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21 Apr 2008 : Column 1548W—continued
General Certificate of Secondary Education: Sunderland
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government have taken to increase the number of young people in Sunderland achieving five A* to C grades at GCSE in the last three years. [198484]
Jim Knight: The following table shows the performance of Sunderland secondary schools, compared with figures for England since 1997 and in the last three years.
| 1997 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |||||
| Percentage 5 A*-C | Percentage 5 A*-C incl. English and maths | Percentage 5 A*-C | Percentage 5 A*-C incl. English and maths | Percentage 5 A*-C | Percentage 5 A*-C incl. English and maths | Percentage 5 A*-C | Percentage 5 A*-C incl. English and maths | |
The general rise in secondary standards nationally and in Sunderland since 1997 may be attributed to improvements in teaching and learning, better school leadership, targeted intervention to tackle school failure, better use of pupil performance data and the ambitious targets that schools and local authorities have set for their pupils. Challenge and support through the National Secondary Strategy has also helped to raise standards in the last three years.
As part of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget for 2008, the Government have now committed a new £200 million package, over the next three years, for a National Challenge to raise standards in secondary schools, with particular focus on schools where fewer than 30 per cent. of pupils achieve five or more good GCSEs including English and mathematics. The National Challenge programme will provide intensive support for the most vulnerable secondary schools, and will empower many head teachers of strong schools to help turn around other schools that are unable to raise low attainment. The programme will help to create new trusts and federations based on successful schools, and, in areas of greatest need, drive forward a faster expansion of the academies programme.
Government Offices for the Regions
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which of his Department's programme budgets were administered by the Government offices for the regions in each of the last five years. [195175]
Kevin Brennan [holding answer 18 March 2008]: The following grants have been made by this Department, via local government offices, over the last five years.
Grants paid via Regional Local Government Offices (2003-04 to 2007-08)
Connexions grant
Positive Activities for Young People
Millennium Volunteers
Transforming Youth Work Development Fund/ Transforming Youth Work Performance
Improvement Fund
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Act (revenue)(1)
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Act (capital)(1)
Youth Opportunity Fund
Youth Capital Fund
Children's Fund (including Partnership Networking Fund)
Teenage Pregnancy
ASPIRE(2)
Children's Trust Migration Pilots(2)
Children not in Education, Employment or Training Demonstrator Pilots(2)
Attainment at 19
Local Delivery
Community Champions
Government Office Network
Government Office Support
Young London Matters
Sustainable Schools
Quality Protects
Education Protects
Children Centres
(1) Budget funded improvements in Disabled Access to Youth Service premises
(2) Budgets only allocated to a limited number of Government Office's
Hearing-Impaired People
Mr. Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what provision is made for deaf people to access services provided by his Department through call centres. [194951]
Kevin Brennan: The Department for Children, Schools and Families operates a telephone inquiry service that offers a textphone/minicom service for deaf people. We also accept inquiries by email, fax and letter. The DCSF periodically contracts with suppliers to provide telephone helpline services for the public, usually in support of information campaigns; in such instances our contract stipulates that a textphone service should be provided.
JPMorgan
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department and its predecessors paid to JPMorgan in each year since 1997; and what the purpose of the payment was in each case. [199590]
Ed Balls: I can confirm that the Department for Children, Schools and Families and its predecessor the Department for Education and Skills have no record of any payments to a supplier JPMorgan during the last nine years. The Department does not hold data prior to financial year 1999-2000.
Ministers: Correspondence
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 31 March 2008, Official Report, column 892W, on Ministers: Correspondence, if he will publish the regular emails sent to local authorities by his Department in each week since 18 December 2007, including the bespoke emails containing an item of significant importance; and if he will make a statement. [199521]
Jim Knight: Past versions of the weekly departmental email to local authority (LA) directors of children's services and chief executives (the ‘LA email’) and the ‘bespoke’ emails (the ‘red LA email’) can be viewed via the Department's LA website. These are stored in the ‘News and Communications’ section of the LA website at
Copies of all LA emails and LA red emails sent by the Department between 18 December 2007 and 3 April 2008 have been placed in the Libraries of the House. Annex A outlines ministerial letters included in LA emails over this period for ease of reference. The LA emails generally contain policy briefings and guidance to help local authorities deliver children's services in line with their statutory responsibilities. In response to our recent survey the local authority audience overwhelmingly confirmed its appreciation for this briefing channel.
Ministerial letters included in LA Emails 18 Dec 2007 to 3 April 2008
Lead Member letter on Care Proceedings Programme: The DGSF, Ministry of Justice and Welsh Assembly Ministers have written jointly to all Lead Members for Children's Services, drawing their attention to ongoing work to reduce delay in care proceedings (brought by LAs under the Children Act 1989).
Jim Knight letter on school admissions code.
Announcement of short breaks pathfinder areas: letter from Ministers, Andrew Adonis and Ivan Lewis.
Rural School Closures: letter from Schools Minister, Jim Knight.
Review of formula for distributing Dedicated Schools Grant: Jim Knight has launched the review of the formula for distributing the Dedicated Schools Grant from 2011-12 through a statement to Parliament.
Call for Evidence—Youth Sector Support Arrangements: Minister Beverley Hughes officially launched a “call for evidence” to gather information; advice and views on the current youth sector support arrangements.
Raising Standards—Improving Outcomes: joint ministerial letter highlights the importance of local authorities, Jobcentre Plus, Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities developing ever stronger and more effective local partnerships, to meet the individual needs of young children and their parents.
Ministerial letter regarding biennial overview reports Serious Case Reviews: Kevin Brennan MP has written to all Directors of Children's Services in England and to Chairs of Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) to emphasise the importance of acting on the findings of two research reports published on 31 January 2008.
Improving School Attendance—letter from Kevin Brennan.
10 March 2008 ( r ed LA e mail)
Compliance with the statutory school admissions framework; The letter from Jim Knight outlines issues that have arisen due to non-compliance with the statutory schools admissions framework.
14-19 Diploma Gateway 2—Jim Knight, Minister for Schools and Learners, announced the outcome of the Diploma Gateway 2 on 19 March.
Myplace—major new investment in places for young people to go: the letter from Beverley Hughes announces the launch of myplace.
Funding of entry training for educational psychologists. This letter from Lord Adonis to DCSs and chief executives.
Day One Provision for excluded pupils: letter from Kevin Brennan.
Expansion of positive activities for young people: Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children, Young People and Families is writing to Directors of Children's Services regarding how local authorities (LAs) can work towards meeting some of their key objectives by implementing the commitment in Aiming High for Young People, to expand the provision of targeted youth activity programmes.
National Foundation for Educational Research: Publications
Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps (a) Ofsted and (b) the Training and Development Agency for Schools have taken in response to the recommendations of the National Foundation for Educational Research report “Vision versus pragmatism”. [197557]
Jim Knight: These are matters for Ofsted and the Training and Development Agency for Schools. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library. A response from the Training and Development Agency for Schools will be sent to the hon. Member and placed in the Library in due course.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 31 March 2008:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, for a response.
You asked what steps Ofsted has taken in response to the recommendations of the National Foundation for Educational Research report ‘Vision versus pragmatism’. The question has also been passed to the Training and Development Agency for Schools so that they may reply separately.
The NFER report ‘Vision versus pragmatism’ is the fifth annual report in a longitudinal research study. In summary, it recommends that Ofsted:
take a broader view of citizenship to include whole-school and the wider community
ensure that schools are fully aware of the guidance on citizenship in section 5 inspections and ensure that statutory requirements are met
draw more attention to the place of citizenship in school self-evaluation and Joint Area Reviews
continue to consult with children and young people to strengthen the student voice
give more focus to issues of continuity and progression in citizenship.
Ofsted already takes a broad view of citizenship. Inspectors evaluate the quality of personal development and well-being which includes school, local, and global dimensions. Additionally, schools now have a statutory duty to promote community cohesion, which came into effect on 1 September 2007. From 1 September 2008, Ofsted has a duty, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005, to report on the contribution made by schools to community cohesion. We are currently trialling our proposed approach to inspecting this aspect.
When evaluating how well learners contribute to the community, inspectors are specifically asked to consider the development of learners’ understanding of citizenship (‘Using the evaluation schedule: Guidance for inspectors of schools’, September 2007). The self-evaluation form requires schools to assess their compliance with statutory requirements. During inspection, aspects of citizenship are evaluated when inspectors judge the quality of the curriculum. Any non-compliance with statutory requirements is brought to the school’s attention, and may be a key issue for improvement.
Discussion with children and young people is an integral part of all inspections and their views are fully taken into account. The annual TellUs3 survey in 2008 asks children and young people for their views on their satisfaction with local services. It specifically asks them about outcomes relating to Every Child Matters, one aspect of which is their contribution to the community. The results of the survey are considered by inspectors undertaking Annual Performance Assessments and Joint Area Reviews. In 2007 over 100,000 children and young people responded to the TellUs2 survey. The Joint Annual Review programme comes to an end in 2008 and will be replaced by the Comprehensive Areas Assessment process from 2009.
Ofsted’s subject survey programme provides for the inspection of citizenship in a sample of schools and inspectors seek evidence of standards and progress. This year the survey includes a small sample of primary schools to provide evidence of the extent to which schools are following the non-statutory guidance and the resulting standards.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Children, Schools and Families and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Physical Education
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2008, Official Report, columns 109-10W, on Physical Education: Standards, if he will provide a breakdown of the average time spent by school children on sport by school year group; [198329]
(2) how many and what percentage of children in each school year group participated in at least two hours of high-quality physical education during (a) curriculum time and (b) curriculum time plus out of hours school sports in (i) mixed schools, (ii) all-boys schools and (iii) all-girls schools in each of the last 10 years; [198380]
(3) how many and what percentage of (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools did not provide at least two hours of high-quality physical education during curriculum time in the most recent period for which figures are available. [198379]
Kevin Brennan: The annual PE and School Sport Survey asks questions about pupil participation in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport and the total number of minutes spent by all pupils on curriculum PE each week. Data are not collected on time spent participating in sport. The 2006-07 survey found:
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