| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
15 July 2008 : Column 376W—continued
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding has been allocated from the Building Schools for the Future programme to National Challenge schools (a) in the last and (b) for the next three financial years. [217554]
Jim Knight:
Building Schools for the Future (BSF) funding is provided to local authorities as an ‘envelope’
to allow allocation of resources to individual schools reflecting the local view on priorities and needs. Details of allocations to BSF local authorities are included in the answer to the hon. Member’s question 217532.
Fifteen secondary schools, where in 2007 fewer than 30 per cent. of pupils attained five or more good GCSEs including English and mathematics, are expected to open in new or remodelled BSF buildings this financial year. A further 256 will benefit from funding as part of current Building Schools for the Future projects, either through Local Education Partnerships, the Partnerships for Schools National Framework or as One School Pathfinders. An additional 73 are included in pre-BSF private finance initiative projects, and 29 are being, or have been built under the DCSF Academies programme.
Children in Care: Young Offenders
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on collaborative measures to improve the performance of local authorities' care systems in (a) preventing offending and (b) reducing re-offending by looked-after children. [218804]
Beverley Hughes: There have been substantial discussions between the Secretaries of State on how to improve resettlement of young offenders during the development of the Youth Crime Action Plan which signals our intention to develop a comprehensive package of support for children leaving custody.
A range of current legislation and guidance imposes duties on local authorities and professionals to ensure that looked-after children leaving custody are provided with the support and accommodation they need on release. Measures in the Children and Young Persons Bill will enable us to revise Children Act Guidance setting out how we expect local authorities to exercise their statutory duties to continue to plan for looked-after children throughout any period in custody which would necessarily include planning for their support in the community to minimise the risk of re-offending. Clause 16 of the Bill provides for power to be given to the Secretary of State to require the local authority to visit children who were provided with voluntary accommodation by the authority but who then loses their looked after status because they received a custodial sentence. The purpose of these visits will be to assess the support that the child may need on release from custody. It will be essential that children's and youth justice services coordinate any support needed to prevent re-offending.
Children: Disadvantaged
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate his Department has made of the number of children eligible for free school meals in Leeds West constituency in each year since 1997. [218014]
Kevin Brennan: The requested information is given in the table.
| Primary and secondary schools( 1) : Number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals—position in January each year: 1997 to 2008—Leeds, West parliamentary constituency | ||||||
| Primary schools | Secondary schools | |||||
| Number of pupils( 2) | Number or pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 3) | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Number of pupils( 2) | Number or pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 3) | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. Also includes nursery schools, CTCs and academies (although none of these school types in Leeds, West). (2) Includes pupils with sole and dual main registration. (3) Pupils who are eligible and are claiming their free school meal entitlement. Source: School Census | ||||||
Class Sizes: Primary Education
Mr. Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average class size in primary schools in England and Wales was in each of the last five years; what effect the personalised learning initiative is expected to have on class sizes; and if he will make a statement. [218998]
Jim Knight: The average class size in local authority maintained primary schools in England, including middle schools as deemed, has remained constant at 26.2 from 2004 to 2008, except in 2006 when it was 26.3. The figure for 2008 is based on provisional data: figures for other years are based on final data. The Department does not collect information for Wales.
Rather than being a discrete initiative, ‘personalised learning’ means taking a highly structured and responsive approach to each child’s and young person’s learning, enabling all to progress, achieve and participate. Individual schools and teachers are best placed to tailor teaching to their pupils’ needs. This may include teaching in
different sized pupil groupings on different occasions, or using in-class grouping to allow pupils with a range of needs to work at an appropriate level. However, there is no expectation that by using personalised approaches to teaching and learning, schools will experience any change to their overall average class size as indicated.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) new builds and (b) major refurbishments for a cost in excess of £0.5 million were completed by his Department and its predecessors in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08. [213721]
Kevin Brennan: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has not completed any new builds within the years requested. Since 2006 a total of three major refurbishments, with a value in excess of £0.5 million, have been completed. This is broken down as follows; in 2005-06 nil, in 2006-07 two and in 2007-08 one.
Departmental Pay
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of staff of his Department did not receive the maximum bonus possible under a bonus scheme applying to them since the Department was established. [217371]
Kevin Brennan: The Department was created on 28 June 2007. For the 2007/08 performance year 74 per cent. of senior civil servants did not receive the maximum bonus that was paid. The pay settlement for Grade 6s and below has yet to be agreed.
Departmental Sick Leave
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many working days have been lost due to sickness amongst employees for which his Department and its predecessor were responsible for each year since 1997. [218033]
Kevin Brennan: Cabinet Office has recently introduced a revised format for reporting sickness absence statistics across the civil service. The new format was introduced at the end of March 2008 and the reports now cover the period up to 31 March 2008. The figure for annual average working days lost due to sickness in my Department up to that date is 9.6 per staff member. The annual number of days lost 20,021.2.
The Department was formed as part of the Machinery of Government changes on 28 June 2007. Sickness absence data for the Department’s predecessor, the Department for Education and Skills, for 2006/07, 2005 and 2004, including the average number of days taken as sick leave is published on the civil service website:
along with data for other Departments and agencies.
Earlier sickness data are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Wastes
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department has taken to reduce the volume of waste produced by it and sent to landfill in each of the last two years. [215882]
Kevin Brennan: In 2005-06 a comprehensive waste management system was implemented across the Department for Education and Skills, the predecessor to the Department for Children Schools and Families. The aim of the system was to segregate as many waste streams as possible for reuse and recycling and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill to the lowest possible level.
Between 2004-05 and 2006-07 the Department reduced the total amount of waste produced by 13.1 per cent. and recycled 55.8 per cent. of all waste. In 2006/07, 38.6 per cent. of waste produced was sent to landfill compared to 51.5 per cent. in 2005/06.
The use of disposable products and packaging is kept to a minimum and as much of this is recycled as possible. Examples of the waste streams that are segregated and recycled include plastic and metal beverage and food containers as well as glass bottles and jars.
Education: Assessments
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils who gained level 4 or above in key stage 2 tests in (a) reading, (b) writing and (c) mathematics in 2004 did not gain level 5 or above in the corresponding key stage 3 tests in 2007. [217614]
Jim Knight: The figures required can be found in the following table:
| Number of pupils | |||
| Achieving level 4 or above in KS2 in 2004, and not achieving level 5 or above in KS3 in 2007 | Achieving level 4 or above in KS2 in 2004 and with eligible results for KS3 in 2007 | With eligible results for both KS2 in 2004 and KS3 in 2007 | |
Figures for reading and writing separately can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on what dates (a) he and (b) the Schools Minister has met (i) ETS, (ii) the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and (iii) the National Assessment Agency to discuss the administration and marking of the key stage tests in 2008; and if he will make a statement. [217696]
Jim Knight: Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State have met ETS. We do, however, regularly meet with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, of which the National Assessment Agency is a division. Recent meetings have included discussions on the administration and marking of key stage tests in 2008, which are now the subject of an independent inquiry being chaired by Lord Sutherland.
Extended Schools
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what criteria he used to select the areas which will pilot the extended schools subsidy. [219228]
Beverley Hughes: DCSF selected local authorities to participate in the extended schools subsidy pathfinder on the basis of Government office nominations. DCSF asked each Government office to nominate two local authorities and two reserves to participate in the extended schools subsidy pathfinder.
DCSF asked Government offices to consider the following issues in making their nominations:
The need for the 18 pathfinder local authorities to reflect a representative national range of characteristics. For example, urban/rural, high deprivation across the authority/pockets of deprivation in a more affluent authority.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |