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6 Oct 2008 : Column 497W—continued
| Primary, secondary and all special schools, number of permanent exclusions( 1, 2, 3, 4) , 2002/03 to 2006/07, Yorkshire and the Humber | ||
| Number of permanent exclusions | Percentage of the school population( 5) | |
| (1) Figures for maintained primary, secondary and special schools are as confirmed by local authorities as part of the data checking exercise. Figures for CTCs, academies and non-maintained special schools are as reported by schools and are unconfirmed. (2) National totals and regional totals have been rounded to the nearest 10. (3) Includes middle schools as deemed, CTCS and academies. (4) Includes both maintained and non-maintained special schools. (5) The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) pupils in primary, secondary and special schools, excluding dually registered pupils in special schools in January each year. Source: School Census. | ||
Pupil Exclusions: Offensive Weapons
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were suspended or excluded from school for possession of an offensive weapon on school grounds in each of the last five years. [222803]
Beverley Hughes: Data are not collected centrally on the number of pupils who have been suspended or excluded from school for possession of an offensive weapon.
The Department does collect information on the reasons why pupils have been excluded, either for a fixed period or permanently. However, this does not include a specific category relating to possession of a weapon. That information was collected for the first time for 2003-04. Information on the number of permanent and fixed period exclusions, by reason, broken down by local authority, and covering the academic years 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2005/06 has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
The latest information on the number of permanent and fixed period exclusions by reason, broken down by local authority has been published at the following link:
Real Action Butterfly Children's Programme
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) if his Department will allocate funding to the Real Action Butterfly Children's programme; [222807]
(2) if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Real Action Butterfly Children's programme in (a) raising educational attainment and (b) diverting young people away from anti-social behaviour and crime; [222808]
(3) if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Real Action Butterfly Children's programme on promoting integration and community cohesion; and if he will provide funding to the programme. [222827]
Beverley Hughes: Ensuring equal opportunities for all to succeed at the highest level possible and removing barriers to access and participation in learning is an important contribution to promoting community cohesion. Through the National Strategies we are providing a wide range of training and resources to support teachers in providing the high quality teaching and learning which is vital to improving standards of attainment in literacy for all children.
Stopping young people engaging in crime and antisocial behaviour also plays an important role in building strong and cohesive communities. Through the Youth Taskforce Action plan, and more recently through the Youth Crime Action plan we have set out a ‘triple track’ response to these problems. Where problems occur we must respond with strong enforcement. However, that alone is not enough and we must also offer support to address the causes of bad behaviour and intervene earlier to prevent problems occurring in the first place.
In addition to promoting academic and other achievement, engaging young people in positive activities offers them stimulating things to do and safe places to go, helping to build resilience to future negative outcomes such as crime or antisocial behaviour. Over the next three years, Government have pledged £840 million to enhance facilities and services for young people.
We acknowledge the work that charities such as Real Action Butterfly Children's programme do to promote reading for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, however, we are not familiar with this specific programme and therefore we cannot comment on its efficacy on promoting integration or community cohesion.
The Children, Young People and Families Grant is a national grant programme, managed by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which aims to fund work of national significance to improve outcomes for children, young people, and families. It is possible that the work of Real Action Butterfly Children's programme may meet the criteria for this grant and more information can be found at:
Religion: Education
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps the Government has taken to raise awareness of all religions amongst school children. [222704]
Jim Knight: Religious education syllabuses, other than for voluntary aided schools with a religious designation, are drawn up by an agreed syllabus conference which advises each separate local authority. To assist in drawing up these syllabuses the Department, with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), has published a non-statutory framework for religious education which has been supported by all the main faith groups and the British Humanist Association. It says that pupils should learn about Christianity throughout each key stage though, by the end of key stage 3, pupils should have encountered all five principal religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism) in sufficient depth. It also recommends that all pupils have opportunities to study other religious traditions such as the Baha'i faith, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and secular philosophies such as humanism. It can be obtained from the QCA website at
In addition, the Government is investing £1 million in an RE action plan to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the subject. Key areas for the action plan include updating existing guidance on RE, reviewing materials used in schools to teach world religions and their contribution to promoting community cohesion, supporting the work of the RE subject association (the National Association of Teachers of RE), and increasing the involvement of minority faith groups in local Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education by rolling out a national programme of recruitment and training.
The plan is being implemented with full involvement and in full consultation with faith and belief communities and the RE professional community.
