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14 Oct 2008 : Column 1130W—continued
Primary National Strategy
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how much has been spent on the Primary National Strategy in each year from 2006 to 2008; [224570]
(2) how much was spent on the National Literacy Strategy in each year from 1997 to 2006; [224573]
(3) how much was spent on the National Numeracy Strategy in each year from 1998 to 2006. [224574]
Jim Knight: The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies were introduced in 1998 and 1999 respectively and developed formally into the Primary National Strategy in 2003. From 1998-99 to 2003-04 the Department has allocated £531.2 million to primary schools and local authorities through the Standards Fund to support the National Literacy Strategy and £480.6 million between 1999-2000 to 2003-04 to support the National Numeracy Strategy.
From 2004-05 to 2008-09 the Department has allocated a further £915.9 million to support the Primary National Strategy.
The following table shows a breakdown of Standards Fund grants by year since 1998.
In addition to these grants the Department also holds a contract for the central delivery of the National Strategies. The contract spend is approximately £80 million annually, of which approximately £7 million specifically is for primary mathematics and £11 million for primary English. There are also a number of other cross-phase programmes which impact on the Primary phase. The contract includes the provision of an education field force to support local authorities and schools, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) materials and training events provided free to schools.
Primary School: Admissions
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in Leeds West constituency due to enter their first year of primary school did not have a place by 1 September in each year since 1997. [226246]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not collect data on primary school offers or on the number of unplaced children. Local authorities are under a duty to make sure that every child of compulsory school age has a suitable school place.
Primary Schools: Local Authorities
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidelines he has issued to education authorities relating to over-subscribed primary schools. [224647]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Admission authorities for schools that have more applications than places available, including primary schools, must apply published oversubscription criteria to determine who has priority for places. When setting and applying their admission arrangements, local authorities, admission authorities and schools must act in accordance with the School Admissions Code, which we issued in 2007. Primary schools must also comply with admissions legislation, including infant class size regulations which, with some exceptions, limit infant classes to 30 pupils to one teacher.
We have just consulted on further improvements to the admissions framework.
Pupil Exclusions
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what mechanisms he plans to put in place requiring schools to take part in the education of excluded schoolchildren; whether his plans will cover every excluded schoolchild; whether schools will be able to opt out; how many school age children he estimates will still be excluded and not allocated to a school after the programme has been implemented; how the programme will be monitored; who will monitor it; and if he will make a statement. [226557]
Jim Knight: Since September 2007, all schools have had a statutory duty to provide suitable, full-time education for pupils who have been given a fixed period exclusion of six days or more. Local authorities have a similar duty in respect of permanently excluded pupils. This requirement applies to all pupils of compulsory school age. In 2006/07, before this requirement came into force, 425,600 pupils were given a fixed period exclusion of which 43,340 were for six days or more. The average length of a fixed period exclusion is 3.2 days.
We do not collect information on how schools are discharging their duty but we have asked local authorities to appoint a lead officer to monitor education provision for excluded pupils. Also, Ofsted is currently conducting a thematic review of how schools and local authorities are meeting their requirement to provide excluded pupils with suitable, full-time education.
Pupils: Diplomas
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the minimum number of recommended hours a week is that a student taking a (a) foundation, (b) higher and (c) advanced diploma should spend studying (i) mathematics, (ii) English and (iii) science (A) excluding and (B) including applied learning. [226027]
Jim Knight: Schools have flexibility in how they deliver their weekly timetable and the hours they allocate to individual subjects. Diploma students studying a foundation or higher diploma at key stage 4 will study mathematics, English and science as part of the core curriculum.
For an advanced diploma, the level of English, mathematics or science that would be covered would depend upon the line of learning and associated additional and specialist learning (ASL) topics being studied.
The level of applied learning in each of these areas will be in addition to this and will vary according to the diploma line of learning and the ASL options taken. At least 50 per cent. of the principal learning element of the diploma will be applied learning.
Pupils: Disadvantaged
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many boys on free school meals achieved (a) five A* to C passes at GCSE, (b) five A* to C passes at GCSE including mathematics and English, (c) five A* to C passes at GCSE including mathematics, English and a science and (d) five A* to C passes at GCSE including mathematics, English, science and a foreign language in each year since 1997. [224877]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The proportion of boys eligible for free school meals who achieved, (a) five A* to C GCSEs (2006 and 2007 only), and (b) five A* to C GCSEs including mathematics and English (2002 to 2007), can be found in the following statistical first releases. Prior to 2002 pupil level characteristics information was not collected.
Further information can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
Pupils: Exclusions
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of children in care received (a) fixed-term and (b) permanent exclusions in each of the last five years. [225842]
Beverley Hughes: The number and percentage of looked after children who were permanently excluded in 2005, 2006 and 2007 can be found in table A of the “Outcome Indicators for Children Looked After, Twelve months to 30 September 2007—England” Statistical First Release accessible via the link:
The number and percentage of looked after children who were permanently excluded in 2003 and 2004 can be found in table A of the “Outcome Indicators for Looked-after Children, Twelve months to 30 September 2005—England” Statistical First Release accessible via the link:
Information on fixed term exclusions is not collected centrally.
Pupils: Greater London
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children transferred to high schools in each London borough in each of the last 10 years; and how many children resident in each borough transferred to a school in another borough in each year. [225754]
Jim Knight: The information requested for 10 years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
(1) For the first part of the question, the number of children aged 11 at secondary schools in each London local authority can be used as a proxy and the latest information is available as an Excel table (Table 15) of the following Statistical First Release:
DCSF: Pupil Characteristics and Class Sizes in Maintained Schools in England: January 2008 (Provisional)
EXCEL (These Excel spreadsheets contain local authority tables of pupils characteristics and class sizes)
(2) For the second part of the question, the latest information on the movement of children between local authorities is available as Excel tables via the following publications:
DCSF: Pupil Characteristics and Class Sizes in Maintained Schools in England: January 2008 (Provisional)
EXCEL (Cross local authority border movement of school pupils resident in England (primary, secondary, and special and sixth form), January 2008 (Provisional))
DCSF: School Destinations of Secondary School Pupils Resident in London Boroughs, 2008 (Internet only)
EXCEL (These Excel spreadsheets contain tables 9 to 41 from this bulletin (individual local authority tables showing the school destinations of secondary school pupils)).
School Meals: Stroud
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which primary schools have full kitchen facilities in Stroud constituency; and which other schools in Stroud have facilities for hot meals. [225428]
Beverley Hughes: The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not collect this information.
Schools
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools are both (a) national challenge schools and (b) extra mile schools, or mentor schools; and if he will make a statement. [225851]
Jim Knight: The “Extra Mile” is a small project, launched in July 2008, designed to help schools serving disadvantaged areas raise the attainment and aspirations of their pupils. All schools will trial one or two activities which have been shown to be effective elsewhere, and will be put in touch with a partner school which has experience of those activities. Four Extra Mile schools were below the threshold of 30 per cent. of pupils gaining five plus good GCSEs inc. English and Maths in 2007: Oakmead School, Bournemouth; Portchester School, Bournemouth; St. Hugh’s Church of England College, Grantham, Lincolnshire; Witton Park High School, Blackburn with Darwen. Six of the partner schools were in the same situation: Banbury School, Oxfordshire; Newall Green High School, Manchester; Ridgeway School, Wirrall; Park High School, Wirrall; The Wordsley School, Dudley; Sir Henry Cooper School, Kingston upon Hull.
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