| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
25 Nov 2008 : Column 1414W—continued
Academies: Local Education Authorities
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academies are being co-sponsored by a local education authority; and if he will make a statement. [237655]
Jim Knight: There are seven open academies that are currently jointly sponsored by a local authority and another 21 in various stages of planning.
All academies must have a local authority representative on their governing body. Where a local authority is a co-sponsor, they can appoint up to two governors to the governing body. However, the lead sponsor must appoint the majority.
Academies: Per Capita Costs
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding per
pupil was provided to city academies in (a) Norwich North constituency and (b) England in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09; how many pupils attended each city academy in (A) Norwich North constituency and (B) England in each of these years; and for how many pupils in each city academy in (1) Norwich North constituency and (2) England funding was provided in each of those years. [238316]
Jim Knight:
Academies are funded on an academic year rather than a financial year basis. We aim to provide academies with funding for running costs that is equivalent to other state-funded schools in similar circumstances in their local authority. This requires us to make certain adjustments, for example, to reflect a phased intake of pupils, or VAT status. In addition, academies are funded to buy services that local authorities
would normally provide to other schools free of charge, such as education welfare services.
As The Open Academy, Norwich, only opened in September 2008, it did not receive any recurrent funding in 2007-08. For academic year 2008-09, The Open Academy received £5,200 per pupil, based on the academy's forecast of 538 pupils and calculated using the figures for other schools in the local authority. This excludes the extra money paid to cover for increased costs to replicate additional local authority central expenditure on services such as education welfare offices, HR and legal fees; and also a one-off start-up grant to cover items such as new uniforms and materials. These additional elements totalled £1,531,269.
The following table shows the latest available data on average per pupil funding of academies and maintained community secondary schools in English local authorities with academies:
| Financial year | Average per pupil funding in academies( 1) | Average school based expenditure per pupil in maintained community secondary schools in local authorities with academies |
| (1) Excludes elements paid to academies to compensate for increased costs (start-up grant; VAT grant; earmarked additional grants; and local authority central spend equivalent grant). | ||
The actual number of pupils at The Open Academy has been counted in the autumn term Schools Census but the data are not yet available. As the academy is in its first year, its funding is based on a forecast and will be subject to adjustment if actual pupil numbers vary from the estimate by more than 2.5 per cent.
Academies: Pupil Exclusions
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has for the Independent Appeals Panels for exclusions from academies; and if he will make a statement. [237656]
Jim Knight: Pupils at academies have exactly the same rights as pupils in other state-funded schools to an independent appeal panel hearing in cases where they are permanently excluded. Academies are required, by their funding agreements, to follow the same procedures in relation to such appeal panels as apply in maintained schools.
Academies: Sponsorship
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many new sponsors he estimates will become actively involved in the academies programme in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [238112]
Jim Knight: We have made no estimate of the number of new sponsors that will become actively involved in the academies programme in the next 12 months. The Government remain fully committed to the programme and aims to open up to 80 more academies in 2009 and up to 100 in 2010.
Academies: Standards
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of academies had 30 per cent. or more pupils gain five A* to C grades at GCSE in each of the last three years; what assessment he has made of how this compares with other schools in the state sector; and if he will make a statement. [238115]
Jim Knight: The following table sets out the percentage of maintained mainstream schools, City Technology Colleges and Academies where at least 30 per cent. of 15 year olds achieved 5+A*-C at GCSE or equivalent for each of the last three years. Figures for Academies cover those for which results are available.
| Academies (excludes former City Technology Colleges) | Maintained mainstream schools, City Technology Colleges and Academies | |||||||||
| Total number of Academies | Number and percentage of Academies above 30 5+ A*-C | Number and percentage of Academies above 30 5+ A*-C (including English and maths) | Total number of schools | Number and percentage of schools above 30 5+ A*-C | Number and percentage of schools above 30 5+ A*-C (including English and maths) | |||||
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |||
Many academies have been established to replace low-attaining schools. By 2007, for the 36 academies with low-attaining predecessor schools, the proportion of pupils gaining five or more GCSEs at A*-C had almost doubled, from 22 per cent. n 2001 to 43.7 per cent. in 2007 compared to a national increase of 12.2 per cent.
Arts: Education
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many school inspections Ofsted carried out on creative learning programmes in 2008. [232792]
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 6 November 2008:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, for a response.
In 2008, Ofsted is carrying out a survey of creativity across the school curriculum and this involves a sample of primary and secondary schools. As of 5 November 2008, 33 schools have been inspected. We intend to inspect a further 10 schools before inspection retrieval and analysis are undertaken and report writing begins. The intention is to publish the report in late summer 2009.
The focus of the survey is the impact of creative learning on the achievement and personal development of pupils. It will consider how schools assess the quality and development of creative learning across the curriculum.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Building Schools for the Future Programme
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of schools built under the Building Schools for the Future programme have (a) 1,000 pupils or fewer, (b) 1,001 to 1,500 pupils, (c) 1,501 to 2,000 pupils and (d) more than 2,000 pupils. [238344]
Jim Knight: The number of pupils in the schools that are expected to be rebuilt or refurbished in Waves 1-3 of Building Schools for the Future is set out in the following table. This includes the 42 BSF schools which are now open. These are the current plans, which may change as projects develop. Plans for schools in later waves of the programme have not yet been finalised.
| Number of pupils | Number of schools | Percentage of total |
| Notes: 1. Includes mainstream and special schools. 2. Waves 1-3 only 3. Does not include recently built schools which are only receiving ICT funding under BSF. | ||
Building Schools for the Future Programme: Merseyside
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many new school buildings are scheduled to open under the Building Schools for the Future programme in Merseyside in the next three years. [236721]
Jim Knight: 15 new and three refurbished schools are scheduled to open across Merseyside in the next three years. Liverpool city council plans are that six new schools will be built and a further three remodelled over the next three years. Knowsley metropolitan borough council plans to complete the building of seven new learning centres and two special schools by 2011.
St. Helens is in wave 5 of the programme and plans to complete the first new school buildings in 2012. Neighbouring authorities in Sefton and Wirral have yet to start their BSF projects.
Children in Care: Boarding Schools
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils who were looked after were boarders according to the most recent school census from which data are available. [235581]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: It is not possible, given the amount of analysis required, to provide a response to this question within the timeframe required by Parliament. The requested information will be provided by the school census team and placed in the Library in due course.
The most recent census data relate to January 2008
The census shows 34,390 pupils aged 5 to 19 attending primary, secondary and special schools who are classed as being in care as at January 2008. Data published by the Department as SFR 23/2008: Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2008, show 47,600 children aged between five and 19 as being looked after as at 31 March 2008. The school census does not cover all looked after children; information is not collected for pupils in alternative provision, including pupil referral units, FE colleges, voluntary provision and those not in education or training. These differences in coverage will explain the different counts to an extent, but it is possible that the school census undercounts the number of looked after children in primary, secondary and special schools.
Children in Care: Crime
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he plans to take to assist local authorities in preventing offending by looked-after children. [234038]
Beverley Hughes: I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 11 November, Official Report, column 1067-8W.
With the Children and Young Persons Act receiving royal assent and to deliver the commitments set out in the Care Matters White Paper to drive significant improvement in outcomes for looked after children, we will be revising guidance to local authorities. This revised guidance will offer more detail about the responsibilities for preventing offending by looked after children and, about their responsibilities for establishing the necessary relationships with youth justice professionals so that, when looked after children do offend, plans are put in place to support the child to prevent re-offending.
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research his Department and its predecessor has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on links between young people in care and criminality in the last five years. [238114]
Beverley Hughes: The Department has commissioned the following research studies on the links between young people in care and criminality in the past five years:
‘An Analysis of Offending by Young People looked After by Local Authorities’ (Darker I, Ward H, and Caulfield L, University of Loughborough) looks at the association between local authority care and offending behaviour. The report can be found in Youth Justice, Vol. 8, No. 2, 134-148 (2008)
‘Young people Leaving Care: A study of costs and outcomes’ (Dixon J, Wade J et al) looked at offending behaviour among other outcomes. A summary can be found at
‘Managing Children's Homes: Developing effective Leadership’ (Hicks and Gibbs et al, Social Policy Research Unit, University of York) examined the outcomes for a sample of 175 children after one year, including behaviour problems and criminality. The report was published by Jessica Kingsley Publishing in 2007
‘Targeted Youth Support Pathfinders’ (Rodger J, Palmer H and Mahon J) looked at being in care as a potential
risk factor to poor outcomes, including offending behaviour. An interim report published November 2007 is available at
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |