| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
4 Feb 2009 : Column 1340W—continued
Schools: Energy
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what plans his Department has to increase the energy efficiency of the schools estate, with particular reference to schools constructed under the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement; [252588]
(2) how many biomass boilers (a) have been and (b) are planned to be installed in new schools following calculation of such schools' carbon dioxide emissions using the Government's carbon calculator. [252663]
Jim Knight: In December 2007 we announced an ambition for all new school buildings, including all new schools within Building Schools for the Future, to be zero carbon by 2016. A task force has been appointed to advise on how to achieve this ambition. The task force will develop a strategy for moving the school system to zero carbon, setting targets and milestones to 2016. It will also scope the potential to reduce carbon emissions during school refurbishment projects.
It is already a requirement that newly constructed schools must meet a carbon emissions reduction of 60 per cent. relative to the energy efficiency standards in 2002 building regulations. My Department has provided additional funding for more than 200 schools in Building Schools for the Future and the academies programme to fund the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures on school sites to enable this requirement to be met.
The carbon calculator was developed to allow users to compare the likely effectiveness of various energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions, and to demonstrate how they would achieve the 60 per cent. reduction. We have received completed carbon calculators for 53 school projects which are currently in design. Of these designs, 46 propose to include biomass boilers, two propose to include biomass combined heat and power (CHP) plant, and one proposes a combination of biomass and ground source heat pump. There may be more schools with plans to include biomass boilers; we do not impose a requirement on schools that they report such plans to us.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his assessment is of levels of energy efficiency in school buildings constructed under the Building Schools for the Future programme; and what measures he has put in place to evaluate the energy efficiency of new school buildings proposed under the programme. [253141]
Jim Knight: The Department requires that newly constructed schools, including those within Building Schools for the Future, meet a carbon emissions reduction of 60 per cent. relative to the energy efficiency standards in 2002 building regulations. Additional funding has been provided for more than 200 schools in Building Schools for the Future and the Academies programme to fund the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures on school sites to enable this requirement to be met. We have developed a ‘carbon calculator’—a software tool—which allows users to compare the likely effectiveness of various energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions, and to demonstrate how they would achieve the 60 per cent. reduction. We have received completed carbon calculators for 53 school projects which are currently in design(1).
Partnerships for Schools monitors the compliance of the carbon ratings of school designs with Government targets and in PFI schools ensures that the payment mechanism during the contract period (normally 25 years) reflects the DCSF policy on energy use. A low carbon rating may be due to energy efficient design or the employment of low and zero carbon fuels, including renewables.
Schools: Parents
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of variations in the quality and level of parental involvement in education according to (a) sex, (b) race and (c) income. [253305]
Jim Knight: The Department has commissioned research to examine the level of parental involvement in children’s education. This includes a national survey of parents and carers conducted in 2008 which examined variation in parental engagement in learning and education by gender, ethnicity and income. The quality of parental involvement was examined at a broad level, in terms of frequency of help with homework, attendance at parents’ evenings and discussions about educational options.
The Department also undertook research in 2007 which examined the variation in parental involvement in their children’s education according to gender and ethnicity. The quality of parental involvement was not examined in this research; however it did investigate the types of activities that parents were involved in and their confidence in helping their child with homework.
The finding of this research are informing the Department’s new approach to supporting parental engagement and is outlined in the Children’s Plan: One Year On report published in December 2008.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research his Department has evaluated on the relationship between parental choice and achievement; and if he will make a statement. [253307]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has evaluated the following research on the links between choice, diversity and standards:
Simon Burgess, Carol Propper and Deborah Wilson (2007): “The Impact of School Choice in England”, Policy Studies, vol. 28, No. 2, 2007
Peterson, P., Howell, W., Wolf, P. and Campbell, D. (2003) “School vouchers: results from randomised experiments”, The Economics of School Choice , ed. C. Hoxby, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Hoxby, C. (2003c) “School choice and school productivity: could school choice be a tide that lifts all boats?”, The Economics of School Choice, ed. C. Hoxby, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press
Sandstrom, F. and Bergstrom, F. (2002) “School Vouchers in Practice—Competition Won’t Hurt You”, IUI Working Paper Series 578, The Research Institute of Industrial Economics, Stockholm.
Ladd, H and Fiske, E (2001) “The uneven playing field of school choice: evidence from New Zealand”, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, vol. 20, No.1, pp. 43-64
Cullen, J; Jacob, B; Levitt, S. (2000) “The Impact of School Choice on Student Outcomes: An Analysis of the Chicago Public School”, NBER Working Paper 7888, Cambridge
There is no clear evidence that school choice directly affects pupil progress. However, evidence suggests that schools respond positively to competition by raising their standards.
Schools: Repairs and Maintenance
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress his Department has made toward its targets of (a) the provision of funding for every local authority to renew at least the school in greatest need by 2011 and (b) major rebuilding and remodelling projects in at least three schools to be started in every local authority by 2016; and if he will make a statement. [252662]
Jim Knight: The Department has (a) allocated resources to all local authorities to renew at least one secondary school through its Building Schools for the Future programme, academies programme and One School Pathfinder programme; we are (b) looking to bring every local authority into the Building Schools for the Future programme, with at least a priority 3-5 school opening project, as soon as is practicable.
Secondary Education
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which maintained secondary schools offer courses for (a) pre-U qualifications and (b) the international baccalaureate. [249226]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 9 December 2008, Official Report, columns 80-81W.
Special Educational Needs
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average standard assessment test scores achieved by special educational needs pupils taught in mainstream schools were in each of the last 10 years. [248867]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Data for the last 10 years can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Information on the levels obtained in key stage 2 and key stage 3 tests by pupils with special education needs (SEN) in mainstream schools in 2007 can be found in the following tables. These figures are based on final KS2 and KS3 data.
Similar information for all pupils with SEN (i.e. including those at maintained special schools as well as mainstream schools) for 2007 can be found in SFR38/2007, at:
The KS2 and KS3 figures in this published SFR were based on provisional data.
| Percentage of pupils achieving each level in mathematics | ||||||||||||
| Eligible pupils | Absent | T | B | N | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |