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21 July 2008 : Column 937W—continued
Sir William Perkin’s School
The Lady Eleanor Holles School
St. Columbia’s College
Oldham Hulme Grammar Schools
Babington House School
Rishworth School
Warwick School
Leckford Place School
Normanhurst School
Queen Anne’s School
St. Andrew’s School
Teesside High School
King Edward VI High School for Girls
Bedford High School for Girls
Shrewsbury High School
Ryde School
Sherborne School for Girls
Lord Wandsworth College
Eton College
Thorpe Hall School
Our Lady’s Abingdon
The Perse School
Cheltenham College
The John Lyon School
Bruton School for Girls
Stowe School
Merchant Taylors’ School
Casterton School
Derby High School
St Gabriel’s
Loughborough Grammar
Bridgewater School
Thornton College
St Joseph's Convent School
St. Helen’s School
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School
Frewen College
Bedford Modern School
Manchester High School for Girls
St. David’s School
Farlington School
Ockbrook School
Stamford High School
Burgess Hill School for Girls
Red House School
Sackville School
Bootham School
Tormead School
Reigate Grammar School
Our Lady’s Abingdon
The Marist Senior School
Merchant Taylors’ Girls' School
Hall School
Worksop College
Queens College Taunton
Kingsley School
St. Helen’s School
The Portsmouth Grammar School
Portland Place School
Leicester High School for Girls
Haileybury School
Luckley-Oakfield School
Salesian College
Manor House School
Nottingham High School
Greenacre School for Girls
Milton Abbey School
Silcoates School
Schools: Bus Services
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what powers local authorities have to include schools from outside their areas in their school bus pass schemes; [218983]
(2) who is responsible for policy on school bus passes; [218990]
(3) what the objectives of the Government’s changes to school bus passes in 2006 were. [219087]
Jim Knight: Local authorities have to make transport arrangements where they consider it necessary to secure a child’s attendance at school. If transport is necessary, then it must be provided free of charge.
In most cases, it is for the home local authority of the individual child to decide if transport is necessary. A child will be automatically entitled to free transport if they are of compulsory school age and attend the nearest suitable school regardless of whether it is in the child’s home authority or not, and the school is further away than the ‘statutory walking distance’. The statutory walking distances are two miles for pupils below the age of eight and three miles for those aged eight and over.
The Education and Inspection Act 2006 introduced extended rights to free home to school transport for low income families. One of the objectives of the new school travel legislation is to secure fair access to schools—especially for children from low income groups, where lack of affordable transport can act as a barrier to choice.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families has policy responsibility for Home to School Transport. The issuing of bus passes is a local decision made at the discretion of the local authority.
Schools: Sanitation
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) secondary and (b) primary schools have been criticised by Ofsted for having poor toilet provision in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. [217680]
Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 14 July 2008:
Parliamentary question number 217680: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many (a) secondary and (b) primary schools have been criticised by Ofsted for having poor toilet provision in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
The inspection framework for maintained schools does not have a specific judgement on toilet and washroom provision. However, inspectors consider the welfare of learners and the provision for their needs. Therefore, where there is concern about toilets, they may give details in the text of the report. On occasion, inspectors have also commented favourably on good quality provision.
Since 2001, inspectors have reported on the unsatisfactory state of toilets in 290 secondary schools and in 700 primary schools from a total of 32,300 inspection reports scrutinised. 3,100 reports made some mention of toilet provision and, within
these reports, a range of more positive findings were reported in primary and secondary schools, A typical example is the role of the student council in raising funds to refurbish toilets.
In relation to both secondary and primary schools, there has been a reduction in negative responses from 2001 to 2007. In 2001 there were 200 references and by 2007 there were only 25.
These results should be treated with caution. As there is no requirement to report on toilet provision, whether or not this is mentioned is up to the professional judgment of the inspector concerned.
At present, Ofsted also inspects all independent schools not associated with the Independent Schools Council, approximately 1100 out of a total of 2,500 schools in England. The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 set out the standards for Ofsted's inspection of independent schools. Regulation 5(k) requires that there are sufficient washrooms for staff and pupils, including facilities for pupils with special needs, taking account of the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999. Since autumn 2003, 378 primary and 823 secondary schools in the Independent sector have bean inspected. Of these, 59 primary (14%) and 113 secondary (16%) have recorded a fail for this regulation.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Schools: Sustainable Development
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what progress has been made against each of the eight existing doorways in achieving the aspirational 2020 targets for sustainable schools; [219395]
(2) how many schools are taking part in the National Framework for Sustainable Schools. [219396]
Jim Knight: The Ofsted Self-Evaluation Form invites schools to include information about their performance against the National Framework for Sustainable Schools. However, using the framework is voluntary and we do not collect data about how many schools have chosen to follow the framework or on individual schools' progress against each doorway towards the 2020 targets.
Respondents to the consultation on the National Framework for Sustainable Schools in summer 2006, and pilot users of the “s3: Sustainable Schools Self-evaluation” first published in May 2006, asked for interim targets for schools aiming to be sustainable by 2020. We have updated the s3 and published guidance “Planning a Sustainable School—driving school improvement through sustainable development” and using this guidance, schools can identify their own milestones of progress to becoming a fully sustainable school by 2020.
Secondary Education: Admissions
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families of the cohort which began secondary school in 2003-04, how many were on the school register at the beginning of the school year in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2007-08. [219280]
Jim Knight: The requested information could be provided only at disproportionate cost
Secondary Education: Standards
Michael Gove:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many National
Challenge schools have been visited by Ministers in his Department and its predecessors in the last three years; [217555]
(2) how many visits (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have made to schools which had fewer than 30 per cent. of their pupils in 2007 achieving five or more GCSEs at grade C or above including English and mathematics in the last 12 months. [219283]
Jim Knight: The National Challenge programme was launched in June. Those schools eligible to receive support (those which had fewer than 30 per cent. of their pupils in 2007 achieving five or more GCSEs at grade C or above, including English and mathematics) were only identified in January of this year using 2007 schools data. Since January, Ministers have visited 24 of those schools and colleges, including 12 visits made by the Secretary of State.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which National Challenge schools achieved an improvement in their GCSE results which was greater than the national average in the last two years. [217627]
Jim Knight: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.
Special Educational Needs
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many placements of children with special educational needs in each local authority have been appealed against in each of the last three years. [219974]
Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
The number of appeals registered with the Special Education Needs and Disability Tribunal against each local authority for the last three years is shown in the following table.
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