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6 Oct 2008 : Column 493W—continued
DCSF have forwarded the following Parliamentary Question of Ofqual as it falls within Ofqual’s remit.
“To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, pursuant to the Oral Statement of 22(nd) July 2008, what factors Ofqual took into account in determining that the quality of marking of this year’s key stage 2 and key stage 3 national curriculum tests was at least as good as in previous years.”
In response to this question Ofqual has rigorously monitored this year’s national curriculum tests. It was assured by the National Assessment Agency that the criteria for marker appointments were in line with previous years. Ofqual attended marker training
events, level setting meetings and script scrutiny meetings as well as checking that all procedures in place for the marking of the scripts were in line with our code of practice. The marking quality assurance measures in place for this year’s tests have been good practice and included more systematic and frequent comparison with a benchmark against a national standard rather than a check by a team leader. From the monitoring of quality assurance processes Ofqual carried out it concluded that while it was not possible to predict the volume of reviews schools will request this year, the quality of the marking is at least as good as previous years.
I am copying this letter to Sue White at DCSF to ensure that the copy of this letter is kept at the House Library.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) pursuant to the oral statement of 22 July 2008, Official Report, column 680, on SATS, if he will place in the Library the advice to him which stated that ministerial statements intended to influence the outcome of contractual discussions between the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and ETS Europe would jeopardise the public interest; [223074]
(2) what the evidential basis is for his assertion that a Minister can move the responsibility for redress from where it presently falls under the contract between the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and ETS Europe. [223075]
Jim Knight: The Department does not routinely publish advice to Ministers. It would only be in rare circumstances that such publication would be in the public interest. Publication would adversely affect the candour of officials' advice to Ministers and discourage the exploration of radical options. It would undermine the confidential relationship between officials and Ministers and compromise ministerial thinking space. There is also a public interest in protecting the principle of legal professional privilege.
In his oral statement to the House on 22 July 2008 the Secretary of State made clear that the contractual discussions between the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and ETS Europe were commercially, legally and financially highly sensitive. It was in the public interest that the QCA should be allowed to conclude those discussions in a timely, orderly and rigorous fashion.
They were concluded on 15 August when the QCA announced that it had agreed with ETS to dissolve its five-year contract for national curriculum tests operations with immediate effect.
National Curriculum Tests: Statistics
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the (Provisional) SFR National Curriculum Assessments at key stage 3 in England 2008 will be published on the second Tuesday in August as was originally scheduled. [221901]
Jim Knight: The Statistical First Release (SFR) National Curriculum Assessments at Key Stage 3 in England, 2008 (Provisional) was published on 12 August 2008, the second Tuesday in August as scheduled. This SFR can be found at
The SFR published on 12 August did not contain local authority data. A statement about the publication of Local Authority data can be found at
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the (Provisional) SFR National Curriculum Assessments at key stage two in England 2008 will be published on the first Tuesday in August as was originally scheduled. [221902]
Jim Knight: The Statistical First Release (SFR) National Curriculum Assessments at Key Stage 2 in England, 2008 (Provisional) was published on 5 August 2008, the first Tuesday in August as scheduled. This SFR can be found at:
Office of the Schools Commissioner
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the cost of the Office of the Schools Commissioner for each year from 2006-07 to 2010-11; and if he will make a statement. [224280]
Jim Knight: From September 2006, when the Office of the Schools Commissioner was first established, to March 2007 the cost was £970,000. For 2007-08 the cost was £3.1 million, and for 2008-09 the Office of the Schools Commissioner has a total budget of £4.3 million. Budgets for future years have not yet been finalised.
Olympic Games 2012
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many full-time
equivalent members of staff in his Department are working on projects relating to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games; how many of those are working on (a) project management, (b) legacy planning, (c) project oversight and (d) financial oversight; and what plans he has for future staffing levels in each case. [221870]
Jim Knight: The education opportunities presented by the 2012 Games are being used to build on and add value to existing activity being undertaken by the DCSF. There are 1.8 full-time equivalent members of staff allocated to co-ordinating this work. They deal with all aspects of project management, legacy planning and project oversight. Future staffing levels for this work are expected to remain at this level.
Pre-School Education: Admissions
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in England took up free nursery places in each quarter in each year since the scheme was introduced. [223760]
Beverley Hughes: Since April 2004 all three and four-year-olds have been entitled to a free part-time early education place for 12.5 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. From 2010, this offer will be extended from 12.5 to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year.
Information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds is shown in the table.
| Table 1: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2) filled by three and four-year-olds—England—position in January each year | ||||||
| 3 year olds | 4 year olds | |||||
| Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3) | Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers | Total 3 year olds | Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4) | Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers | Total 4 year olds | |
| n/a = Not available. (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6) For the years 1997-99, four year old figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the School Census. (9) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (10) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. | ||||||
The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 12/2008 “Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2008”, available on my Department’s website
Primary Education: Reading
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps the Government has taken to promote reading in primary education. [222702]
Jim Knight: Encouraging children to read more is essential to increasing their chances of success, both at school and beyond.
The national strategies continue to provide a wide range of materials to support teachers, school librarians and others to ensure schools provide both high quality teaching and learning in reading, and promote an environment which encourages children’s enthusiasm for reading and helps them achieve their potential. In primary schools and in response to the publication of the Rose Review we have ensured that all children learn to read through the use of systematic phonics. We are also now rolling out the Every Child a Reader programme for five and six-year-old children struggling with their reading.
There are a range of other programmes to promote reading which are available to all schools. For instance, the Reading Connects initiative supports schools in developing a whole-school reading culture; the School Reading Champions initiative uses the motivational power of male role models to inspire boys to read more; and the Family Reading Campaign supports schools in reaching out to parents and the wider family and helping them to encourage children to enjoy reading. All initiatives provide schools with tried and tested practical ideas to promote reading and a wide range of free resources.
Most recently, in June this year, I announced the extension of the Boys into Books programme to the primary sector. This project is bringing over half a million new books into public libraries from September for use on long-term loan in every state primary school in England.
Beyond the classroom, the National Year of Reading is helping to increase awareness of the pleasures and benefits of reading in all its forms, for children and families alike.
Pupil Exclusions
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many pupils were permanently excluded more than (a) once and (b) twice in (i) England and (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [223807]
(2) how many pupils were suspended more than (a) once, (b) five times and (c) 10 times in (i) England and (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [223806]
Beverley Hughes: The available information on the number of permanent exclusions is shown in the table. Information on pupils who have been permanently excluded more than once can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The number of pupils with more than (a) one, (b) five and (c) 10 fixed-period exclusions is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. The available information showing the number of times pupils have been excluded for a fixed period is published annually by the Department. These figures can be found in the Statistical First Release “DCSF: Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools and Exclusion Appeals in England”, the latest of which refer to the 2006/07 school year and can be accessed at:
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