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2 Jun 2008 : Column 548W—continued
Departmental Manpower
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) UK citizens born in the UK, (b) UK citizens born abroad and (c) foreign nationals were employed as staff by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years. [206542]
Kevin Brennan: The information about UK citizens born in the UK or abroad, and foreign nationals, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All potential new appointments to the Department for Children, Schools and Families are subject to nationality, passport, proof of identity and reference checks and clearance before contracts of employment are issued.
Departmental Pensions
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the effect on his Department's expenditure would be of increasing the employee contribution to each pension scheme for which his Department is responsible by one per cent.; and if he will make a statement. [200729]
Jim Knight: Increasing the employee contribution rate for the teachers’ pension scheme (TPS) would have no impact upon the Department's expenditure, as the cost would be borne by members of the scheme.
Departmental Vetting
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether (a) UK citizens born in the UK, (b) UK citizens born abroad and (c) foreign nationals recruited to his Department and its agencies are subject to (i) UK and (ii) overseas criminal record checks; and if he will make a statement. [206471]
Kevin Brennan: Since 2002, it has been my Department’s policy to complete enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks for all individuals (regardless of place of birth) who occupy certain ‘regulated’ posts as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. These posts involve direct contact with children or vulnerable adults. From 12 December 2007, following an amendment to the aforementioned Order, my Department has also completed enhanced checks for all individuals (again regardless of place of birth) who occupy posts with access to sensitive or personal information about children or vulnerable adults.
The Cabinet Office’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard Good Practice Guide indicates that in certain circumstances overseas checks may be required. My Department complies with this guidance and ensures that appropriate checks are carried out where a lack of UK residence requires it.
Ecology: Education
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of pupils studying for examinations in subjects relevant to the understanding of climate change. [206186]
Jim Knight: The Department has produced new resources over the last academic year to embed sustainability in the curriculum and encourage young people to learn about issues like climate change. As part of the Action Plan for Geography, teaching resources have been developed for the new secondary curriculum to be taught in schools from September 2008, and these include modules on climate change. Environmental interaction and sustainable development are key concepts in the new Key Stage 3 geography curriculum. Making the curriculum more relevant for pupils and reforming teaching and learning through the Action Plan for Geography are likely to have a positive impact on the numbers of pupils choosing to study for geography GCSE.
Issues affecting climate change are also covered in the secondary science curriculum. The Government are committed to increasing the number of young people studying for science qualifications and to help achieve this aim it has put in place a robust programme of work supported by £140 million investment over the next three years. This includes introducing a statutory entitlement for all students to study science courses leading to at least two GCSEs from September 2007; introducing a non- statutory entitlement from September 2008 for all pupils achieving level 6 at key
stage 3 to study triple science GCSE, supported by the triple science support programme now in place; providing additional incentives to recruit more high quality science graduates into teaching; improving the quality of teaching by making available good quality continuing professional development through the network of Science Learning Centres; and providing good quality advice to key stage 3 pupils about the wide range of careers available to those who study science. The Department has also just embarked on a national communications strategy aimed at informing pupils, parents and others of the exciting opportunities that are open to students when they study science.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of schools provide courses including teaching on (a) ecosystems, (b) microclimates, (c) renewable energy and (d) sustainability. [206188]
Jim Knight: All of these areas are covered by the statutory Key Stage 3 programme of study for geography, and renewable energy and sustainability are also covered in the Key Stage 3 and 4 programmes of study for science, so all schools should be teaching them.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent representations he has received on the efficacy of farm schools in educating children on environmental matters. [206192]
Jim Knight: The Department has not received any recent representations on the efficacy of farm schools in educating children in environmental matters. However, through the our Growing Schools programme, we work very closely with organisations that promote children's understanding of food and agriculture, and the environmental issues linked to them, either through visits to farms or through growing within the school grounds.
Through the Growing Schools programme we have also supported the Year of Food and Farming, and funded the School Farms network to produce a resource to make the case for growing and keeping animals, and to guide schools step by step through everything from container growing to setting up school farms. The programme is also developing a new resource which considers how non-food crops are being used to produce renewable materials and fuels, and has close links with the Sustainable Schools Action Plan which shows how farms can help to highlight the sustainable "doorways" of food and drink, energy and water and local well-being.
General Certificate of Secondary Education
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students who gained five A* to C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics in 2007 had not previously attained the required standard of level 4 or above in English, mathematics and science at Key Stage 2. [206867]
Jim Knight: 19,363 pupils who achieved five or more A* to C GCSE grades including English and mathematics in 2007 at the end of key stage 4, had not previously attained level 4 or above in either English or mathematics or science at key stage 2. This was 6 per cent. of all pupils who achieved five or more A* to C GCSE grades including English and mathematics in 2007; including pupils in the independent sector.
