area. The data provided by local authorities will not include information on children's eligibility for free school meals or their ethnicity. The data will be published on 11 March 2008 on the DCSF Research Gateway at:
Special Educational Needs
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what guidance his Department gives to education authorities on the rights of parents of children with a statement of special educational needs to name a school for their children; and if he will make a statement; [192686]
(2) what guidance his Department gives to education authorities on the rights of parents of children with special educational needs to have an assessment and full statement of their children's needs; and if he will make a statement; [192687]
(3) what rights parents of children with special educational needs have to assistance in obtaining an independent assessment of their children's needs when in dispute with their education authority; and if he will make a statement. [192688]
Kevin Brennan: The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice is statutory guidance to which local authorities and others must have regard. It sets out parents' right under the Education Act 1996 to request an assessment of their children’s special educational needs (SEN) and local authorities’ duties, where necessary, to assess and to draw up SEN statements. The code includes guidance, and the regulations, setting out the form the statement must take. It advises local authorities of their duty to send parents draft statements with the name of the school left blank and invite the parents to request a maintained mainstream or special school or to make representations for a non-maintained school. The code makes clear that where parents request a maintained school the local authority must name that school on the final statement unless the school is unsuitable for the child's age, ability, aptitude or SEN or naming the school would be incompatible with the efficient education of other children there or the efficient use of resources, A maintained school named on a final statement must admit the child.
Parents have the right to obtain an independent assessment of their child's SEN if they are in dispute with their local authority. If parents include the report of such an assessment in the advice they give to the local authority as part of the statutory assessment process then the local authority must take it into account when deciding whether to draw up a statement. If the parents appeal to the SEN and Disability Tribunal and include the report of the independent assessment in their statement of case then the tribunal panel must take it into account when considering the appeal.
Teachers
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many graduates educated at (a) Oxford or Cambridge University and (b) a Russell Group University entered teaching in each year since 1997. [191497]
Jim Knight: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the amount of time teachers spend preparing for lessons each week. [192145]
Jim Knight: The latest estimates of the amount of time spent per week by classroom teachers on planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) activities and, in particular, time spent on planning/preparing lessons are given in the following table.
Teachers: Crimes of Violence
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers were physically assaulted by (a) pupils, (b) parents and (c) other persons in each of the last five years, broken down by local education authority. [192146]
Jim Knight: Data are not collected centrally on the number of teachers who have been subject to physical assault.
The Department does collect information on the number of exclusions from schools which occur following assault on an adult; this was collected for the first time for 2004/05. Information on the number of permanent and fixed period exclusions due to assault against an adult, broken down by local education authority, and covering primary and secondary and special schools for 2004/05 has been placed in the House of Commons Library. In 2005/06 information is available for secondary schools only; this has also been placed in the Library.
Teachers: Disciplinary Proceedings
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers were (a) suspended and (b) suspended and reinstated in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [191302]
Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Teachers: Early Retirement
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers took early retirement from posts in schools in Eastbourne constituency in each of the last 10 years. [192122]
Jim Knight: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Teachers: Ex-servicemen
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will consider introducing specific measures to attract veterans leaving the armed forces into a career in teaching. [191333]
Jim Knight: We are already working on a number of measures to encourage service leavers to enter a teaching career.
We have been working with the Ministry of Defence on ways to encourage more service leavers to take up a career in secondary level specialist teaching in science, mathematics and ICT subjects. In addition to promoting existing opportunities for individuals to consider teaching through the MOD’s Career Transition Partnership, we have also announced our intention to establish a new programme called Transition to Teaching in the Children’s Plan. This will be a collaboration between employers and the Training and Development Agency for Schools to encourage people who are leaving employment, including service leavers, in scientific, technological or mathematical fields to consider training to become teachers of mathematics, science or ICT.
In addition, we are currently investigating possible ways of helping service leavers without degrees to gain degrees while they train to become teachers. Proposals are currently at a very early stage and we will announce further details as soon as we are in a position to do so.
Teachers: Misconduct
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers were accused of misconduct by (a) pupils and (b) parents in each year since 2002. [191295]
Kevin Brennan: The Department does not collect data on the number of teachers accused of misconduct by pupils and parents.
Teachers: Qualifications
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers without qualified teacher status were teaching in schools in each year since 1997. [191305]
Jim Knight: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of regular teachers without qualified teacher status (QTS) employed in local authority maintained schools in England in each January, 1997 to 2007.
Full-time equivalent teachers without qualified teacher status (QTS) in service in the local authority maintained sector in England: January of each year.
Teachers: Sick Leave
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers took time off work for depression or stress-related illnesses in each of the last 10 years; how much time was taken off; and if he will make a statement. [192144]
Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Teaching Methods
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when small group tuition will be available across England. [180465]
Jim Knight: The Government are committed to every child having access to personalised learning support, which could include small group tuition, to ensure that every child achieves their potential. As part of personalising learning for children and young people, the Government are encouraging schools to consider the opportunities for children beyond the school day, and in particular through extended schools. The extended school core offer includes a varied menu of activities for children and young people, with study support as part of this. The Government have committed over £13 billion over the next three years to support the development of extended schools, and included in this is funding to support small group academic focused study support in some secondary schools, with funding for this becoming available in 2009/10.
In addition, the Every Child a Reader programme is providing support to six to seven-year-olds who are struggling to learn to read. An expert literacy intervention teacher will be trained in every school that is part of this programme. Their first task will be to provide one to one support to children with the greatest difficulties in learning to read. They will also give small group tuition to children with less severe reading difficulties.
Trust Schools
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools became trust schools in each year for which the data are available. [192393]
Jim Knight: 30 schools became trust schools in September 2007—the first to acquire trust schools status. As of 29 February 2008, 37 trust schools were operational.
The regulations of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 governing trust schools came into force in May 2007 and according to our records there were no trust schools set up under that legislation before August 2007.
Work Experience
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is towards supporting summer internships by (a) school children and (b) school leavers. [181034]
Beverley Hughes: The Government do not have a specific policy about summer internships by school children, or school leavers. There is, however, a statutory requirement for schools to provide work-related learning for 14 to 16-year-olds. From September 2008 we are also introducing new Diplomas for 14-19s which cover a wide range of business sectors. Work-related learning includes work experience placements which can be organised flexibly and which prepare young people for adult and working life. Additionally, many young people have access to summer schools as part of the Aimhigher and City Challenge programmes.
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