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11 Jun 2008 : Column 368W—continued
The procurement requirements, subsequently published by the QCA, did not include specific marking quality assurance requirements, but instead invited tenderers to propose better quality measures for marking. ETS Europe did not play any part in the decision to replace the borderlining check.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he was informed about problems with educational testing service and key stage tests. [209820]
Jim Knight: The administration of national curriculum tests, as part of the process for maintaining standards, is a function of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) that is delivered independently of Government. As usual during the test delivery period, we are in regular contact with the National Assessment Agency, which administers the tests on the QCA’s behalf. Ministers take a close interest in the progress of test delivery.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what evaluation criteria are applied to those organisations tendering for contracts to administer Key Stage tests; and what assessment his Department had of the extent to which Educational Testing Service met these criteria. [209821]
Jim Knight: The procurement and award of contracts for national curriculum assessment delivery is the responsibility of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). They carry out this function independently of Government. I am satisfied that the QCA carried out their responsibilities in relation to the contract for test delivery services with all due diligence. I have asked David Gee, Managing Director of the National Assessment Agency, to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.
Letter from David Gee, dated 9 June 2008:
I have been asked to write to you in response to your parliamentary question about the evaluation criteria used in assessing tenders for the national curriculum tests delivery contract.
The evaluation criteria were included in the Invitation to Tender (Section 8), an extract of which is below:
Service Delivery
The supplier’s ability to deliver the services to time and quality;
The agreed level of quality and security to which the Service will be delivered (including ensuring quality of marking);
The supplier’s capabilities and operation of a programme management, governance regime and relationship management approach;
Efficiency, Impact and Value
Assessment of the impact of burden on schools of implementing the identified solution;
The supplier’s proposals for innovative delivery of the Service;
The supplier’s proposals for delivering efficiency and ongoing cost reduction; and
Costs (suppliers should note that costs submitted will be evaluated on a line-by-line basis in the response to the pricing model).
Risk and Issue Management
Ability to identify, assume and manage risk (including an outline of the steps the supplier will take to mitigate risk), attitude to risk faking, confidence in managing risk and ability to minimise the commercial impact of risk.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department has contingency plans in place to re-mark this year's Key Stage 3 tests. [209822]
Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority estimates that all the tests will be marked to the expected standard and results returned to schools by 8 July, as published in the 2008 “Assessment and Reporting Arrangement” booklets. As in previous years, schools will have an opportunity to request a review of the marking of any pupil's scripts about which they have concerns on the application of the mark scheme. This year, the reviews process will operate in a similar fashion to previous years.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many of those who applied to mark Key Stage 3 examinations failed the markers’ standardisation test in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008. [209823]
Jim Knight: The administration of national curriculum tests, as part of the process for maintaining standards, is a function of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority that is delivered independently of Government. The National Assessment Agency (NAA) administers the tests on their behalf. I have therefore asked David Gee, Managing Director of the NAA, to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his letter has been placed in the Library.
Letter from David Gee, dated 9 June 2008:
I have been asked to write to you in response to your parliamentary question about the standardisation process for markers of national curriculum tests for key stage 3.
The standardisation quality check has changed in purpose and application from 2007 to 2008. The failure rates quoted below are therefore not comparable.
In 2007, 72 markers out of 9,816 failed the standardisation check. That check was designed to test a marker’s consistency in applying the mark scheme and, alongside a sample of live marking, was evaluated by a marking supervisor. The evaluation of the live sample was subject to the variation of individual judgement. These quality measures constituted a major part of the marking quality control process and took place early in the marking period.
In 2008, 81 out of 9,991 failed standardisation. The check this year is designed to test a marker’s consistency in applying the mark scheme and to identify where support is needed to improve consistent application of the mark scheme. Markers receive feedback and mentoring support from their supervisors, as necessary, throughout the marking period. In addition this year every marker is subject to similar checks, against a national standard, at regular intervals throughout the marking period.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department's observer raised any concern over the procurement procedure for selecting the company to administer Key Stage tests for 2008 to 2012. [209827]
Jim Knight: No. The selection of ETS Europe to be the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's delivery partner for national curriculum assessment was conducted in accordance with the guidance of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) on the procurement of public sector contracts, and successfully passed the scrutiny of the OGC.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many Standard Assessment Test papers have not been marked as a result of the delayed delivery by ETS Europe; [209926]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects of the delay in delivering Standard Assessment Tests by ETS Europe to markers on students who are waiting for results. [209927]
Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is responsible for national curriculum test delivery. They estimate that all test papers will be marked in time for the results to be sent to schools by 8 July, as published in the 2008 Assessment and Reporting Arrangements booklets.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make it his policy to compensate markers who have experienced delays in receiving SAT papers and consequently not received payment for work. [210211]
Jim Knight: The administration of national curriculum tests is a function of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority that is delivered independently of Government. The National Assessment Agency (NAA) administers the tests on their behalf. I have therefore asked David Gee, Managing Director of the NAA, to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his letter has been placed in the Library.
Letter from David Gee, dated 11 June 2008:
I have been asked to write to you in response to your parliamentary question about payments to markers of national curriculum tests.