Of these 19,363 pupils, only 621 pupils had valid data for their prior attainment at key stage 2. This represents 0-2 per cent. of those pupils achieving five or more grades A*-C including English and mathematics.
Missing prior attainment may be due to a pupil attending an independent school where national curriculum testing at the end of key stage 2 is not compulsory. There will also be no key stage 2 result for any pupils that were not resident in England when they were aged 11. Disapplied pupils and those pupils who were absent from school when the tests took place have been included in the figures.
Gifted Children
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what private organisations are involved in the delivery of the gifted and talented programme; when the contract with each expires; what functions each is undertaking; and if he will make a statement. [205989]
Jim Knight: The Department has contracts with the CfBT Education Trust to manage the YG&T—Young, Gifted and Talented—Learner Academy and with Capita to provide training, guidance and support for leading teachers of gifted and talented education and educators. Together the DCSF, CfBT and Capita manage and deliver the national programme for gifted and talented education at national level. Information on the duration of contacts is commercial in confidence.
Mathematics: Education
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects to publish the final report of the review of the teaching of mathematics by Sir Peter Williams. [206353]
Jim Knight: Sir Peter Williams is expected to publish the final report of the Review of Mathematics Teaching in Early Years Settings and Primary Schools in June 2008.
National College for School Leadership: Expenditure
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the annual expenditure was of the National College for School Leadership on (a) staff costs, (b) publicity and printing, (c) education and training and (d) other costs in the latest period for which figures are available. [207021]
Jim Knight: The annual expenditure of the National College for School Leadership on staff costs, publicity and printing, education and training and other costs are:
| 2007-08 | |
| £000 | |
| (1) Spend (net of income) on programmes to deliver core college purpose. Majority of funding goes back to schools in subsidies, advice and programmes. (2) Includes spend on ICT, which supports on line access to programme materials. | |
The purpose of the National College for School Leadership is to improve the lives and life chances of all children throughout England by developing world-class school leaders, system leaders and future leaders for the wide-ranging challenges of leading 21st century schools.
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much the National College for School Leadership spent on publishing and publicity in each of the last five years. [207022]
Jim Knight: The National College for School Leadership expenditure on publishing and publicity in each of the last five years was:
| £000 | |||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
|
Design and print (including spend on materials for programmes) | |||||
The purpose of the National College for School Leadership is to improve the lives and life chances of all children throughout England by developing world-class school leaders, system leaders and future leaders for the wide-ranging challenges of leading 21st century schools.
Newham Sports Academy: Finance
Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on funding for the Newham Sports Academy. [207269]
Jim Knight: The only academy which is in feasibility is Stratford City Academy, The capital funding will be in the region of £35 million. This has been calculated by Partnership for Schools and is in tine with Building School for the Future and National Framework funding mechanisms. The academy will be an all age academy, providing 1,832 places for pupils aged three-18 years, The funding be will provided by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the London borough of Newham and the sponsor, Lend Lease. The final amount will be confirmed at Outline Business Case stage later this year.
Like other academies, Stratford City Academy will receive revenue funding based on the local authority school funding formula, and national formulae applicable to other grants.
In addition, Ian Stewart, an independent reviewer, has been appointed to lead a review into a potential educational legacy at the Olympic stadium. He has been consulting with the Olympic Development Authority and London Development Agency, among other key stakeholders, including community groups, and will report to Ministers at the end of June.
Primary Education: Admissions
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will commission research on the impact of (a) the latest code on admissions and (b) changes in the housing market, including the effects of rental provision and house prices, on the volatility in the demand for primary school places. [207332]
Jim Knight: September 2008 represents the start of the first school year since compliance with the School Admissions Code became a statutory requirement. The code and related admissions legislation help ensure that school places are awarded openly and fairly. During the summer we will be consulting on a number of measures that will further strengthen the code and enhance the admissions process. As with all policies it is important to have a clear picture of their impact and we will be carrying out a comprehensive review of all aspects of the admissions process in the future. We have no plans to commission any research into any links between the housing market and school places.
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what account has been taken of trends in and forecasts of demand for primary school places in capital allocations for primary school buildings over the next three years; and if he will make a statement; [207337]
(2) what financial support from his Department is available to local authorities which experience an unexpected increase in demand for primary school places; and if he will make a statement. [207338]
Jim Knight: Capital investment for primary schools is allocated by a number of factors, including pupil numbers and pupil growth. Local authorities can also request extra capital, if they have exceptional pupil growth; we have just made such allocations to four local authorities to cover the next three years. As regards unexpected increases in demand, we would expect local authorities to reprioritise within their overall capital allocations from central Government. Government support for local government investment programmes is at unprecedented levels, and includes £1.9 billion extra in the next three years through the Primary Capital Programme.
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what data his Department collects on the number of unplaced children due to enter their first year of primary school in September in each London borough; and if he will make a statement. [207341]
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