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4 Jun 2009 : Column 656W—continued
Pupil Exclusions
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children of between five and seven years have been (a) excluded from school for a fixed period and (b) permanently excluded from school in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [275093]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on the number of permanent and fixed period exclusions (not pupils) is published at:
1999/2000 http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SBU/b000298/ index.shtml
Data on permanent exclusions are available for the full period requested.
Data on fixed period exclusions were collected for the first time in 2003/04 via the Termly Exclusions Survey. Since 2005/06 collection has been via the School Census, but in that first year was for secondary schools only. In 2006/07, collection was extended to primary and special schools.
The School Census includes non-maintained special schools, city technology colleges and academies whereas the Termly Exclusions Survey excludes them. This difference in scope and the change in collection mechanism mean that caution is needed when comparing results since 2005/06 with those prior to that.
School Meals
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to ensure that school pupils eat healthy meals at school lunchtimes. [278034]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Secretary of State has set up the School Food Trust (SFT), put in place new nutritional standards, and is investing over £650 million to improve the quality of school food.
Since September 2006 all schools have had to meet food-based standards for school lunches and, since September 2007, they have also had to meet food-based standards for other school food such as tuck shops, vending and breakfast clubs.
Nutrient-based standards have been mandatory in primary schools since September 2008 and come into effect in secondary and special schools from September 2009.
Together with the Trust, we have created a network of school FEAST (Food Excellence and Skills Training) centres to offer customised and new training and qualifications for school caterers. The Trust has put in place a range of guidance, communications and marketing activities, and a network of local school food ambassadors to encourage and support schools to provide good quality school lunches.
The Trust’s Million Meals programme provides a range of resources and support to increase take up.
Schools: Asbestos
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of maintained schools with asbestos in the fabric of the school building; and if he will make a statement. [276313]
Jim Knight: Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) were used extensively as building materials in Great Britain and the majority of schools are likely to contain them as are many other buildings both domestic and non-domestic. It has been estimated that more than 500,000 non-domestic premises, including schools, still contain ACMs.
Many maintained schools built or refurbished between 1945 and the early 1980s have asbestos in the fabric of the school building because in that period ACMs were extensively used as building materials in new and refurbished schools, although asbestos removal has taken place in some of them since. In particular, pre-fabricated schools—so called system-built schools—of the CLASP, SCOLA and Hills types commonly used ACMs. The HSE records over 1,400 CLASP schools in the UK, and it has been estimated there are 13,000 system built schools.
Major refurbishments normally include removal of all asbestos in areas in which work is undertaken and when new schools replace old ones the demolition includes the safe disposal of all ACMs.
There are around 28,000 maintained schools in England. The following analysis, compiled in 2001, shows the ages of buildings of maintained schools in England, as percentages of floor area:
| Percentage | |
Our best estimate in September 2008 on the basis of the figures above was that around 70 per cent. of school buildings contain some ACMs.
Schools: Construction
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many of the 100,000 jobs the Government plans to create he expects to result from school capital projects. [250651]
Jim Knight: A tentative estimate of the number of jobs that will be created from the acceleration of schools capital funding during the financial year 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 is 10,000.
Schools: Playing Fields
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the area of land used for school playing fields (a) in 1997 and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available. [278032]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Data on areas of school playing fields and external spaces were supplied to my Department by local education authorities in 2001 and 2003. However, the completeness and quality of the data were not good enough to accurately estimate the area of land used.
Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act was introduced in October 1998 to stop the indiscriminate sale of school playing fields. Local authorities and governing bodies of all maintained schools now need the Secretary of State’s consent before they can dispose of a playing field or any part of a playing field.
Schools: Safety
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on the (a) methodology and (b) frequency of fire safety inspections in schools. [277689]
Jim Knight: The management of fire safety in buildings is subject to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) (RRO) Order 2005. The guide to this legislation covering schools is the Risk Assessment Guide for Educational Premises 2006 (RRO Guide)(1). The RRO brings in a risk assessment based approach to fire safety. Risk assessment is a continual process and the "responsible person" for the school must ensure that it is updated as and when necessary. The Fire and Rescue Services are the enforcing authorities for the RRO and can inspect any premises at any time. There is no frequency given for such inspections but they are likely to be more frequent for high risk premises.
(1) Fire Safety Risk Assessment—Educational Premises, published 2006, ISBN: 978 1 85112 819 8.
Special Educational Needs
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs attended special schools in the (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) Teesside and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997. [276686]
Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The available information is shown in the following table. Data for further years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Proportion of pupils( 1) with statements of special educational needs attending special schools( 2,3) —Years: 1997, 2000, 2005 and 2008 | ||||||
| 1997 | 2000 | |||||
| Special schools | Maintained primary, state funded secondary and special schools( 4) | Proportion in special schools | Special schools | Maintained primary, state funded secondary and special schools( 4) | Proportion in special schools | |
| 2005 | 2008 | |||||
| Special schools | Maintained primary, state funded secondary and special schools( 4) | Proportion in special schools | Special schools | Maintained primary, state funded secondary and special schools( 4) | Proportion in special schools | |
| (1) Excludes dually registered pupils. (2) Includes general and special hospital schools. (3) As a proportion of those attending maintained primary, state funded secondary and special schools. (4) Includes CTCs and Academies. (5) Teesside consists of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton-on-Tees. Source: School Census. | ||||||
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