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9 Feb 2009 : Column 1708W—continued
Departmental Surveys
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department's central media and communication unit spent on public surveys in each of the last three years. [247922]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since its inception in June 2007 the Department has spent £1,845,528 on public surveys. This figure is inclusive of VAT and includes current spend to 19 January 2009.
Departmental Temporary Employment
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent by his Department on (a) agency and (b) temporary staff in each year since it was established. [251290]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since its inception, the Department’s spend on agency staff for each year is set out as follows:
| Agency (£) | |
The Department also employs people on other short term contracts but information on salary costs by length of contract could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Training
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the Answer of 3 November 2008, Official Report, column 186W, on departmental training, what personal training courses at public expense other Ministers in his Department have undertaken since 1 January 2008. [251321]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Ministers in the Department for Children, Schools and Families have taken the following personal training courses at public expense since 1 January 2008:
Induction Workshop, Action Learning Set, Media Training, Select Committee Training.
Departmental Working Hours
Mr. Laws:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what the policy of his Department and its agencies is on granting staff time
off in lieu for working (a) in lunch breaks, (b) in evenings and (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if he will make a statement; [252041]
(2) how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies for working (i) in lunch breaks and (ii) at other times outside contracted working hours, in the last year for which figures are available. [252042]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is not held centrally in the Department or in non-departmental public bodies and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
As part of the Department’s flexible working arrangements, employees from Grade 6 to Executive Assistant can work flexitime. These arrangements do not apply to members of the senior civil service
The Department has no agencies.
Dyslexia
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what support his Department provides to schools to assist pupils with dyslexia; [253114]
(2) what plans his Department has for future teaching methods for dyslexic children. [253112]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Sir Jim Rose is currently developing recommendations, in the light of evidence, on the identification and teaching of children with dyslexia. We are now looking forward to Sir Jim publishing these recommendations in the spring.
All local authorities, schools and early years settings must have regard to the special educational needs (SEN) code of practice which provides advice on carrying out statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for pupils’ with SEN. Children with dyslexia should have their needs identified and support put in place in the same way as for other children with SEN.
We have launched a professional development resource for those working in schools, called the Inclusion Development (IDP) Programme. This is being distributed to local authorities and schools through the National Strategies. It offers professional development in key areas of SEN, starting with training on communication difficulties including dyslexia.
We are also working with a number of dyslexia organisations to promote best practice in identifying and supporting children and young people with dyslexia in schools. This includes helping fund the ‘No to Failure’ project which brings together dyslexia organisations in trailblazing and evaluating the impact of both specialist training for teachers and specialist tuition for pupils with dyslexia, and the British Dyslexia Association helpline which provides advice about dyslexia to teachers as well as parents.
Education: Assessment
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research his Department has commissioned to assess the effect of testing in schools upon the mental well-being of pupils. [253303]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has established an Expert Group on Testing and Assessment. The group is reviewing pupil well being as part of its remit, giving consideration to what advice should be provided to schools to ensure that preparation for national curriculum tests at Key Stage 2 is proportionate and educationally appropriate. The group’s findings will be used to inform future plans for testing and assessment.
The evaluation of Single Level Tests under the Making Good Progress pilot included consideration of pupils’ experience of testing in an interim Report (Evaluation of the Making Good Progress, Research Report DCSF-RR065), which was published in December 2008. The majority of interviewees who commented on pupils’ Single Level Test experiences in the report, considered that pupils were generally not stressed by the tests involved, because they were pitched at the ‘right’ level.
Education: Standards
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effects of the implementation of the recommendation in the Faith in the System report on education as a whole; and what costs to his Department arose in the production and distribution of the report. [253696]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: “Faith in the System: the role of schools with a religious character in English education and society” was launched on 10 September 2007 and outlined the Government's and faith schools providers' shared vision on the role of faith schools in the English education system and wider society. The document does not represent a set of new policy initiatives but aims to dispel some of the common myths and misunderstanding around faiths schools. In it, the Government and faith leaders of all faiths that have publicly funded schools in England reaffirmed their commitment to continue to work together and with all schools to improve the life chances of children, to build bridges to greater mutual trust and understanding, and contribute to a just and cohesive society, while nurturing children in their faith and as engaged citizens. We know that the principles of “Faith in the System” are embedded in faith schools and that they are committed to working with other schools and to meeting the needs of all pupils, whether they are of the faith or not.
For example, the Board of Deputies of British Jews have developed the “Shared Futures” linking project, which aims to link minority faith schools and schools without a religious character where the significant majority of pupils are of a single faith. The Church of England (CofE) is now committed to reserving 25 per cent. of school places at new CofE schools for pupils from the local neighbourhood regardless of faith background or none; and last year, the Catholic Education Service (CES) launched new preliminary guidance for all Catholic schools in England on the statutory duty to promote community cohesion.
The faith groups are now working together to take forward “Faith in the System”, with the CES taking the lead in organising a follow-up conference, which is due to be held in autumn this year.
The costs of printing the “Faith in the System” document were £5,208 (£6,119 including VAT). No other substantial additional costs have arisen in relation to this resource as staff time in facilitating the working groups and drafting the document does not represent an additional cost.
Equality: Education
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what assessment he has made of the merits of teaching intercultural competencies; [253726]
(2) whether his Department plans to issue guidance to its agencies on the use of the descriptors of key competencies for intercultural communication in the design and implementation of curricula at all levels of education, including teacher training. [253754]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry [holding answer 2 February 2009]: It is crucial that young people have the right skills to compete in an increasingly fast changing global economy. Communication skills in other languages, combined with an understanding and appreciation of other cultures, will become increasingly important for the jobs of the future. We have made no specific assessment of this issue and have no plans to issue specific guidance to schools on intercultural competencies. However, intercultural understanding is a key concept within compulsory language learning for 11 to 14-year-olds, where pupils learn to appreciate other cultures, recognise different ways of seeing the world, develop an international look and communicate with native speakers where possible.
Citizenship education equips pupils with the knowledge and skills needed for effective and democratic participation. This includes such areas as the changing nature of UK society, the diversity of ideas, beliefs, cultures, identities, traditions, perspectives and values that are shared; migration to, from and within the UK and the reasons for this, the UK’s relations with the European Union and the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the world as a global community.
Foreign Languages: Assessments
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what criteria are used when assessing whether a foreign language should be approved as a new GCSE subject; [254796]
(2) if he will support the introduction of a foreign language (a) GCSE and (b) A Level qualification in Serbian. [254797]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Decisions as to which languages are offered at GCSE or A-level are for awarding bodies to take in the light of demand. The Department is not aware of any plans to introduce a GCSE or A-level qualification in Serbian. Further details on getting qualifications accredited are available from the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator, whose website is
Free School Meals: Chelmsford
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children received free school meals in West Chelmsford constituency in (a) 1997 and (b) each of the last five years. [254715]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is shown in the table, together with the numbers of children eligible for free school meals. The numbers receiving free school meals on census day are regarded as less reliable than the numbers eligible.
| Maintained nursery and primary schools, state-funded secondary schools: school meal arrangements—Position in January each year 1997 and 2004 to 2008, West Chelmsford parliamentary constituency | |||||
| Maintained nursery and primary schools( 1) | |||||
| Number on roll( 3) | Number of pupils taking free school means | Percentage taking free school meals | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals | |
| State-funded secondary schools( 1,2) | |||||
| Number on roll( 3) | Number of pupils taking free school means | Percentage taking free school meals | Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals | |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) Includes dually registered pupils, excludes boarding pupils. Source: Schools Census | |||||
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