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14 Jan 2009 : Column 848Wcontinued
Percentage of pupils at each level | |||||||||||||
Subject | A | T | B | N | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ( 2) 8 | Total eligible pupils | |
(1) 2008 results are from provisional data. (2) Level 8 can only be achieved in teacher assessments and the mathematics test only. Notes: A represents pupils who were absent. T represents pupils working at the level of the assessment but unable to access the test. B represents pupils who were assessed by teacher assessment only. N represents pupils who took the tests but failed to register a level. |
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on contracting a private company to provide pre-tests to the (a) key stage 2 and (b) key stage 3 tests for 2009; and if he will make a statement. [244530]
Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is responsible for the administration of the Key Stage 2 (KS2) and Key Stage 3 (KS3) national curriculum tests, including pre-testing. Contracts are inclusive of development, pre-testing, marking and analysis and equating costs. QCA advise that specific costs for pre-tests are not available.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) key stage 1 and (b) key stage 2 test results were appealed against in 2008; what proportion of those appeals led to the results being changed; and if he will make a statement. [244532]
Jim Knight: The National Assessment Agency (NAA) is responsible for administering national curriculum tests. Key stage 1 consists of a series of tests and tasks administered by teachers and these are not marked externally. At key stage 2, the NAA has in place arrangements for marking to be reviewed where a school believes that it is inaccurate to the extent that a pupil has received an incorrect national curriculum level. The NAA is currently managing the final phase of the reviews process and expects that all results will be issued to schools in the coming weeks. The great majority of schools have already received results for their review applications. Once the final phase of review marking is complete, NAA will be able to provide full data on the volume and outcome of reviews for the 2008 national curriculum test cycle.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which key individuals from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority led Project Tornado referred to in paragraph 2.6 of the Sutherland Inquiry report HC 62. [245833]
Jim Knight: The National Assessment Agency (NAA) Managing Director had oversight of the procurement process and chaired associated project boards.
The NAA Operations Director was the Senior Responsible Officer for Project Tornado.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Statement of 16 December 2008, Official Report, columns 991-93, on the Sutherland Inquiry, on what dates between June 2007 to July 2008 staff of his Department drew their own assessments of risks in the Key Stage Testing Contract to the attention of Ministers in his Department; what concerns were raised; what action Ministers took in each case; and if he will make a statement. [246177]
Jim Knight:
As Lord Sutherland reported, DCSF had comprehensive arrangements in place to monitor QCAs performance, including good project and risk
management processes which provided thorough coverage across the Departments business. Between June 2007 and early July 2008 (when the NAA alerted Ministers to the likely delays to the release of test data), DCSF officials reported their assessment of risks to DCSF Ministers on several occasions. Ministers also received regular updates on national curriculum test delivery from the QCA and NAA, who continued to reassure Ministers as late as 17 June that delivery remained on track. Ministers responded to these assessments by seeking reassurance from QCA and NAA that they had suitable action in hand to secure delivery of their contractors obligations.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on what occasions during 2008 referred to in the Sutherland Inquiry reference: 4.137, officials from his Department escalated their assessment of risk associated with the marking of key stage 3 and key stage 2 national curriculum tests to Ministers; and what subsequent action Ministers took on each such occasion. [246273]
Jim Knight: As Lord Sutherland reported, DCSF had comprehensive arrangements in place to monitor QCAs performance, including good project and risk management processes which provided thorough coverage across the Departments business. Between January 2008 and early July (when the NAA alerted Ministers to the likely delays to the release of test data), DCSF officials reported their assessment of risks to DCSF Ministers on several occasions. Thereafter, Ministers also received regular, and at least weekly, updates on national curriculum test delivery from the QCA and NAA, who continued to reassure Ministers as late as 17 June that delivery remained on track. Ministers responded to these assessments by seeking reassurance from QCA and NAA that they had suitable action in hand to secure delivery of their contractors obligations.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the cost of the relocating of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority headquarters to Coventry. [245832]
Jim Knight: The current estimate of relocation costs is £48 million. An additional, £16 million provision is shown in the 2007-08 Annual Accounts relating to unoccupied lease obligations for current London offices.
Given particularly that accommodation costs in the West Midlands are lower than those in central London, the relocation of QCA is expected to deliver cost savings in the long term.
The 2004 Lyons review recommended that Government make the significant investment required to relocate organisations out of London and the South East, and concluded that there would be positive economic benefits to areas into which organisations were relocated.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how long on average a school placed in special measures spent under those measures in the latest period for which information is available. [247415]
Jim Knight: The following table shows the average number of months that primary and secondary schools spend in special measures. The figures are based on the schools that were removed from this Ofsted category during the 2007/08 academic year and the 1997/98 figures are shown for comparison. Pupil referral units and special schools are not included in view of the small numbers involved.
Number of months spent in special measures | ||
Phase | 2007/08 | 1997/98 |
Note: Pupil referral units and special schools not shown in view of the small numbers involved (seven during 2007/08). |
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of secondary schools offer wrap-around care (a) before school, (b) after school and (c) before and after school in each local authority area. [247055]
Beverley Hughes: We want all schools to offer access to a core offer of extended services by 2010. Secondary schools are not expected to offer formal wraparound child care. Instead they are expected to provide access to a varied menu of activities such as study support, sports clubs, music tuition, dance, drama and art clubs in a safe place to be, before and after school from 8 am to 6 pm and during the school holidays, in response to demand.
We are making good progress with local authorities reporting that more than 15,190 schools, around 67 per cent. of all maintained schools including 2,590 secondary (77 per cent.), now providing access to the full core offer and many more already providing access to the varied menu of activities aspect of the core offer.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students who started a new diploma course in September 2008 have since withdrawn from the course; and if he will make a statement. [244533]
Jim Knight: There is usually some fluctuation in learner numbers and qualifications at the beginning of the autumn term. We asked local authorities to provide us with diploma learner number information at the end of September, in order to allow for some of the initial fluctuation to have occurred and so to gather more accurate figures. Local authorities told us that just over 12,000 young people started a diploma course this term. We collected this information for funding purposes, and we have not collected revised figures subsequently.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the progress of the 14 to 19 Partnerships in planning for the delivery of the entitlement to 17 diploma lines across the country by 2013. [247245]
Jim Knight: 14-19 Partnerships provide an assessment of their progress in delivering all areas of the 14-19 reform programme through 14-19 Progress Checks. Progress Checks assess a Partnerships ability to meet the 14-19 entitlement, including delivery of the Diploma entitlement, and help them to identify where they may need to take further action. The latest round of Progress Checks in October 2008 showed that 14-19 Partnerships are making good progress on the delivery of 14-19 reforms, with 89 per cent. of areas rated Green or Amber Green.
As part of the application process for the Diploma Gateway, 14-19 Partnerships have been asked to outline their strategy for ensuring delivery of the Diploma entitlement by 2013. The results of the Gateway will be available in March.
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