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30 Apr 2009 : Column 1454W—continued
Outdoor Education
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much time he expects trainee teachers to spend with pupils outside the classroom as part of their training. [271239]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The statutory standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and requirements for Initial Teacher Training do not include such a requirement. QTS standard Q30 requires that trainees should be able to identify opportunities for children and young people to learn in the school grounds and in out-of-school contexts such as museums, theatres, field centres and work settings. The guidance that accompanies the standards and requirements explains that trainees should be able to plan out-of-classroom work that relates to current learning, that is appropriate to the age and ability of learners, and that helps learners to make progress. In order to meet the standard, trainees are not expected to undertake out-of-school visits, or to take sole responsibility for the organisation and leadership of any such visits.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what support is available to newly-qualified teachers to assist in the provision of teaching outside the classroom. [271240]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry:
The Department has led the development of “Out and About” guidance to support the delivery of high-quality learning outside the classroom. Alongside this, six CPD modules provide training materials that can be used by, for example, schools, local authorities, and Initial Teacher Training providers. The intention is to help teachers make the most of opportunities for learning outside the classroom and to help them prepare, run, and follow up these activities. The Department also supports the Teaching Outside the Classroom initiative which supports the development of placements for training
teachers in settings other than schools. These can be anything from museums and galleries to city farms or environmental centres.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effects on the academic performance of pupils of educational field trips. [271241]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department and our Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto partners have gathered a bank of research evidence, including research conducted by the Department, which demonstrates that all forms of learning outside the classroom contribute to raising achievement, and to the personal development and well-being of children and young people. These, together with powerful arguments making the case for the importance of learning outside the classroom, are available on the website:
Primary Education: Construction
Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average cost of building a new primary school was in the latest period for which figures are available. [271589]
Jim Knight: The Department does not hold data on average expenditure on primary school buildings. Levels of investment are decided locally and authorities may add funding from other sources to the schools capital allocations they receive from government. However, a typical average-size primary school could be expected to cost £3 million to £4 million depending on location and site factors.
Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under £700 million to a planned £7.3 billion by 2010-11.
Schools: Coventry
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what financial assistance his Department has given to (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Coventry in the last 12 months. [271653]
Jim Knight: Total revenue funding for pupils aged 3-19 for Coventry local authority for 2008-09 was £234.4 million. This figure is in cash terms.
A split of funding by primary and secondary schools is not available as the main source of funding by the Department through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). The DSG is a funding distribution mechanism with a single guaranteed unit of funding for each pupil in an LA. The DSG is the per pupil funding from DCSF to an LA but, subject to satisfying the minimum funding guarantee for schools, it is left up to the LA to decide locally how much to fund their individual schools (via their local formula).
Schools: Finance
Michael Gove:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much of the dedicated schools grant was reimbursed to local authorities in
each of the last three years; how much was reimbursed to local authorities in the case of each local authority in each year; how much was reimbursed for spending (a) within the schools budget and (b) on other local authority functions in each year; and what percentage of the schools grant this represents in each case. [271779]
Jim Knight: The Dedicated Schools Grant is the core funding for schools, allocated on an annual basis to local authorities using a guaranteed unit of funding per pupil. For 2009-10, the current indicative allocations for DSG amount to £29.8 billion, an average of £4,218 per pupil. The DSG must be used on the Schools Budget, which covers both funding delegated to maintained schools and other provision for pupils such as provision in pupil referral units; for high cost pupils; and early years provision in private, voluntary and independent sector providers.
Schools: Governing Bodies
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will take steps to increase the opportunities for school children to participate in school governance structures. [270921]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government are committed to ensuring that young people have the opportunity to participate in decisions that affect them in their schools. The vast majority of schools already have School Councils and find them an effective way of engaging with pupils’ views. Schools use ways to engage their pupils and they have found a range of benefits in doing so including an improvement in relationships within the school and in the morale and confidence of their pupils. The engagement of young people is vital in shaping education and services to meet their needs. However, it is not for the Government to prescribe how schools should engage their pupils in the decision making process.
We will continue to work with schools to ensure that all pupils’ views are heard and valued.
Schools: Recycling
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what guidance his Department gives school governors on the setting up and running of on-site recycling facilities at schools; [271660]
(2) what proportion of schools provide on-site recycling facilities; [271661]
(3) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of arrangements for recycling in schools. [271662]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department published “A Governor’s Guide to Sustainable Schools” in June 2007 which is a practical guidance to help governors understand the benefits of a sustainable school. The strategies outlined are not only about auditing current patterns—from energy and water to food and drink—but also how to think creatively to build a sustainable future.
The Department has also published “Top Tips to reduce waste in schools” in May 2007. This document provides schools with ten tips on how to minimise waste and promotes recycling, including advice on working with local authorities and communicating with staff, school stakeholders and pupils.
The Department does not collect information relating to the number of schools which provide on-site recycling facilities or assessments on the arrangements for recycling in schools. The National Framework for Sustainable Schools allows schools to plot their own progress towards becoming a sustainable schools which could mean that schools will not follow the doorways route in the order which is published. We have also produced guidance to help self-evaluate and to plan their progress to becoming a fully sustainable school by 2020.
Schools: Transport
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on school transport in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire in the latest period for which figures are available. [271263]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Figures are not available for the parliamentary constituency of Hemel Hempstead as data are collected at a local authority level. The available information on how much was spent on school transport in the Hertfordshire local authority in the latest period for which figures are available (2007-08) is contained in the following table:
| Net current expenditure on home to school transport | |
| Notes: 1. 2007-08 data remain provisional and subject to change by local authority. 2. Data are drawn from local authorities’ 2007-08 Section 52 Outturn Statements (Table A) submitted to the DCSF. 3. Cash term figures as reported by local authorities as at 23 April 2009. | |
Secondary Education: Admissions
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of children were accepted at their first choice of secondary school in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) England in the latest period for which figures are available. [270901]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: This year’s data on offers of secondary school places was published on 12 March. Figures for Northamptonshire local authority show that 83.7 per cent. of children resident in the authority who are eligible to transfer to secondary school in September 2009, and who applied for a place, were offered their first choice school. Last year this figure was 81.6 per cent.
