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6 Oct 2008 : Column 503W—continued
Schools: Restraint Techniques
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many times restraint has been used in maintained primary and secondary schools in England for the purpose of preventing a child from (a) committing an offence, (b) causing personal injury to, or damage to the property of, a person, including the child in question and (c) prejudicing the maintenance of good order and discipline at the school or among pupils receiving education at the school in the last 12 months. [222782]
Beverley Hughes: This information is not collected centrally because that would be an unjustifiable bureaucratic burden for schools. The key issue is what happens at school level. The Department’s guidance on use of force by school staff therefore advises schools that it is essential for them to record significant incidents and report them to parents.
Schools: Standards
Mr. Graham Stuart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what
percentage of schools in Yorkshire and the Humber were judged by Ofsted to be (a) excellent, (b) good, (c) satisfactory and (d) inadequate at their most recent inspection; and if he will make a statement. [223808]
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 15 September 2008:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
Inspectors have made a judgement about schools' overall effectiveness since January 2000. Under the previous school inspection framework (commonly known as Section 10), this judgment was made using a seven point scale: excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, poor and very poor. Since September 2005, the judgment has been made under the current school inspection framework (commonly known as Section 5) using a four point scale: outstanding, good, satisfactory and inadequate. This response relates to each school's most recent inspection.
It is not possible to operate a simple read-across approach from a seven- to a four-point scale and so simple comparisons are not possible. Ofsted's criteria for making inspection judgements about schools are clearly set out in our inspection guidance.
As of 11 September 2008, there were 2,305 maintained schools in Yorkshire and the Humber. Of these, 2,275 schools have been inspected under the current or previous inspection frameworks. The remaining 30 schools have recently opened and are yet to have an inspection. Schools that have closed since their last inspection have been excluded from the analysis.
Table 1 shows the latest overall effectiveness grade of those maintained schools in Yorkshire and the Humber that have had an inspection under the current inspection framework, introduced in September 2005.
Table 2 shows the latest overall effectiveness grade of those maintained schools in Yorkshire and the Humber where their most recent inspection was under the previous inspection framework.
| Table 1: Overall effectiveness grade for maintained schools in Yorkshire and the Humber at their most recent inspection— Schools last inspected under the current inspection framework (Section 5) introduced in September 2005 | |||||
| Outstanding | Good | Satisfactory | Inadequate | Total | |
| Note: Percentages are rounded and may not add to 100. | |||||
| Table 2: Overall effectiveness grade for maintained schools in Yorkshire and the Humber at their most recent inspection—Schools last inspected under the previous inspection framework (Section 10) | ||||||||
| Excellent | Very good | Good | Satisfactory | Unsatisfactory | Poor | Very Poor | Total | |
| Note: Percentages are rounded and may not add to 100 | ||||||||
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.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent list of national challenge schools; and if he will make a statement. [224296]
Jim Knight: A list of schools where, according to 2007 results, fewer than 30 per cent. of pupils achieve five GCSEs or equivalent at grade A* to C including English and Maths has already been placed in the Library. Validated 2008 GCSE results will be available in January 2009. Officials from my Department are working with local authorities to identify what action is needed to ensure all schools rise above the threshold by 2011.
Sex Education Forum: Finance
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what payments his Department has made to the Sex Education Forum in 2007-08; how much is planned for 2008-09; what restrictions his Department places on the use of such funds; and if he will make a statement. [222356]
Beverley Hughes: In 2007-08 the Department made payments of £115,000 to the Sex Education Forum. Funds of £156,000 have been allocated to the forum for 2008-09. The Sex Education Forum provides support to practitioners involved in delivering sex and relationships education (SRE) or delivering on-site sexual health services in education settings, such as schools and FE colleges. All payments made to the Sex Education Forum are to deliver services or projects that are determined and monitored by the Department in accordance with an agreed work plan.
Social Services: Complaints
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in each local authority in England made a complaint about social services provision in each of the last two years; and how many such complaints were rejected because they were (a) not made within a year, (b) deemed unclear, (c) deemed frivolous and (d) deemed vexatious. [221780]
Ed Balls: This information is not collected centrally. However, local authorities are required to keep a record of:
each representation/complaint received
the outcome of each, that is, the decisions made in response to the representation/complaint and any action to be taken; and
whether there was compliance with the time limits
Each local authority must produce and have available to the public an annual report drawing on this information.
Specialised Diplomas
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools are offering a diploma course in the 2008-09 academic year; and how many pupils are taking each diploma course in each such school. [223836]
Jim Knight: 145 consortia of schools, colleges and training providers are delivering Diploma courses from September 2008. Learner numbers for all qualifications are still subject to change during the first weeks of the autumn term, as young people make their final decisions about the courses they want to pursue. We are gathering data from local authorities on Diploma learner numbers during this term, in order to make adjustments to the funding areas receive for Diplomas. We will publish this information before the end of the year.
Specialised Diplomas: Standards
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's guidance relating to the (a) structure of and (b) methodology of compiling performance league tables for schools which are offering diploma courses. [223733]
Jim Knight: Up to 1 April 2008, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) was responsible for the methodology for establishing the relative value of qualifications reported in the Achievement and Attainment Tables and the points awarded to those qualifications. In December 2007, the QCA published the information relating to the Diploma, and the DCSF put this guidance on its website. This guidance—Performance Points for the Foundation, Higher and Advanced Diplomas—is as follows:
After 1 April 2008, Ofqual, the qualifications and examinations regulator, has taken over the responsibility for this and other issues of regulation.
Performance Points for the Foundation, Higher and Advanced Diplomas . Diplomas at levels 1 and 2 (Foundation and Higher Diploma)
Foundation and Higher Diploma achievement and attainment table (AAT) points exclude functional skills and personal, learning and thinking skills (PLTS) because these are delivered and recognised in AAT points through the KS4 curriculum.
This means that for the Foundation Diploma, the formula for AAT points is derived from 420 of the total 600 guided learning hours published in the Diploma structures and standards document (available on the QCA website), since the functional skills and PLTS comprise 180 guided learning hours at this level.
AAT points for the Higher Diploma are based on 660 of the total 800 guided learning hours for the course, since the functional skills and PLTS comprise 140 guided learning hours at this level.
| Foundation Diploma: | ||||
| glh | B | A | A* | |
| Higher Diploma: | |||||
| glh | C | B | A | A* | |
Diplomas at level 3 (Advanced Diploma)
At Level 3, the curriculum context does not already include provision for the delivery of personal, learning and thinking skills (PLTS), functional skills or work experience. These are all hurdles for the achievement of the Advanced Diploma.
Functional Skills will need to be "taught" in the early years of the Diploma, and work experience will require a significant amount of directed time. Therefore the functional skills, work experience and PLTS hurdles are included within the AAT points calculations.
This means that although the published 1,080 guided learning hours for the Advanced Diploma is still valid, the AAT points for the qualification are based on 1305
guided learning hours, taking into account functional skills and work experience, which together comprise 225 guided learning hours.
| Advanced Diploma: | |||||||
| glh | E | D | C | B | A | A* | |
| (1) GLH for work experience has been calculated on the basis of 10 eight-hour working days and 10 hours for preparation, reporting and evaluation. | |||||||
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