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21 Oct 2008 : Column 330W—continued


Table 2 provides information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds for Darlington local authority area for the years 1999 to 2008.

Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2) filled by three and four-year-olds: local authority Darlington—position in January each year
Three-year-olds Four-year-olds

Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total three-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total four-year-olds

1999

1,000

n/a

1,000

n/a

n/a

(5,6)1,300

2000

980

(7)0

1,000

m/a

n/a

(5,6)1,300

2001

920

(7)60

970

n/a

n/a

(5,6)1,300

2002

920

(7)290

1,200

1,100

(5)110

1,200

2003

870

(7)350

1,200

1,100

(8)130

1.200

2004

780

(9)370

1,200

1,100

(10)120

1,200

2005

700

(9)350

1,100

970

(10)150

1,100

2006

740

(9)370

1,100

950

(10)120

1,100

2007

740

(9)390

1,100

1,000

(10)150

1,200

2008

810

(9)410

1,200

1,100

(10)140

1,200

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 1999-2001, four-year-old sub national 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:

Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what the average length of time was between permanent exclusion of a pupil and their placement in another mainstream school or pupil referral unit in the latest year for which figures are available; [227996]

(2) in how many maintained mainstream schools more than (a) 10 per cent., (b) 15 per cent., (c) 20 per cent., (d) 25 per cent., and (e) 30 per cent. of pupils have been excluded in any one 12 month period in each of the last five years; [227997]

(3) how many incidents of violence towards (a) staff and (b) pupils were reported in the 10 per cent. of (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools with the (A) lowest and (B) highest levels of free school meal entitlement in the latest year for which data are available; [227998]

(4) how many incidents of violence towards (a) staff and (b) pupils were reported in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in the 10 per cent. of areas of (A) lowest and (B) highest deprivation in the latest year for which data are available. [227999]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pupil Referral Units

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils attended more than (a) one, (b) two and (c) three pupil referral units in each of the last 10 years. [228736]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information on pupil referral units is not collected centrally.

Pupil Referral Units: Pupil Exclusions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were excluded from pupil referral units for assaulting (a) teachers and (b) other pupils in each of the last 10 years. [228731]


21 Oct 2008 : Column 331W

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on exclusions from pupil referral units is only available for the school years 2003/04 and 2004/05 and this is shown in the following
21 Oct 2008 : Column 332W
table. Information on the reasons for exclusion is only available at disproportionate cost.

Pupil referral units: number and percentage of exclusions,2003/04 and 2004/05, England
Permanent exclusions Fixed period exclusions
2003/04 2004/05 2003/04 2004/05

Number Percentage( 1) Number Percentage( 1) Number Percentage( 1) Number Percentage( 1)

England(2)

30

0.26

40

0.28

5,780

44.34

7,630

52.75

(1) The number of exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number of pupils in pupil referral units.
(2) National figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Termly Exclusions Survey.

Pupil Referral Units: Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils at pupil referral units had (a) statemented and (b) non-statemented educational needs, broken down by type of need. [228732]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The number of pupils at pupil referral units with special educational needs, either with a statement or without a statement, can be found in tables 1a and 1b of the ‘Special Educational Needs in England: January 2008’ Statistical First Release accessible via

Information broken down further by type of need is not held centrally.

Pupils: Dyslexia

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of school students were dyslexic in 2007. [227899]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on the number of pupils with dyslexia is not collected centrally. Pupils categorised as having a 'Specific Learning Difficulty' have a particular difficulty in learning to read, write, spell or manipulate numbers and this includes pupils with dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. The number and percentage of pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties in 2007 (either with a statement of special educational needs (SEN) or supported at SEN School Action Plus, where the school involves external support/advice to meet the child's needs) can be found in table 9 of the 'Special Educational Needs in England: January 2007' Statistical First Release accessible via the following link:

The Department does not collect data on the particular special education needs of pupils at School Action (who represent more than half of all children with SEN).

Schools: Admissions

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children did not achieve a place at the secondary school of their choice in Lancashire in each of the last five years. [228964]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: This is the first year that local authorities have been required to provide data to the Secretary of State on secondary school offers made to parents on national offer day. The data were published on the DCSF research gateway

on 11 March at local authority, regional and national levels. Figures for Lancashire show that 13 per cent. (1,748) of children did not obtain a place at their first choice of secondary school. We do not collect data on primary school offers.

Special Educational Needs: Finance

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of funding for schools in England was directed to students with special needs and learning difficulties in 2007-08; and what proportion of the school student body they comprised. [227901]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: During the 2007-08 financial year, local authorities in England budgeted to spend almost £4.9 billion on the provision of education for pupils with special educational needs. This £4.9 billion represents a 76.0 per cent. increase since the 2000-01 financial year (comparable data are not available prior to 2000-01) and 12.8 per cent. of local authorities’ total planned education revenue expenditure for 2007-08. In addition to the planned expenditure of almost £4.9 billion, local authorities in England also budgeted a further £554.9 million for SEN transport during 2007-08.

As at January 2008, 20 per cent. of pupils had special educational needs (SEN), 2.8 per cent. had SEN ‘statements’ and 17.2 per cent. had SEN without statements. Much of the expenditure on the latter group will come from schools’ general budgets and will not be included within the £4.9 billion identified for SEN.

Teenage Pregnancy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of girls aged (a) 12, (b) 13, (c) 14, (d) 15 and (e) 16 were recorded as being pregnant in each of the last five years. [228727]

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated October 2008:


21 Oct 2008 : Column 333W
Conceptions by age: number and rate per 1.000. England and Wales, 2002-06
Under 14 14 15 16

Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate

2002

390

1.2

1,858

5.5

5,627

17.1

13,475

41.6

2003

334

1.0

1,888

5.7

5,802

17.2

13,303

40.3

2004

337

1.0

1,754

5.2

5,524

16.5

13,636

40.0

2005

327

1.0

1,830

5.4

5,773

17.1

13,335

39.4

2006

295

0.9

1,764

5.2

5,767

16.8

13,107

38.6

(1) Conceptions to girls under 14 per 1,000 girls aged 13

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