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9 Feb 2009 : Column 1724W—continued


Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in each decile of income deprivation affecting children indices were given a fixed-period exclusion in the last 12 months. [251103]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information on pupils with one or more episodes of fixed period exclusion is provided in the table.


9 Feb 2009 : Column 1725W
Primary and secondary schools( 1,2,3) : Number of pupils receiving fixed period exclusions by level of deprivation of school( 4 ) , England, 2006/07
Number of pupils receiving fixed period exclusions
Level of deprivation of school based on IDACI( 1 ) (Percentage) Maintained primary schools State funded secondary schools

0-10 most deprived

5,000

17,810

10-20

4,060

20,100

20-30

3,430

19,520

30-40

2,800

22,800

40-50

2,080

22,670

50-60

1,920

22,540

60-70

1,480

18,360

70-80

1,160

17,770

80-90

970

18,080

90-100 least deprived

770

17,530

(1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes both CTCs and academies. Information is as reported by schools. (3) Based on schools open in January 2007. (4) 2004 Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index at Super Output Area level based on the location of the school. Includes all schools which returned information on fixed period exclusions for 2006/07. Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.
Source: Schools Census

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were given more than two fixed-period exclusions in each local authority in the last 12 months. [251117]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The latest available information covers the school year 2006/07; this has been placed in the Library.

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were permanently excluded from school in the most recent year which figures are available; and what percentage of those children were looked-after children. [251781]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In 2006/07, the latest year for which information is available, there were 8,680 permanent exclusions from primary, secondary and all special schools (including CTCs and academies). This figure is given in table 3 of the ‘Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2006/07’ Statistical First Release:

In 2006/07, the latest year for which data is available, there were 220 permanent exclusions from schools for looked-after children(1). This figure is given in table A of the ‘Outcome Indicators for Children Looked After, 12 months to 30 September 2007—England’ Statistical First Release:

Looked-after children who have been permanently excluded as a percentage of total permanent exclusions cannot be calculated because the figure for the total number of permanent exclusions and the figure for the number of permanent exclusions for looked-after children come from different sources and are on different bases.

Pupil Referral Units

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what consultation he has undertaken with representatives of the education sector on the proposed renaming of pupil referral units; and if he will make a statement; [252448]


9 Feb 2009 : Column 1726W

(2) how many Link schools there are; and how many such schools have the word link in their official titles. [252449]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Our proposal to re-name pupil referral units was put forward in the White Paper “Back on Track: A strategy for modernising alternative provision for young people”, published in May 2008. A full public consultation was held on the contents of the White Paper, including the proposed name change, and we received a number of responses suggesting new names for pupil referral units.

The ministerial stakeholders’ group on behaviour and attendance, which includes representatives from the professional associations unions, school governance organisations and local authority organisations, was also consulted on the Back on Track proposals, as was the national organisation for PRUs, which held a survey on its website to identify popular names.

Once a shortlist of names was collated, schools in England who already use the potential new names were contacted by officials.

My officials have identified five schools in England called ‘Link’ or ‘Links’.

Pupils: English Language

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 165W, on pupils: English language, if he will provide the same information for (a) 2004 and (b) 1999. [253398]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry [holding answer 9 February 2009]: The requested information has been placed in the Library.

Recycling: Education

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding his Department has provided to improve education about recycling in schools in the last five years. [253695]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Education about recycling in schools comes within the National Framework for Sustainable Schools which was launched in May 2006. The Department's spending on sustainable schools has been to date:

And we have forecast to spend in 2008-09:

Since 2006, the Department has provided support to schools by producing a Top Tips guide for reducing waste; a guide to Bursars which includes advice on waste minimisation and recycling which could save schools' money; and a Carbon Detectives' Kit (carbon footprint tool) which enables young people to investigate their school's sustainability performance and supports them in finding ways to improve it.

Investigations into waste and recycling are included in the Carbon Detectives' Kit.


9 Feb 2009 : Column 1727W

School Meals

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children have school meals in each local authority area. [247515]


9 Feb 2009 : Column 1728W

Beverley Hughes: The Department does not collect this information.

However, the School Food Trust's (SFT) annual survey on school meals take-up in England provides information on take-up by region.

Table 7: Take up of school meals (percentage) in primary and secondary schools in England, by region, 2007-2008 and 2006-07 based on usual method of calculation
Usual method of calculation Change of provision

 2007-08 2006-07 Percentage of 2006-07 Difference (percentage points)

Primary

North East

53.6

55.3

-3.1

-1.7

North West

46.4

44.9

3.3

1.5

Yorkshire/Humber

43.9

43.2

1.6

0.7

East Midlands

39.9

34.3

16.3

(1)5.6

West Midlands

45.1

45.5

-0.9

-0.4

East of England

39.6

39.3

0.8

0.3

Inner London

57.4

56.9

0.9

0.5

Outer London

40.9

42.9

-4.7

-2

South East

33.8

28.0

20.7

(2)5.8

South West

34.8

35.8

-2.8

-1

All primary

43.0

41.3

4.1

1.7

Secondary

North East

40.1

38.8

3.4

1.3

North West

45.0

41.9

7.4

3.1

Yorkshire/Humber

36.8

37.1

-0.8

-0.3

East Midlands

34.3

34.9

-1.7

-0.6

West Midlands

36.9

36.0

2.5

0.9

East of England

33.8

35.1

-3.7

-1.3

Inner London

41.0

38.5

6.5

2.5

Outer London

39.9

39.3

1.5

0.6

South East

32.0

39.7

-19.4

(3)7.7

South West

31.2

26.8

16.4

(4)4.4

All secondary

37.6

37.7

-0.3

-0.1

(1) The apparent 6 per cent. increase in take up in East Midlands is attributable to a difference in the reported value for take up in one LA from 17 per cent. in 2006-07 to 29 per cent. in 2007-08. In April 2008, the reported value for the same LA for 2006-07 was 44 per cent. suggesting that the original value of 17 per cent. may have been in error. Also, two LAs with take up lower than the national average reported in 2006-07 but not for 2007-08.
(2) The apparent 6 per cent. increase in take up in South East is attributable to increases in take up of 5 per cent. and 6 per cent. in two of the largest LAs in South East. Once weighting is applied, these increases make a significant contribution to the regional average.
(3) The apparent 8 per cent. decrease in take up in South East is attributable to different LAs reporting in 2008 and 2007, with one LA with higher than average take up reporting in 2007 but not 2008, and one LA with lower than average take up reporting in 2008 but not 2007. Also, an 8 per cent. drop in take up in the second largest LA in South East will have significantly affected the weighted average.
(4) The apparent 4 per cent. increase in take up in South West is attributable to more survey responses in 2007-2008 (5 LAs) compared with 2006-2007 (3 LAs).
Note:
Base (unweighted): Primary: 97 (2007-2008); 86 (2006-2007), Secondary: 78 (2007-2008); 64 (2006-2007). Analysis: weighted by number of pupils attending schools catered for.
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