| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
12 Jun 2008 : Column 452W—continued
the post-16 progression measure will help all schools focus on ensuring their pupils make a good transition to post 16 learning—the data will be published in the School Profile in summer 2009.
The 14-19 reforms will go still further. We are introducing a new more engaging curriculum through Diplomas from this September and, in 2013, all young people will have an entitlement to study one of the 14 Diplomas that will be available. For young people who want a more work based route, we are expanding the apprenticeship programme so that every young person who wants one can have one, and the foundation learning tier will give young people not yet ready for level 2 and level 3 qualifications the essential building blocks for future learning.
Grandparents
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research he has undertaken or evaluated on the number of grandparents who were denied access to their grandchildren by the children’s parents during the last 12 months. [210212]
Kevin Brennan: We have not undertaken or evaluated any research on this subject in the last 12 months.
Holiday Play Schemes
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what estimate he has made of the average number of hours children spent attending a holiday play scheme per day in each year for which records are available; [210029]
(2) how many and what proportion of children in (a) Basingstoke, (b) Hampshire and (c) England had access to holiday play schemes in each year for which records are available. [210031]
Beverley Hughes: The 2006 Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collected information on child care provision in England. The estimated number of children attending holiday clubs in England was 352,500 in 2006 compared to 233,800 in 2003. Data are not available at local authority level.
An accurate estimate of the proportion of children attending holiday play schemes cannot be provided as children may access holiday provision in other types of child care settings. Data are not available on the number of children attending other child care providers in school holidays.
Data on the average number of hours per day that children attend holiday play schemes are not collected centrally.
Kids Company: Finance
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the purposes are of the £12.7 million grant made by the Government to Kids Company in March; what conditions apply with regard to replicating the work of Kids Company; how much of the grant was intended for such replications; and if he will make a statement. [209712]
Kevin Brennan: Kids Co. has received funding and support from the Youth Sector Development Fund to expand their services to support more of South London’s most vulnerable young people.
The funding will also enable them to develop a Centre of Excellence, to offer training in the successful methods and techniques used at Kids Co. to the wider children and young people’s work force.
As for all organisations in receipt of the YSDF funding, Kids Co.’s use of the funding will be bound by the terms and conditions set out in their grant agreement. Each month, Kids Co. will be monitored against key performance indicators demonstrating progress toward the objectives of the YSDF.
National Academy of Parenting Practitioners
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has for the future of the National Academy of Parenting Practitioners; what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of implementing such plans; and if he will make a statement. [210532]
Beverley Hughes: The National Academy for Parenting Practitioners is in the process of finalising a strategic plan for 2008 onwards—to be agreed with my Department—which sets out its work plan and deliverables until 2010: to deliver a combination of research and training to support and develop the parenting workforce. We expect the academy to bring about a step change in the supply and quality of parenting support delivered to parents across England.
The Department has set aside up to £30 million for the academy covering the three-year period, 2007-2010.
Playing Fields: Hampshire
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many school playing fields were sold in Hampshire in each of the last 15 years, broken down by school. [209155]
Kevin Brennan: We only have records on the number of school playing fields sold since 1998. Since then we have approved three applications from Hampshire local authority to sell school playing fields, as set out in the following list. Each approval was supported by advice from our independent School Playing Fields Advisory Panel.
Crestwood Community School, Eastleigh in September 2002—surplus land was sold to fund the school's new sports hall and all-weather sports pitch;
the former Beech Down Primary School, Basingstoke in July 2005—the school had closed and the proceeds were used to provide new educational facilities at six local schools;
and Warblington School, Havant in November 2007—surplus land was sold to fund the school's new sports hall and all-weather sports pitch.
Playing Fields: Southampton
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many school playing fields at each school in Southampton were sold in each of the last 15 years. [209194]
Kevin Brennan: We only have records on the number of school playing fields sold since 1998. Since then we have approved one application from Southampton local authority to sell a school playing field. This was in respect of Harefield Primary School, Southampton in December 2007—the school had closed and the proceeds were used to provide a new sports hall at the adjacent junior school site. The approval was supported by advice from our independent School Playing Fields Advisory Panel.
Pre-School Education: Expenditure
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how much his Department spent on the production and distribution of its revised early years foundation stage guidance; [210533]
(2) for what reason his Department has revised its guidance on the early years foundation stage. [210619]
Beverley Hughes: It was necessary to do another print-run of the Early Years Foundation Stage because stocks were running low and demand for copies remained high. We took the opportunity to provide clarification of areas where feedback from local authorities, schools and early years providers indicated this would be helpful. None of the legal requirements have changed. The total cost for the reprint was £556,401 for 300,000 copies.
Pre-School Education: Per Capita Costs
Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding per pupil his Department provided to each local authority in London for the early years entitlement in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. [210620]
Beverley Hughes: Payment for the free early education entitlement is made as part of the Dedicated Schools Grant which provides funding for pupils between the ages of 3 and 16. We do not separately identify the amount of funding made available for early years. Local authorities are best placed to determine the most effective use of resources at local level and have discretion over the rate at which they fund settings for delivery of early years provision.
Schools: Carbon Emissions
Gregory Barker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many new schools applied for grants under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in each year since 2006; and what steps his
Department is taking to ensure that schools are aware of the programme. [206189]
Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
The number of schools that have applied for grants under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme are detailed as follows:
| Low Carbon Buildings Programme—phase 1 | ||||
| Applications received | New | Existing under refurbishment | Existing no refurbishment | Total |
| Low Carbon Buildings Programme—phase 2 | |||
| 2007 | 2008 | Total | |
We are promoting the Low Carbon Buildings Programme through the Sustainable Schools website and have made local authorities aware of the programme through our regular communications channels, and promoted the scheme at major conferences and events. Further details can be obtained from:
The Government require all new school buildings to reduce carbon emissions from new school buildings by 60 per cent. through a combination of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy systems, and provides additional funding to all new secondary schools within BSF (Building Schools for the Future), academies and One School Pathfinder programmes for this purpose. There are also requirements within building regulations and local planning requirements that encourage microgeneration for new buildings.
Schools: Sports
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in each London borough took part in after-school sports in each year since 1997. [210279]
Kevin Brennan: Data are not collected centrally in the format requested.
The annual School Sport Survey has been running for the past four years, but the survey has only collected data by local authority since 2004/05. The following table sets out the percentage of pupils in each local authority taking part in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport in a typical week for the last three years. Direct comparisons between local authorities are not appropriate as the number of schools in school sport partnerships, and the length of time they have been within partnerships, differs. Since September 2006, all maintained schools in England have been within a school sport partnership.
| Percentage of pupils taking part in at least two hours high quality PE and sport a week by London borough | |||
| London borough | 2004/05 | 2005/06 | 2006/07 |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |