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15 May 2008 : Column 1787W—continued
Home Education
Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children have been removed from the school register for home schooling in England since 2004; and what research has been carried out by his Department on the reasons why parents choose to home school their children. [204942]
Jim Knight: The requested information on the numbers of children who have been removed from the school register for home education is not collected centrally. In 2006 we commissioned a feasibility study from York Consulting to assess the viability of determining the prevalence of home education and to give information on why parents elect to home educate. A copy of the study’s findings has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
Nurseries: Local Government Finance
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities in (a) the East Midlands and (b) England have notified to his Department the single funding formula they propose to use to deliver the provision of free places at private, voluntary and independent nurseries from 2010; and what mechanisms are in place to monitor the progress of local authorities in developing the funding formula. [205639]
Beverley Hughes: I would not yet expect any local authorities to have published details of their funding formula.
We made clear in guidance that local authorities should present the findings of the cost analysis to their Schools Forum and publish the findings on the local authority website. The guidance can be found at
We are running a pilot project to work with six local authorities as they develop their single funding formula, and sharing the learning with other local authorities in the form of guidance and update reports. We have already produced the first of our progress reports, with the next update due to follow at the end of this month. We hope to produce a guidance document at the end of the summer.
Pre-School Education
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what reasons parents will be permitted to exempt their children from the early years foundation stage; and what assessment he has made of the effects of such exemptions on the delivery of early years education. [205421]
Beverley Hughes: It is our intention to allow settings to grant exemptions from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) learning and development requirements to individual children, where parents can show that the requirements are in conflict with their religious or philosophical beliefs. We anticipate that such exemptions will be needed in only exceptional circumstances, given the breadth and flexibility within the EYFS requirements. It is already the case that good providers of early learning and child care will tailor their provision to suit each individual child that they work with, including taking into account the views of parents, and we expect that they will continue to do so when the EYFS comes into force.
Pre-School Education: Teachers
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of students studying for the early years professional status secured local authority funding for (a) one, (b) two and (c) three years at the outset of their training. [205422]
Beverley Hughes
[holding answer 13 May 2008]: We do not hold information on LA funding to Early Years Professionals that came through the Transformation Fund or now does from the Graduate Leader Fund.
Information on the Transformation Fund or Graduate Leader Fund may be available direct from local authorities or Government Offices.
Schools: Finance
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his latest estimate is of the average cost pressures for schools for (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement. [205312]
Jim Knight: The minimum funding guarantee for schools (MFG), which has been set at 2.1 per cent. for 2008 to 2011, is based on an assessment of average cost pressures schools will face from a range of pay and non-pay pressures at national level over the next three years. A spreadsheet detailing the estimated cost pressures and an explanatory note can be downloaded from the School Funding section of the TeacherNet website, on the ‘School Budget Setting 2008 to 2011’ page at the following web address:
| 2008-09 | 2009-10 | ||||||||
| High | Low | High | Low | High | Low | High | Low | ||
| Expenditure type | Percentage of total expenditure | Percentage pressure | Pressure on budget | Percentage pressure | Pressure on budget | Percentage pressure | Pressure on budget | Percentage pressure | Pressure on budget |
| 2010-11 | ||||
| High | Low | High | Low | |
| Expenditure type | Percentage pressure | Pressure on budget | Percentage pressure | Pressure on budget |
Schools: Governing Bodies
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to reform the school governors system. [205792]
Jim Knight: We set out our plans for making school governing bodies more effective in the Children’s Plan. We believe that smaller, more highly skilled governing bodies, alongside improved governor training will provide more effective governance for schools. As a first step, a stakeholder working group has been established to consider reforming governance in this way.
Specialised Diplomas: Work Experience
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether employees of businesses offering work experience to Diploma students will be required to undergo Criminal Records Bureau checks; and if he will make a statement. [202578]
Jim Knight: Whether a Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check is required of an employee of a business offering a work experience placement, either as part of current statutory work related learning at key stage 4 or as part of a diploma course from September 2008, depends on the nature of the placement, and an assessment of the risks involved. Risk assessments, and CRB checks where required, are frequently carried out by Education Business Partnerships on behalf of schools which have the duty to ensure this is done. There are no plans to carry out Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks on everyone a young person comes into contact with during a work experience placement including those which are part of diploma requirements. This is because looking after, training and supervising a young person during the course of their placement is not part of those employees' day to day role. CRB checks, where selectively required, have been carried out on employees of businesses offering work experience placement at KS4 for a number of years. The track record in respect of safeguarding young people during their work experience is first class, with no reported instances or difficulties.
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