The figures for England show that 83.2 per cent. of children who are eligible to transfer to secondary school in September 2009, and who applied for a place, were offered their first choice school. The figure for 2008 was 82 per cent.
The full statistical report ‘DCSF: Secondary School Applications and Offers’ is available at:
Sixth Form Education: Finance
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what sixth form funding allocation was made for each local education authority by the Learning and Skills Council on (a) 2 March and (b) at the end of March; and if he will make a statement. [269311]
Jim Knight: The LSC hold the information you have requested. Geoff Russell, the LSC's Acting Chief Executive will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries.
We have been working across Government to identify additional funding for the recent unanticipated surge in demand for education and training in part due to these exceptional economic times. Thanks to the £655 million funding announcement in the Budget, we will be able to deliver this and more, and fund learning for an additional 54,500 young people this year and next.
The funding is split £251 million in 2009-10 and £404 million in 2010-11 and will fund an additional 54,500 learners each year. This will mean that we have funding for at least 1,550,000 for 2009-10 and 2010-11.
This will mean we can quickly reassure school and college leaders who had previously feared their financial allocations would not fund their growth in the number of young people wanting to continue learning. It will also mean that we can fund a further 20,000 young people who have yet to make their choice of learning place.
The LSC are currently working through the final 2009-10 school sixth form and FE college allocations and will be writing out to them as soon as possible.
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent representations he has received on funding allocations issued to schools and colleges for 16 to 18 year learners in the London Borough of Bexley. [270811]
Jim Knight: We have been working across Government to identify additional funding for the recent unanticipated surge in demand for education and training in part due to these exceptional economic times. Thanks to the £655 million funding announcement in the Budget, we will be able to deliver this and more, and fund learning for an additional 54,500 young people this year and next. The funding is split £251 million in 2009-10 and £404 million in 2010-11 and will fund an additional 54,500 learners each year. This will mean that we have funding for at least 1,550,000 for 2009/10 and 2010/11.
This will mean we can quickly reassure school and college leaders who had previously feared their financial allocations would not fund their growth in the number of young people wanting to continue learning. It will also mean that we can fund a further 20,000 young people who have yet to make their choice of learning place.
The LSC are currently working through the final 2009-10 school sixth form and FE college allocations and will be writing out to them as soon as possible. At close of business on 21 April 2009 the Department had received two written representations in respect of the 16-18 funding allocations (2009-10) from head teachers in the London borough of Bexley.
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of schools expected to receive a reduction in their per pupil funding for 16 to 19-year-olds in 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. [271206]
Jim Knight: We have been working across Government to identify additional funding for the recent unanticipated surge in demand for education and training in part due to these exceptional economic times. Thanks to the £655 million funding announcement in the Budget, we will be able to deliver this and more, and fund learning for an additional 54,500 young people this year and next. The funding is split £251 million in 2009-10 and £404 million in 2010-11 and will fund an additional 54,500 learners each year. This will mean that we have funding for at least 1,550,000 for 2009/10 and 2010/11.
This will mean we can quickly reassure school and college leaders who had previously feared their financial allocations would not fund their growth in the number of young people wanting to continue learning. It will also mean that we can fund a further 20,000 young people who have yet to make their choice of learning place.
The LSC are currently working through the final 2009-10 school sixth form and FE college allocations and will be writing out to them as soon as possible. The LSC hold the information you have requested. I am therefore copying this PQ to Geoff Russell, the LSC’s Acting Chief Executive so that he can respond with the information the hon. Member has requested. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what formula is used to calculate the amount of funding a sixth form will receive; and if he will make a statement. [272189]
Jim Knight: The LSC hold the information you have requested. Geoff Russell, the LSC's Acting Chief Executive will write to the hon. Member with the information you have requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent discussions he has had with the Learning and Skills Council on the funding of schools with sixth forms where the numbers of pupils exceed the stated anticipated numbers; and if he will make a statement. [272190]
Jim Knight: Following the announcement in the Budget of £655 million of additional funding, the LSC have written to schools and colleges to give them the immediate reassurance they will receive the funding for learners they have already planned for and outline the next steps.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families under what circumstances schools receive exceptional funding support for sixth forms; and if he will make a statement. [272191]
Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 25 February 2009, Official Report, column 815W.
Sixth Form Education: Hertfordshire
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what changes were made in the final allocation funding for sixth forms in Hertfordshire for 2009-10 compared with the previous funding estimates. [270270]
Jim Knight [holding answer 22 April 2009]: We have been working across Government to identify additional funding for the recent unanticipated surge in demand for education and training in part due to these exceptional economic times. Thanks to the £655 million funding announcement in the Budget, we will be able to deliver this and more, and fund learning for an additional 54,500 young people this year and next.
The funding is split £251 million in 2009-10 and £404 million in 2010-11 and will fund an additional 54,500 learners each year. This will mean that we have funding for at least 1,550,000 for 2009/10 and 2010/11.
This will mean we can quickly reassure school and college leaders who had previously feared their financial allocations would not fund their growth in the number of young people wanting to continue learning. It will also mean that we can fund a further 20,000 young people who have yet to make their choice of learning place.
The LSC are currently working through the final 2009-10 school sixth form and FE college allocations and will be writing out to them as soon as possible.
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