School Meals
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government plans to take to improve the nutritional content of school meals. [224286]
Beverley Hughes: The Department is taking a number of steps to improve the nutritional content of school meals.
New food-based standards were introduced in September 2006 for school lunches and from September 2007 for other school food. Nutrient-based standards were introduced for primary school lunches in September 2008 and will be introduced in secondary and special schools in September 2009.
We are investing over £650 million between 2005 and 2011 to help improve school food and keep school lunch prices down. This includes £220 million over the three years 2005-06 to 2007-08 to assist authorities and schools in improving school lunches and other school food; £240 million between 2008 and 2011 to support the costs of school lunches; £150 million capital funding to build and refurbish kitchen and dining facilities; and funding to establish FEAST centres to train catering
staff. We are also providing an extra £6 million over the next three years for the School Food Trust to promote healthy food to young people and raise take-up.
School Meals: Lancashire
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many primary school children at schools in West Lancashire constituency have access to healthy school meals. [221887]
Beverley Hughes: All schools have to meet the food-based nutritional standards introduced in September 2006 for school lunches and the standards for other school food introduced in September 2007. Nutrient-based standards were introduced for primary school lunches in September 2008 and will be introduced in secondary and special schools in September 2009.
I refer the hon. Member to the replies given previously for questions 196856 and 221728.
Schools: Athletics
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps the Government have taken to improve the provision of athletic equipment in schools. [222703]
Beverley Hughes: There is no departmental programme for this provision. A decision to purchase athletic equipment would be made locally by the school and based on its priorities.
Schools: Buildings
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools are using temporary mobile classroom accommodation in each region; and if he will make a statement. [223715]
Jim Knight: Data on school temporary buildings were supplied to my Department by local education authorities in 2001, 2003 and 2005. However, checks indicated that the completeness and quality of the data were not good enough to accurately assess the number of schools using temporary mobile classrooms.
Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under £700 million in 1996-97 to £6.7 billion in 2008-09, and will rise further to £8.0 billion by 2010-11. Progress is being made year by year in improving the quality of the school building stock. The bulk of schools capital is now allocated by formula to authorities and schools so that they can address their local priorities, including the replacement of poor-quality temporary accommodation. Given the high levels of funding, authorities have the opportunity to replace temporary buildings where they are considered to be unsuitable.
Modern, high-quality mobile or demountable buildings can provide a good environment for teaching and learning where there is a short-term need. They might be used, for instance, to cope with a temporary increase in pupil numbers at a school, or as an alternative to transporting children elsewhere when there is building work under way.
Schools: Closed Circuit Television
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in England have CCTV cameras in children's toilets. [221812]
Jim Knight: The Department does not collect this information. Cameras can be installed in common areas in toilet or washroom facilities where misbehaviour may take place, so long as privacy is not infringed. The Information Commissioner's Office has produced a Code of Practice on the use of CCTV which schools can use.
Schools: Epilepsy
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what specialist epilepsy schools there are in East Lancashire. [221899]
Beverley Hughes: The Department does not hold information on schools that cater specifically for pupils with epilepsy, as it is a condition that falls within the broader descriptions of special educational needs used to categorise and classify special schools. Most pupils with epilepsy can be educated, mainstream schools but depending on the severity of the condition pupils may be educated in a variety of different types of special school. We are aware of one independent school in Lancashire, Oliver House School, which caters for children with epilepsy.
Schools: Finance
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much money for schools from his Department was not devolved to local authorities or schools but allocated directly by his Department in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the (a) purpose of the funding and (b) amount spent was. [223888]
Ed Balls: The following list provides a breakdown of the schools budget not devolved to schools or local authorities in the DCSF.
| £ million | |
Schools: Recruitment
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of maintained schools’ expenditure on advertising for recruitment in each of the last three years. [221756]
Jim Knight: The Department has not made any estimates on maintained schools’ expenditure on advertising for recruitment. It is a matter for each local authority and its schools to determine locally.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teaching posts in maintained schools were advertised in each of the last three years, broken down by subject; and how many of those posts were filled as a result of the recruitment exercise of which the advertisement was part. [221757]
Jim Knight: The information is not collected centrally.
Information for the number of teacher vacancies, that existed on the survey date in January under the Department's standard definition, have been published in table 6 of the School Workforce Statistical First Release, January 2008 (Provisional) at the following web link:
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