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25 Feb 2009 : Column 807W—continued
Marriage Guidance
Andrew Selous:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how much of the money allocated through the Children, Young People and Families Grant 2008-09 constituted spending on marriage and relationship support as defined in his Department’s document Moving Forward Together (Marriage and relationship support covers help, advice or information that helps people to establish and maintain successful relationships with their partners?
Foreword: Moving Forward Together, a Proposed Strategy for Marriage Support for 2002 and Beyond, April 2002); [256477]
(2) how much of the money allocated through the Children, Young People and Families Grant 2009-10 as announced on 24 December 2008 is for the purpose of spending on marriage and relationship support as defined in his Department’s document Moving Forward Together (Marriage and relationship support covers help, advice or information that helps people to establish and maintain successful relationships with their partners? Foreword: Moving Forward Together, a Proposed Strategy for Marriage Support for 2002 and Beyond, April 2002). [256478]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 12 February 2009]: In 2008-09 £3.2 million of grant funding was allocated through the Children, Young People and Families grant programme for the purpose of spending on marriage and relationship support as defined in the Department’s document Moving Forward Together.
In 2009-10 £3.8 million of grant funding will be awarded through the Children, Young People and Families grant programme as announced on 24 December 2008 for the purpose of spending on marriage and relationship support as defined in the Department’s document Moving Forward Together.
National Curriculum Tests: Disadvantaged
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of (1) (a) all children, (b) children in the five per cent. most deprived areas and (c) children in the 10 per cent. most deprived areas achieved the national standard in the Key Stage 1 assessments in each year since 1997; [257624]
(2) (a) all children, (b) children in the five per cent. most deprived areas and (c) children in the 10 per cent. most deprived areas achieved the national standard in Key Stage 1 (i) reading, (ii) writing, (iii) mathematics and (iv) science assessments in each year since 1997; [257606]
(3) children in receipt of free school meals achieved the national standard in all Key Stage 1 assessments in each year since 1997; [257611]
(4) children in receipt of free school meals achieved the national standard in Key Stage 1 (a) reading, (b) writing, (c) mathematics and (d) science assessment in each year since 1997. [257610]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families publishes most of these data annually. Data for 2007/08 can be found in the Statistical First Release: Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2007/08, which can be found at:
Pre-school Education
Mrs. Maria Miller:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many and what proportion of (a) all children, (b) children in the five per cent. most deprived areas and (c) children in the 10 per cent. most deprived areas achieved the national
standard (1) in all Foundation Stage Profile assessments in each year for which records are available; [257625]
(2) in each of the Foundation Stage Profile assessments in each year for which records are available; [257627]
(3) in the Foundation Stage Profile assessments in (i) personal, social and emotional development, (ii) communication, language and literacy and (iii) mathematical development in each year for which records are available. [257621]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry [holding answer 23 February 2008]: The information is presented in the following table for 2008 only as information for previous years is not available. Breakdowns by assessment scale can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Children achieving the national standard( 1) in all foundation stage profile assessments by IDACI( 2) deprivation of pupil residence, 2008( 3) | ||
| Children achieving a good level of development in all foundation stage profile assessments | ||
| Number | Percentage | |
| (1 )A good level of development, defined as achieving six or more points in at least seven key scales and achieving 78 or more points across all scales. (2 )Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices. (3 )Figures are based on unamended data. (4 )Only children of known residence are included. Source: National Pupil Database | ||
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of children in receipt of free school meals achieved the national standard in each of the Foundation Stage Profile assessments in each year for which records are available. [257626]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry [holding answer 23 February 2009]: In 2008, 31 per cent. of children eligible for free school meals achieved a good level of development compared to 52 per cent. of children not eligible for free school meals. A good level of development is defined as achieving at least 78 or more points across all 13 scales of the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile and at least six or more points in each of the seven scales in Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Communication, Language and Literacy. Figures are not available for previous years.
