| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
31 Mar 2008 : Column 679W—continued
We do not collect information about the numbers of looked after children who achieve A*-C GCSE grades in English or mathematics separately. However, these data are available at a local level enabling local authorities to set targets for the attainment of looked after children at key stage 4 which include English and mathematics. These targets are negotiated with the National Strategies and Government offices and form a statutory part of a local authority’s local area agreement.
At national level the DCSF is matching data on looked after children to the National Pupil Database (NPD) which provides a wide range of data on the
educational attainment of children and young people. From 2009 an initial analysis of looked after children to attainment data along with a range of other data will be available, including English and mathematics at GCSE.
Not enough progress has been made on improving the educational achievement of looked after children (LAC). They often face a wide range of barriers to learning that most children do not experience. However, we are determined to do more and improving the education of LAC is a top priority. It is key to improving their life chances and a successful transition to adulthood.
We have set out our intentions in ‘Care Matters: Time for change’ and the implementation plan ‘Care Matters: Time to deliver for children in care’ published by the Government with the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Children's Services, on 26 March 2008.
Children: Armed Forces
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what data his Department holds on the comparative academic performance of children from armed forces families and civilian families. [195291]
Jim Knight: Information on academic performance of children from armed forces families is not yet available.
Children: Day Care
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of (a) childcarers in daycare settings and (b) childminders in (i) Basingstoke constituency, (ii) Hampshire and (ii) England were male in each year since 1997. [197482]
Beverley Hughes: The 2006 Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey estimated that the average proportion of male staff working in full day care settings in England was 2 per cent. In total, there were 2,500 male staff working in full day care settings in England. In 2006, 2 per cent. of childminders working in England were male, approximately 1,200 individuals. Data for each year available are shown in the following table.
| Table: Ma le staff working in full day care settings or as childminders in England | ||||
| Full day care | Childminders | |||
| Average proportion of male staff per setting ( percentage ) | Total number of male staff | Proportion of childminders ( percentage ) | Total number of male childminders | |
| Note: Different definitions of childcare providers were used in the 1998 survey; it is not possible to provide comparable figures on full day care staff for this year. | ||||
Data are not available at a local authority level.
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many and what proportion of (a) male and (b) female childminders were classified as from socio-economic backgrounds (i) 1 to 3 and (ii) 4 to 8 in each year since 1997; [197483]
(2) how many and what proportion of (a) male and (b) female childcarers who work in daycare settings were classified as from socio-economic background (i) 1 to 3 and (ii) 4 to 8 in each year since 1997. [197486]
Beverley Hughes: The Childcare and Early Years Providers survey collects information on the key characteristics of child care and early years provision and the workforce in the different types of settings. However, the socio-economic classification of child minders and carers working in day care settings is not asked in this survey, and is not collected centrally.
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many and what proportion of (a) male and (b) female childminders were (i) white and (ii) black and minority ethnic persons in each year since 1997; [197484]
(2) how many and what proportion of (a) male and (b) female childcarers in daycare settings were (i) white and (ii) black and minority ethnic persons in each year since 1997. [197485]
Beverley Hughes: The 2006 Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey estimated that 6 per cent. of childminders working in England were from a black and minority ethnic (BME) background, a total of 3,000 individuals. The average proportion of staff from a BME background working in full day care settings in England was 9 per cent. In total, there were 13,000 BME staff working in full day care settings in England.
Data for each year available are shown in the following table.
Data on the ethnicity of male and female childminders and full day care staff are not available.
Children: Protection
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to review the work of local Safeguarding Children's boards; and if he will make a statement. [186757]
Kevin Brennan: The Department has already stated its intention to conduct a stocktake of LSGB progress later in 2008. That will allow us to take account of the findings of the joint Chief Inspectors' Report on Safeguarding Children, due in July 2008, alongside other evidence.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent representations he has received from (a) the Association of Police Authorities, (b) the Crown Prosecution Service, (c) the Local Government Association and (d) children’s charities on strengthening the law to protect children who have been groomed. [191441]
Kevin Brennan: I am not aware of any such recent representations.
Children: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children under the age of 16 years were diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) region and (b) type of infection. [195450]
Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
Information on the number of diagnoses of the five main sexually transmitted infections (gonorrhoea, chlamydia, syphilis, genital warts and anogenital herpes) in under 16-year-olds in the last five years by strategic health authority has been placed in the Library.
