| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
28 Apr 2008 : Column 212W—continued
History: General Certificate of Secondary Education
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of Key Stage 4 pupils took a GCSE course in history in each year from 1988 to 2007. [201140]
Jim Knight: Figures relating to pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 are only readily available for the past three years:
| Percentage of pupils at the end of the Key Stage 4 who attempted GCSE History | |
Figures relating to 15-year-old pupils (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August) going back to 1993/94 are given as follows:
| Percentage of 15-year-old pupils who attempted GCSE History | |
Information for earlier years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Languages: Education
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children aged (a) under 11, (b) between 11 and 16 and (c) between 17 and 18 years studied a foreign language in each of the last five years. [202230]
Jim Knight: Information on the subjects studied by children at schools is not held centrally by the Department. We can, however, provide figures for children attempting foreign language qualifications at GCSE and A-level. Information on the learning aims of post-16 learners is available from the School Census and the Individual Learner Record from colleges but can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The following table shows the number of attempts in GCSEs in modern foreign languages for the past five years.
| Pupils attempting GCSEs in modern foreign languages | |
| Number (Thousand) | |
| Note: From 2005, figures are based on pupils at the end of key stage 4; prior to 2005, figures are based on 15-year-old pupils (age at start of school year). | |
Figures for attempts and achievements in GCE A level qualifications can be found in table 11 of SFR02/2008 "DCSF: GCE/VCE A/AS and Equivalent Examination Results in England, 2006/07 (Revised)" which is available via the following link:
Copies of this publication have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Languages: GCE A-Level
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of those taking an A-level in a modern language were pupils in state-funded schools in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [201203]
Jim Knight: The percentage of GCE A-level modern foreign language entries that were taken by pupils in maintained schools and colleges in each year since 1997 is given as follows:
The figures relate to 16 to 18-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August).
Languages: Teachers
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what minimum level of foreign language qualification is required for a teacher to teach foreign languages to (a) GCSE and (b) A-level. [201107]
Jim Knight: The Standards for trainee teachers do not set a minimum level of foreign language qualification for a teacher to teach foreign languages to GCSE or A-level. In order to take up employment as a teacher, a trainee should have successfully completed a course of initial teacher training, met all of the standards required of a skilled teacher, including passing the professional skills tests in numeracy, literacy and information and communications technology and been awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
All qualified teachers in England must have a first degree or equivalent qualification but this does not have to be in a specified subject or discipline. The Standards include a requirement that trainees have a secure knowledge and understanding of their subjects to enable them to teach effectively across the age and ability range for which they are trained. Trainees are required to meet all of the Standards, including the subject expectations, before QTS can be awarded.
Pre-School Education: Finance
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent in developing the early years foundation stage profile. [201671]
Jim Knight: £1,349,495 has been spent by the Qualifications Curriculum Authority (QCA) on the development and running of the foundation stage profile (FSP) from 2001—April 2008. The FSP will become the early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP) from September 2008 and the total anticipated expenditure for developing materials in this financial year is £368,237.
Primary Education
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects to publish the
Rose review of the primary curriculum; and if he will make a statement. [201063]
Jim Knight: We have asked Sir Jim Rose to provide an interim report of his review of the primary curriculum by the end of October 2008 and to provide his final advice and recommendations by the end of March 2009.
Pupil Referral Units
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils have been educated for longer than three years in a pupil referral unit. [200327]
Jim Knight: The requested information is not collected centrally.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the suitability of facilities at pupil referral units; and if he will make a statement. [201097]
Kevin Brennan: We expect local authorities to provide a good standard of facilities for pupils educated in pupil referral units. We issued guidance on suitable learning environments for pupil referral units in February 2007 in response to Ofsted concerns that many pupil referral units have poor accommodation. We are currently working on implementing commitments set out in the Children’s Plan to improve the quality of pupil referral units and other alternative provision.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were educated in pupil referral units in each year since 1996-97. [201135]
Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the following link
to Statistical First Release "Schools and Pupils in England: January 2007 (Final)". Table 1 gives the information requested. Copies of this publication have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were being educated in pupil referral units in each local authority area in England in the latest period for which figures are available. [201683]
Jim Knight: The latest available information relates to 2007 and is published in the Statistical First Release ‘Schools and Pupils in England’ which is available at:
The headcount of pupils in pupil referral units in each local authority is in table 12 and the full time equivalent number of pupils in each local authority is in table 13.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the ratio of all pupils to pupil referral units is in each local authority. [201857]
Jim Knight: The Department does not calculate a ratio for the number of all pupils in a local authority to the number of pupil referral units.
The latest available information on the number of pupil referral units and the number of pupils relates to 2007 and is published in the Statistical First Release “Schools and Pupils in England” which is available at:
The headcount of pupils by type of school in each local authority is available in table 12 and the full-time equivalent number of pupils is in table 13. The number of pupil referral units in each local authority can be found in table 11.
Pupil Referral Units: Arrests
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in pupil referral units were arrested in each of the last 10 years. [201854]
Jim Knight: The requested information is not collected centrally.
Pupils: Absenteeism
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many fixed penalty notices have been issued in each local authority in relation to condoned absenteeism of pupils in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement. [201040]
Kevin Brennan: The Department began collecting data in September 2004 on the number of penalty notices issued by local authorities to parents in respect of the offence of failing to ensure their children’s regular school attendance. Between 1 September 2004 to 31 December 2007, the data on the number of penalty notices issued by each local authority in England are available at:
Pupils: Disadvantaged
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals in (a) all secondary schools, (b) the top performing 100 secondary schools and (c) the bottom performing 100 secondary schools. [201053]
Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the following link:
to Statistical First Release "Schools and Pupils in England: January 2007 (Final)" where table 3 contains the information requested for all secondary schools. Copies of this publication have been placed in the Libraries of the House. School level performance
information showing free school meal eligibility has also been placed in the House Library. Further information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in which schools more than 50 per cent. of pupils were entitled to free school meals in the latest period for which figures are available. [201139]
Jim Knight: The requested information has been placed in the House Library.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |