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20 Apr 2009 : Column 243W—continued

GCSE: Young Offenders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many young people in the secure estate sat GCSE examinations in 2008. [269798]

Beverley Hughes: Information on the number of GCSEs sat for young people in custody are not collected centrally. However, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) collects monthly data on learning for young people in Prison Service Young Offender Institutions. These data show that during the 2008 academic year, for young people under the age of 18, there were 106 GCSE achievements between grades A and C, and 159 GCSE achievements below grade C. However, these figures do not reflect all of the GCSEs achieved in juvenile custody because this does not include young people in Secure Children's Homes, Secure Training Centres, or private prisons. Also some of the young people in Young Offender Institutions are still registered at schools and colleges and therefore any GCSEs that they achieve whilst in custody will be reflected in achievement figures of schools and colleges, rather than the figures reported by the LSC for those achieved in custody.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 489W, on the General Certificate of Secondary Education, if he will provide an itemised breakdown of the estimated cost of providing the requested information in full. [241878]


20 Apr 2009 : Column 244W

Jim Knight: In the reply to PQ 231974, the estimated costs of providing the information requested in PQs 224479 and 224500 were £1,300 and £900 respectively.

Following a detailed analysis of the processes involved in answering these questions we are able to provide the itemised breakdowns as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, at how many co mprehensive schools 50 per cent. or more pupils achieved a modern languages GCSE at A*-C in each year since 1997. (224479)

Hours required Cost to Department

Planning

9

225

Implementing production rules

1

25

Writing syntax

8

200

Producing figures (11 years)

50.16

1,254

Producing figures (one year)

4.56

114

Run the required filters (including maintained only sector)

0.32

8

Create variables in exam file

0.32

8

Aggregate up to pupil level

0.2

5

Merge into pupil file

0.32

8

Aggregate up to school level

0.2

5

Merge to school file

0.2

5

Analysis of output (e.g. remove independent schools, remove schools with <10 pupils, count how many with <50 per cent. MFL, etc.)

3

75

Additional work

1.5

37.5

Formatting, footnotes, etc.

0.25

6.25

Personal QAing

1

25

Drafting PQ reply

0.25

6.25

QAing

3.5

87.5

Comments, redrafting, etc.

3

75

Signing off at SCS level

1

25

Total

66.16

1,704


To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what percentage of pupils in the maintained mainstream sector achieved five GCSEs including a modern language at A* to C grades in each year since 1997. (224500)


20 Apr 2009 : Column 245W
Hours required Cost to Department

Planning

9

225

Implementing production rules

1

25

Writing syntax

8

200

Producing figures (11 years)

16.28

407

Producing figures (one year)

1.48

37

Run the required filters (including maintained only sector)

0.32

8

Create variables in exam file

0.32

8

Aggregate up to pupil level

0.2

5

Merge into pupil file

0.32

8

Analysis of output (count number of pupils with 5 A*-C including MFL)

0.32

8

Additional work

1.5

37.5

Formatting, footnotes, etc.

0.25

6.25

Personal QAing

1

25

Drafting PQ reply

0.25

6.25

QAing

3.5

87.5

Comments, redrafting, etc.

3

75

Signing off at SCS level

1

25

Total

32.28

857


Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2009, Official Report, column 845W, on the General Certificate of Secondary Education, what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of providing all the information requested; and under what budgetary headings such expenditure would be incurred. [251045]

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The estimated cost to the Department of providing all the information requested is £850. These are salary costs.

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of those pupils taking the further mathematics GCSE were at (a) comprehensive, (b) independent and (c) grammar schools in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [247785]

Jim Knight: Further mathematics is a subject that is not available at GCSE or equivalent. Further mathematics is first available as an AS-level subject.

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families of those who achieved (a) A* and A and (b) A* to C grades at GCSE in (i) physics, (ii) biology, (iii) chemistry and (iv) further mathematics, what percentage were studying at (A) comprehensive, (B) independent and (C) grammar schools in each of the last five years. [247793]

Jim Knight: The tables show the number of pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving (a) an A* or A grade at GCSE and (b) an A* to C grade at GCSE in each subject in the last five years. Also shown are the percentages of these pupils who studied at comprehensive, independent and grammar schools and are placed in the House Libraries. These figures are not included for further mathematics, as this is not available at GCSE level.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 17 April 2007, Official Report, columns 1854-55W, on educational attainment, how many and what proportion of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4
20 Apr 2009 : Column 246W
attending (a) maintained secondary schools and (b) independent secondary schools achieved each grade in GCSE for (i) geography, (ii) history, (iii) a modern foreign language, (iv) English and (v) mathematics in each year since 1998. [248480]

Jim Knight: Tables showing the number and proportion of GCSE entries by grade and subject for pupils at the end of key stage 4 attending maintained and independent secondary schools from 2005-08 have been placed in the House Libraries. All GCSE attempts (including multiple attempts within each subject group) have been counted.

Figures prior to 2005 can not be provided on a comparable basis.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 16 October 2008, Official Report, columns 1502-3W, on schools: assessments, which of the schools that entered no pupils for a GCSE in history or geography also entered no pupils for a GCSE in humanities. [248567]

Jim Knight: The information is given in the following table:

Schools that entered no pupils for a GCSE in history or geography and also no pupils for a GCSE in humanities
School code Institution name Local authority

3096905

Greig City Academy

Haringey

3125406

Rosedale College

Hillingdon

3304611

St. Alban's CE Specialist Engineering College

Birmingham

3706905

The Barnsley Academy

Barnsley

8134075

Brumby Engineering College

North Lincolnshire

8564005

New College Leicester

Leicester City

8866906

The Marlowe Academy

Kent

9255422

St. Hugh's C of E Mathematics and Computing College

Lincolnshire

9354600

St. Benedict's Catholic School

Suffolk


Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students took both English language and English literature GCSE in (a) independent and (b) maintained schools in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [252603]

Jim Knight [holding answer 29 January 2009]: The numbers of pupils attempting both English language and English literature GCSE in maintained and independent schools for the last five years are as follows:

Maintained schools Independent schools

2007/08

471,943

38,685

2006/07

481,904

39,704

2005/06

486,514

39,944

2004/05

485,569

38,495

2003/04

491,666

37,011

Notes:
1. Figures relate to pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 except in 2003/04 for which the figures relate to 15-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August).
2. Figures include attempts by these pupils in previous academic years. Only one attempt is counted per pupil.
3. The figures are derived from the Achievement and Attainment Tables data.

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