Citizenship: Curriculum
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Stafford on 23 October 2007, Official Report, column 213W, on the curriculum: citizenship, (1) how many one day regional training events (a) have taken place and (b) are planned to take place in 2008 in order to support the addition of the new strand to citizenship teaching; and how many citizenship teachers he estimates will attend these events; [197554]
(2) who has been appointed national subject lead for citizenship; and how this person plans to promote citizenship. [197550]
Jim Knight: Nine regional events (one per Government office region) have been delivered in 2008 in order to support citizenship teaching. 617 local authority representatives and subject leaders for citizenship attended these events. A follow up event is planned for June 2008, when around 50 subject leaders for citizenship are expected to attend.
A further 234 support opportunities will be delivered by regional subject advisors for citizenship to individual
schools or groups of schools, according to local need. We estimate that a minimum of 700 citizenship teachers and subject leaders will benefit from this support. Finally, on-line support materials are available to all citizenship teachers across the country.
The national subject lead for citizenship is Mr. Pete Pattisson. In order to promote citizenship, Mr. Pattisson has led on the development of the on-line support materials (including video case studies) and on the delivery of the nine regional events for citizenship teachers. Mr. Pattisson acts as the coordinator of the network of regional subject advisors for citizenship and provides a point of contact for all parties interested in the place of citizenship in the new curriculum.
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what plans he has to improve the coverage of citizenship in schools, with particular reference to the coverage of political literacy, as referred to in the National Foundation for Educational Research report Vision versus pragmatism; [197559]
(2) how many teachers teach citizenship in secondary schools; and how many of these are specialists in the subject; [197555]
(3) with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Kidney) on 23 October 2007, Official Report, column 213W, on the curriculum: citizenship, what steps he plans to take to raise the status of citizenship with head teachers; [197549]
(4) how many schools deliver citizenship courses through discrete classes. [197558]
Jim Knight: We are committed to improving the coverage of citizenship education and the quality of citizenship teaching within the school curriculum. Citizenship has been a statutory national curriculum subject since 2002. The recent review of secondary education provided an opportunity to look at the clarity of teaching requirements for this subject alongside all the other subjects in the national curriculum. The new secondary curriculum for citizenship was published in August 2007 for first teaching from September 2008. We are developing a new, full GCSE and A-level in citizenship studies, in response to demand.
The 2002 Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey (SSCSS) estimated that there were around 9,000 teachers of citizenship in maintained secondary schools, with 6 per cent. of them holding a post A-level qualification in the subject.
Over 200 new specialist citizenship teachers are trained every year through initial teacher training courses (PGCEs) to teach in secondary schools. A programme of continuing professional development (CPD) was launched in 2006, in collaboration with higher education institutions across the country. The five-day course is free for teachers to access. It requires teachers to meet high standards for teaching citizenship in schools, with a particular focus on imparting knowledge and understanding of the subject area. We have made available 600 places a year in 2007-08. We have also funded the Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT), established in 2003, which provides a focus for professional development among teachers and advice, training and support for schools.
Citizenship education makes an important contribution to developing young people’s political literacy. It enables
them to improve their understanding and develop skills of democratic participation while helping them to appreciate that they have a stake in society. Young people are taught about democratic institutions, processes and the importance of voting. We are keen to encourage active learning so that young people start early to experience democracy in action. We are also working with the Royal Geographical Society and the Historical Association to develop resources and support for schools for a new ‘Who Do We Think We Are?’ week in schools, which will provide a focus for activity around diversity and identify and offer schools the chance to explore these issues collectively.
DCSF guidance to schools on their new duty to promote to community cohesion (July 2007) highlights the importance of citizenship education and we have reinforced this message to heads through nine regional conferences and a resource pack for schools being produced in association with the Institute of Community Cohesion, due for publication in April. We will continue to look for ways to emphasise the importance of citizenship to school leaders.
Schools have developed various ways of delivering citizenship in the curriculum: as a discrete subject; within personal, social and health education (PSHE); as citizenship across the curriculum; and through days when the normal timetable is suspended. We do not collect data on how many schools deliver citizenship through discrete classes.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |