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11 May 2009 : Column 592W—continued


Science: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in (a) independent schools, (b) comprehensive schools, (c) special schools, (d) pupil referral units and (e) other schools took GCSEs in (i) science, (ii) science and additional science and (iii) separate science subjects in 2008. [262485]

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

N umber of GCSE entries by pupils at the end of KS4 in science subjects, by school-type in 2008

Subject (a) Independent( 1) (b) Comprehensive (c) Special schools( 2) (d) Pupil referral Units( 3) (e) Other schools( 4) All schools

(i)

Core science

20,054

432,711

2,112

1,312

35,408

491,597

(ii)

Core science plus additional science

18,193

307,177

230

50

25,966

351,616

(iii)

Physics

14,414

41,094

13

15

11,785

67,321

Chemistry

14,968

41,564

17

11

11,729

68,289

Biology

15,778

46,116

25

124

12,611

74,654

(1) Independent mainstream schools only.
(2) Special schools include independent special schools.
(3) Pupil referral units excluding hospital schools.
(4) Other schools include selective, modern and other maintained schools.
Note:
Vocational GCSE entries in Applied Science are not included in this answer.

11 May 2009 : Column 593W

Secondary Education: Coventry

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps the Government has taken to support pupils taking (a) A-level and (b) GCSE examinations in Coventry. [271651]

Jim Knight: Recent improvements in A-level achievement in Coventry are particularly encouraging. The following
11 May 2009 : Column 594W
figures(1) show that Coventry pupils’ achievements have improved between 2006(2) and 2008 compared with the average improvement for England, both in terms of the average point score per student at A-level and in the average point score achieved per A-level exam.

Average point score per student Change Average point score per exam Change

2006 2007 2008 2006 to 2008 2006 2007 2008 2006 to 2008

England average

721.5

731.2

740

18.5

206.2

207.5

209.4

3.2

Coventry average

624.5

660.7

678.2

53.7

196.6

199.6

203.9

7.3


We have put in place a programme of work force support in 2009-10 delivered by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service for managers and practitioners in all areas of the country, including Coventry. This includes support aimed at developing examination centres’ understanding of changes to A-levels, and promoting and sharing effective practice between centres.

Percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE and 5+ A*-C GCSE including English and maths
Percentage
1997( 1) 2008( 2)

5 A*-C 5 A*-C including English and maths 5 A*-C 5 A*-C including English and maths +/-change (percentage points) since 1997 5 A*-C +/-change (percentage points) since 1997 5 A*-C including English and maths

National

45.1

35.6

65.3

47.6

+20.2

+12

Coventry

36.9

27.1

60.8

41.8

+23.9

+14.7

(1) 15-year-old pupils.
(2) End of key stage 4 pupils.

As the table above shows, we have made substantial progress in raising GCSE attainment in secondary schools over the last 10 years. Although the rate of progress in the number of pupils achieving five or more good GCSEs in Coventry has exceeded national rates over the same period, more is needed to reduce the gap in attainment still further. Under the National Challenge, the Department is providing wide-ranging support to eight of the authority’s schools this year. The National Challenge supports schools with the lowest GCSE results, so that by 2011 in every secondary school at least 30 per cent. of students will achieve at least five GCSEs at A*-C including English and maths.

The National Strategies also provides support to schools in Coventry and this includes support and challenge in relation to school improvement, English, maths, science, behaviour and attendance, SEN and ethnic minority achievement. The strategies have also supported the provision and delivery of city-side GCSE English and maths revision courses (held at the Ricoh stadium) for year 11 pupils (April 2009).

Sixth Form Education: Finance

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which official in his Department was first informed of the contents of the letter of 2 March 2009 from the Learning and Skills Council to school sixth forms and sixth form colleges regarding funding. [274159]

Jim Knight: It is not customary to identify a civil servant by name.

Social Services: Children

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much each unitary local authority allocated per head of population for children’s services in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. [272531]

Jim Knight: The available information on how much was allocated by each unitary local authority for children’s services per head of population in 2008-09 is shown in the table. Information for 2009-10 is currently being collated and validated. It will not be available until later in 2009.


11 May 2009 : Column 595W
Total net budget for unitary local authorities in England covering education, community, youth justice and children and young people’s services 2008-09
Local authority name £ £ per head

England

40,192,236,000

3,690

Unitary LAs

6,617,603,000

3,680

Bath and North East Somerset

126,044,000

3,670

Blackburn with Darwen

138,470,000

3,570

Blackpool

109,753,000

3,650

Bournemouth

106,990,000

3,740

Bracknell Forest

82,532,000

3,220

Brighton and Hove

184,198,000

4,040

Bristol

275,311,000

3,560

Darlington

72,261,000

3,360

Derby

192,773,000

3,680

East Riding of Yorkshire

240,669,000

3,550

Halton

102,069,000

3,760

Hartlepool

83,044,000

3,940

Herefordshire

116,741,000

3,240

Isle of Wight

104,948,000

3,810

Kingston upon Hull

220,154,000

4,140

Leicester

259,716,000

3,930

Luton

175,472,000

3,810

Medway

221,706,000

3,700

Middlesbrough

104,980,000

3,420

Milton Keynes

208,953,000

3,850

North East Lincolnshire

125,836,000

3,530

North Lincolnshire

120,031,000

3,460

North Somerset

137,674,000

3,290

Nottingham

240,871,000

4,440

Peterborough

158,971,000

4,140

Plymouth

203,149,000

4,120

Poole

96,008,000

3,630

Portsmouth

134,061,000

3,540

Reading

98,245,000

3,550

Redcar and Cleveland

115,326,000

3,840

Rutland

23,981,000

2,860

Slough

126,570,000

4,590

South Gloucestershire

186,083,000

3,300

Southampton

152,723,000

3,610

Southend-on-Sea

145,047,000

4,200

Stockton-on-Tees

151,006,000

3,560

Stoke-on-Trent

179,851,000

3,620

Swindon

141,378,000

3,480

Telford and the Wrekin

124,939,000

3,210

Thurrock

120,832,000

3,450

Torbay

99,058,000

3,730

Warrington

145,950,000

3,410

West Berkshire

130,289,000

3,890

Windsor and Maidenhead

102,422,000

3,250

Wokingham

117,547,000

3,420

York

112,970,000

3,250

Notes :
1. The figures for the total net budget covering education, community, youth justice and children and young people’s services are drawn from local authorities’ 2008-09 Children, Schools and Families Financial Data Collection (Budget Table 1 line 8) submitted to the DCSF. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and may not sum due to rounding.
2. The per head figures are calculated by dividing the total net budget by the projected population aged 0 to 17 in each LA. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 and may not sum due to rounding.

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