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24 Apr 2008 : Column 2223W—continued
Parents: Advisory Services
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many calls there have been to the Parent Know How helpline in each month since it was established; what the cost of the helpline has been; and if he will make a statement. [200985]
Kevin Brennan:
The Parent Know How programme is funding seven third sector organisations to deliver helplines for parents. The funding for these helplines commenced on 1 April 2008. Management data,
including the number of calls to the helplines, will be collected quarterly and the first report is due in July. The third sector organisations are funded by grants to deliver the helpline services. The total cost in 2008-09 is £3.4 million.
Pre-School Education
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with representatives of the (a) Steiner and (b) Waldorf Foundation on the early years framework. [199479]
Beverley Hughes: Officials in the Department have met representatives of the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship on a number of occasions following the development of the Early Years Foundation Stage, and the Department has had regular informal contact.
As my hon. Friend knows, the Early Years Foundation Stage is designed as a flexible, play-based framework for early learning and care from birth to five. It contains developmental milestones which many, but not all, children can reach by the age of five, but the pace and approach through which practitioners support children towards those milestones is left to their professional judgment.
I can reassure my hon. Friend that practitioners of Steiner Waldorf educational philosophy will be able to work within the Early Years Foundation Stage without compromising their educational principles, and that no school or setting would be penalised by Ofsted simply for following any particular philosophy.
Pupil Exclusions: Deviance and Behaviour Disorders
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties were given a fixed period exclusion in each year for which figures are available; [200321]
(2) how many pupils entitled to free school meals were given a (a) fixed period and (b) permanent exclusion in each year for which figures are available. [200320]
Kevin Brennan: The requested information could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what research he has commissioned on the impact of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 on the number of under 16 year olds in employment; and if he will make a statement; [200609]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of (a) teachers and (b) non-teachers who will be required to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority when that agency comes into operation in October 2009; [200610]
(3) what the (a) estimated costs and (b) regulatory impact will be of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 on (i) businesses and (ii) work experience opportunities for teenagers. [200611]
Kevin Brennan: The impact on businesses was considered in the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 which was updated June 2006, It found that costs for employers, some of whom already vet staff caring for children, will be offset by savings—for example on repeat work, since the new Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) registration will be portable from job to job—as well as by reduced risk of unsuitable employees. This should encourage employers to continue part-time opportunities for under-16s, including work experience. In addition, most employees that young people come into contact with during their employment will not be required to register with the ISA. This is because looking after, training, supervising etc. the young person during the course of their employment is not a part of those employees’ jobs.
It is envisaged that some 11,3 million people will be required to register with the ISA, mostly due to work which under the Act will be “Regulated Activity” with children or vulnerable adults; 525.6 thousand of these are teachers including occasional and supply teachers in England and Wales (January 2007 statistics).
Earlier this year the Department concluded a consultation on many aspects of the scheme including issues for business and work experience; We have received useful feedback from stakeholders including the British Retail Consortium and work experience providers on how far regulated activity should cover contact with under 16-year-olds in employment and on work experience. Risk can never be eliminated from our lives, but young people must be introduced to it in a measured way. We remain of the view that part-time work is potentially beneficial for under 16s. It introduces them to the world of work and can develop self-confidence, communication and organisational skills, familiarity with money and dealing with other people. We shall publish the outcome of the consultation in due course.
It is not our intention to make any work a regulated activity unnecessarily and we will continue to work with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and with stakeholders to help inform regulations and prepare for implementation of the Act.
Schools
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many notifications have been sent out by his Department to the Schools Inspectorate under automatic transfer arrangements in relation to (a) independent and (b) maintained schools since April 2005. [201313]
Kevin Brennan: The Department has referred 73 notifications to the Schools Inspectorate since April 2005 relating to individuals who resigned or were dismissed from independent schools because they were considered unsuitable to work with children. In the case of maintained schools, Ofsted can approach the local authority concerned in respect of notifications from its schools.
Under the new vetting and barring scheme a supervisory authority such as Ofsted will be required to inform the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA)
if it has information that a person poses a risk of harm. In return, the ISA must inform them when it bars someone who is supervised or registered by them.
Schools: Sports
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary school children engaged in less than (i) two hours, (ii) three hours and (iii) four hours of physical education and sport each week (A) in each year since 1997 and (B) on the latest date for which figures are available. [200982]
Kevin Brennan: Data are not collected in the format requested. The annual PE and School Sport Survey was introduced In 2003/04 and collects data relating to participation in PE and School Sport.
Over the last four years, the percentage of pupils who did not take part in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport each week is as follows:
| Percentage | |||
| Primary | Secondary | Overall | |
Prior to 2003/04, no data were collected relating to the amount of time spent on PE and school sport.
Secondary Education: Absenteeism
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities have more than five per cent. of secondary school pupils as persistent absentees; how many and what proportion of pupils are persistent absentees in each case; and if he will make a statement. [200988]
Kevin Brennan: Information on the number of persistent absentees and the percentage of enrolments who are persistent absentees for each local authority has been placed in the Library.
Teachers: Pay
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average salary of (a) new entrants, (b) classroom teachers, (c) deputy heads and (d) heads in (i) the primary sector and (ii) the secondary sector was in each year since 1997. [199478]
Jim Knight: The following table provides the average salary of full-time regular new entrants, classroom teachers, deputy heads and heads in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in England and Wales, in March each year, 1997 to 2006.
| Average salary of full-time regular new entrants, classroom teachers, deputy heads and heads in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in England and Wales, in each March 1997 to 2006 | ||||||||
| Nursery/primary | Secondary | |||||||
| New entrants( 1) | Classroom teachers( 2) | Deputy heads( 3) | Heads | New entrants( 1) | Classroom teachers( 2) | Deputy heads( 3) | Heads | |
| (1) New entrants includes teachers who gained qualified teacher status in the previous calendar year through college based routes, (excluding those qualified through employment based routes). (2) Includes teachers on the classroom, upper and advanced skills pay scales. (3) Includes assistant heads from 2001. (4) Provisional. Source: Database of Teacher Records | ||||||||
Youth Services: Finance
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding has been allocated by his Department to improve youth facilities in each year from 2008-09 to 2011-12; what projects will be funded; and if he will make a statement. [201074]
Beverley Hughes: The Department has committed new investment of £190 million over the next three years to deliver world class facilities through the “myplace programme” delivered by the Big Lottery Fund. The allocation in each of these years is: £45.4 million in 2008-09; £114.6 million in 2009-10; and £30 million in 2010-11.
DCSF is also continuing baseline funding of £26.5 million per annum over the next three years via local authorities for the Youth Capital Fund (YCF). We set out in the Youth Task Force Action Plan a further £22.6 million in 2008-09 to enhance this fund to benefit young people in the most deprived neighbourhoods and estates.
Our vision is that DGSF capital investment drives a system wide transformation in the way places for young people to go are planned and delivered; particularly in the role and influence of young people and the level of genuine cross sector partnership working.
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