As part of the contract for delivering national curriculum tests for key stages 2 and 3, the test operations agency, ETS Europe, is required to arrange for the accurate marking of all test papers. ETS Europe is meeting this requirement by directly contracting individuals to undertake marking work. The contract of employment, which is subject to UK law, is a private matter between individual markers and their employer. As such, any issues relating to the contract of employment, such as compensatory payments, are private matters and not matters of Government policy.
Education: Per Capita Costs
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much expenditure from the public purse has been allocated per child in education in Warrington in each year since 1997. [209229]
Jim Knight: The revenue funding figures per pupil for years 1997-98 to 2005-06, for Warrington local authority in real terms are as follows:
| Revenue funding figures per pupil (£) | |
The revenue per pupil figures shown in the following table are taken from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) which was introduced in April 2006. They are not comparable with the 1997-98 to 2005-06 figures quoted in the aforementioned table because the introduction of the DSG in 2006-07 fundamentally changed how local authorities are funded.
The 1997-98 to 2005-06 figures quoted in the aforementioned table are based on Education Formula Spending (EPS) which formed the education part of the Local Government Finance Settlement, plus various grants. The DSG is based on planned spend. In addition, the DSG has a different coverage to EFS, which comprises a schools block and an LEA block (to cover LEA central functions) whereas DSG only covers the school block. LEA block items are still funded through DCLG's Local Government Finance Settlement but education items cannot be separately identified. Consequently, there is a break in the Department's time series as the two sets of data are not comparable.
To provide a comparison for 2006-07 DSG, the Department have isolated the schools block equivalent funding in 2005-06—this is the basis for the 2005-06 baseline figure quoted as follows; as described this does not represent the totality of ‘education’ funding in that year. The figures are for all funded pupils aged three to 19 and are in real terms.
The per pupil revenue funding figures for years 2005-06 to 2007-08 for Warrington local authority are provided in the following table:
| Warrington LA | |
| Note: Price base: real terms at 2006-07 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 26 September 2007. | |
Educational Testing Service
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what due diligence was carried out by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority regarding the commercial record and reputation of the company Educational Testing Service before the 2007 contract for standard assessment tests was agreed; [209819]
(2) what due diligence was carried out by his Department in checking the commercial record and reputation of the company Educational Testing Service before the 2007 contract for Key Stage testing was awarded. [209826]
Jim Knight: The procurement and award of contracts for national curriculum assessment delivery services is the responsibility of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). They carry out this function independently of Government.
I am satisfied that they have carried out their responsibilities in relation to the contract with ETS Europe with all due diligence. The QCA Board, on which my Department has an observer, received the report on the conduct of the procurement for this contract which has successfully passed Office for Government Commerce (OGC) scrutiny. I have asked David Gee, managing director of the National Assessment Agency, to write to the hon. Member setting out the checks that were made. A copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from David Gee, dated 9 June 2008:
I have been asked to write to you in response to your parliamentary questions about the due diligence carried out by the QCA prior to the Board's decision to select ETS Europe as our delivery partner for national curriculum assessment.
An independent expert consultancy conducted a complete and thorough financial due diligence exercise on Education Testing Services. Their recommendation was that ETS was in a fit and proper financial state to be awarded the contract.
All tenderers were required to identify referees. These referees were approached independently for an in-depth interview covering key aspects of the tenderer's record of delivery and reputation. The QCA's examination of ETS's referees gave us full confidence in appointing ETS as our delivery partner for national curriculum assessment services.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he had with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority on Educational Testing Service's contract prior to 19 May. [209824]
Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) kept the Department fully informed about its programme of procurement for services in respect of the delivery of national curriculum assessments. In securing key services, the QCA takes account of the Department's policy objectives. As usual with a major procurement exercise, officials from the Department observed the process at key points. The QCA is responsible for the development and delivery of national curriculum assessment. Its Board took the decision to award the test operations contract to ETS Europe in December 2006.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions his officials have had with the Educational Testing Service on 2008 Key Stage tests. [209825]
Jim Knight:
The administration of national curriculum tests, as part of the process for maintaining standards, is a function of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) that is delivered independently of Government. The National Assessment Agency (NAA) manages the delivery contract with ETS Europe on the QCA's behalf. The Department's officials are involved
in meetings with the QCA, NAA and with ETS Europe, but they do not have direct dealings with the QCA's contractors.
Further Education: Admissions
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children who are under 16 will be entering post-16 education in September. [209784]
Jim Knight: Information on the number of children aged under 16 who will enter post-16 education in September 2008 is not available.
The number of pupils aged 11 to 15 in all secondary schools in England who were following a post-16 National Curriculum year as at January 2008 is shown in the table:
| State funded secondary schools( 1) : Number of pupils aged 11 to 15 who are following a post-16 national curriculum year( 2, 3) as at January 2008 (provisional) | |
| Number of pupils aged 11 to 15 following a post-16 National Curriculum year: | |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. Includes CTCs and academies. (2) Relates to pupils following National Curriculum years 12, 13 and 14. (3) Age at 31 August 2007. (4) The number of pupils following post-16 National Curriculum year groups expressed as a percentage of all pupils aged 11 to 15. Source: School Census | |
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