Pupil Exclusions: Suffolk
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children attending schools in Suffolk between the ages of four and 11 years were suspended from school in each of the last five years. [256959]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry:
Information on fixed period exclusions was collected for the first time for the school year 2003/04. In 2005/06 the method of data collection
changed and information was collected from secondary schools only. In 2006/07 data were also collected from primary and special schools. The available information is shown in the table:
| Primary, secondary and special schools( 1, 2) , pupils aged four to 11 receiving one or more episodes of fixed period exclusion( 3) , Suffolk LA 2003/04 to 2006/07 | ||
| Number of pupils with one episode or more of fixed period exclusion | As a percentage of the school population( 4) | |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2 )Includes maintained primary, secondary and special schools. For 2003/04 and 2004/05 excludes CTCs and academies (3 )Pupils aged as at 31 August at the beginning of the school year. (4 )The number of pupils with a fixed period exclusion expressed as a percentage of the headcount of pupils in January each year, excluding dual registrations. (5 )Data for 2005/06 exclude primary and special schools, information for secondary schools only is shown. Source. Termly Exclusions Survey. | ||
Pupil Referral Units
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupil referral units are in special measures; and in which local authority areas those units are. [257449]
Beverley Hughes [holding answer 23 January 2009]: There are 10 pupil referral units currently in special measures and they are as follows:
| Units | |
| Source: EduBase | |
Pupil Referral Units: Pupil Exclusions
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were given a fixed-period exclusion from a pupil referral unit in 2008. [251085]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information on exclusions from pupil referral units in 2008 is not collected centrally.
Pupils: Absenteeism
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will change the formula for calculating attendance statistics for schools to prevent schools being penalised in the event of pupils not attending as a result of adverse weather conditions. [256501]
Jim Knight: The Government believe that every lesson counts and it is right that schools should stay open wherever reasonably practicable during severe weather conditions, subject to health and safety considerations. If some of a school's pupils whose home is not within walking distance of the school get to school by transport that is provided by the school or a local education authority, and that transport is not available because of adverse weather conditions, then if the school stays open, those pupils should be marked using code Y (forced and partial closure). Code Y does not count as absence in the statistics. All other children should be expected to attend and should be recorded as present/absent as normal. Our data do not enable us to alter the formula in any way that would isolate the absences due to inclement weather, or even the days concerned—we only have total numbers of absences for each term and cannot isolate particular days (or even weeks). This does mean that the absence percentage for a school that stays open may be higher than if it had closed if significant numbers of pupils are unable to attend. However, our main focus is on persistent absence (which we define as missing 20 per cent. or more of possible sessions). It is unlikely that persistent absence would be significantly affected by short periods of adverse weather. Moreover when looking at attendance, Ofsted inspectors look at trends over time. When looking at registers, if there appear to be specific days or periods of time when there is high absence inspectors will discuss with the school the reasons for it. Similarly the national strategies will take account of such circumstances in their support and challenge work on persistent absence with LAs and schools.
Pupils: Disadvantaged
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the proportion of students in receipt of free school meals is in (a) religious and (b) non-religious schools. [253493]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is shown in the table:
| Primary, secondary and special schools( 1) : school meal arrangements by denomination of school( 2—) As at January 2008: England | |
| Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals | |
| (1) Includes middle schools as deemed, CTCs, academies and non-maintained special schools. Excludes hospital schools. (2) Includes pupils with sole and dual main registration. Includes boarders. (3) Includes schools of all denominations and religions. Source: School Census | |
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools had (a) between 30 and 50 per cent. and (b) more than 50 per cent. of pupils in receipt of free school meals in 2008. [256347]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information has been placed in the Libraries.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children resident in Hemel Hempstead received free school meals in (a) 1997 and (b) each of the last five years. [256487]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information for 1997 is not available. Information for the last five years is shown in the following table:
| Number of children( 1,2) resident in Hemel Hempstead constituency eligible for free school meals | |
| Number | |
| (1) Includes all full-time and part-time pupils who are solely or dually (main) registered. (2) Includes pupils attending nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, CTCs and academies. Source: School Census | |
Schools: Anti-Semitism
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what steps the Government are taking to protect Jewish schoolchildren from anti-Semitic attacks by other schoolchildren; and if he will make a statement; [256820]
(2) what assessment he has made of the incidence of (a) bullying and (b) intimidation of Jewish students in schools since December 2008; and if he will make a statement. [256819]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Schools are under a legal duty to promote race equality and it is compulsory for schools to have measures in place to prevent and tackle all forms of bullying, whatever the motivation. In March 2006 we published specialist guidance on bullying around race, religion and culture which focused on preventing and tackling racist and religious bullying in schools and included specific material on bullying related to anti-Semitism. We are funding the Anti-Bullying Alliance and national strategies to ensure the guidance is effectively embedded in local authorities and schools, and are monitoring the situation closely.
We have also published a toolkit to help schools contribute to the prevention of violent extremism. The toolkit includes advice on how to protect pupils from violent extremism, manage risks and respond to incidents locally, nationally or internationally that might have an impact on the school community.
We do not collect data on bullying or incidents of intimidation centrally although we are aware that Jewish pupils can be particularly vulnerable to bullying. We intend to introduce a new statutory duty on schools to record all incidents of bullying between pupils later this year, and will specifically consult on whether schools should be obliged to record racist incidents.
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