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21 July 2009 : Column 1444W—continued
Secondary Education: Admissions
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities (a) have been selected and (b) are under consideration for participation in the trial of the new requirement in relation to parents' views on secondary school places, as referred to in paragraph 5.39 of the Building a 21st Century Schools System White Paper; and what criteria his Department uses to select local authorities to participate in such trials. [286954]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The Department has not yet selected local authorities to participate in the trial to seek parents' views on secondary school places. We intend to approach authorities with a mixture of the following characteristics: urban and rural (from different regions of England); mixed socio-economic circumstances; and with a different mix of provision, such as single sex, or selective schools.
Secondary Education: Sports
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many hours were spent on sport by secondary school pupils on average in (a) maintained mainstream schools and (b) independent schools in the latest period for which figures are available. [287234]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The annual school sport survey collects data from maintained schools in England relating to the percentage of pupils participating in at least two hours high quality PE and school sport a week. The 2007/08 survey found that 83 per cent. of all secondary pupils took part in at least two hours high quality PE and sport each week. The survey does not collect comparable data from independent schools.
Sixth Form Education: Lancaster
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools in Lancaster and Wyre constituency received less funding for sixth form places in the final yearly allocations for 2009-10 than was indicated in the provisional figures. [288369]
Mr. Iain Wright: Following the further increase of £655 million in the Budget 2009, the LSC have now issued revised letters of allocation to all schools, colleges and independent training providers. This means we have now reinstated the original allocations as at March 2009 where schools, colleges and training providers indicated they would deliver an additional 34,500 places for young people aged 16-18. But the Budget allocation has enabled Ministers to approve a revised set of allocations that will mean a further increase of 22,500 places will be made available this September.
We are not able to provide a breakdown of the information based on a constituency basis; however the allocation for schools in the Lancashire area, which includes Lancaster and Wyre, is £23,088,202.
Social Services: Complaints
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many complaints were made against children's social services departments in each local authority area in the latest period for which figures are available. [287227]
Dawn Primarolo: This information is not collected centrally. However, local authorities are required to keep a record of each representation or complaint received; the decisions made in response and any action to be taken; and whether there was compliance with the time limits. The local authority must produce an annual report drawing on this information.
Special Educational Needs: Sight Impaired
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent progress he has made in increasing the availability of textbooks to blind and partially-sighted children. [286956]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: We recently signed a contract agreement with a commercial provider to deliver an innovative pilot project over two years (2009-11) to develop curriculum materials in alternative formats for visually impaired/dyslexic children. The preparatory work is being undertaken at the moment and we will be making a formal announcement releasing more details shortly.
Specialised Diplomas
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many 14 to 19 providers formerly part of a diploma consortium have informed his Department that they will no longer be offering diploma lines from September 2009; and if he will make a statement. [286957]
Mr. Iain Wright: We do not collect this information centrally. Consortia (and hence their member providers) are approved through the Diploma Gateway process to deliver diplomas.
We collect information about members of consortia at the time of their applications. Once approved, it is up to consortia and local authorities to manage delivery plans and offer the entitlement.
Consortia in 142 local authorities are approved to deliver from September 2009, an increase compared to the 101 local authorities that had consortia approved to deliver in September 2008.
There are 305 consortia approved to deliver diplomas from September 2009, up from 146 consortia in 2008.
Specialised Diplomas: Disadvantaged
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of pupils enrolled on each diploma course are entitled to free school meals; and if he will make a statement. [287527]
Mr. Coaker: We do not have comprehensive analysis of these figures because data are based upon the information entered into the Diploma Aggregation Service and use a 'snapshot' of participation from the 18 April 2009. This does not include every diploma learner as some learners will not be registered on the system until the 2009/10 academic year, when they are due to claim their diploma. Eligibility for free school meals is based on school census data.
Specialist Teachers
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many specialist history teachers there were in mainstream maintained secondary schools in each of the last 10 years; [287232]
(2) how many specialist physical education teachers there were in mainstream maintained schools in each of the last 10 years. [287233]
Mr. Coaker: Information on the number of specialist subject teachers is only available for maintained secondary schools. It is derived from the Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey, (SSCSS), a sample survey last completed in 2007. The survey revealed that of the estimated 15,700 full-time equivalent (FTE) history and 21,700 physical education teachers, who taught at least one period per week in these subjects, some 76 and 83 per cent. respectively held a relevant post A level qualification.
Further information regarding the SSCSS is available from the survey report which is available at the following URL:
Sure Start Programme: Hemsworth
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) children and (b) families in Hemsworth constituency have received support from his Department's Sure Start programme since the programme's inception. [288808]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not collect information centrally about the numbers of children and families accessing individual Sure Start Children's Centres. We expect local authorities and children's centres to collect data on the take up of services as part of their local performance management arrangements. Hemsworth currently has four Sure Start Children's Centres offering access to services to around 3,070 children under five and their families.
Teachers
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what support his Department provides to teachers to assist them in educating students in issues related to (a) international poverty, (b) sustainable development and (c) cultural diversity; [286155]
(2) if he will take steps to ensure that schools educate pupils on (a) global learning, (b) community cohesion and (c) international development; and if he will make a statement. [286297]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The Geography, Science, Citizenship and History programmes of study within the new secondary curriculum provide opportunities for teachers to educate their pupils in issues related to international poverty, sustainable development, and cultural diversity. The secondary curriculum allows teachers the flexibility to personalise their offer to meet individual needs and engage all of their learners.
Support for implementing the new curriculum is provided through the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency's secondary curriculum website. This website offers guidance, resources and case studies to support teachers planning cross-curriculum dimensions, including "Global dimension and sustainable development" and "Identity and cultural diversity".
Environmental education is one of the key concepts for the study of geography in the new secondary curriculum and the Action Plan for Geography supports this by providing professional development opportunities for teachers in the regions to help them embed sustainable development and environmental education in their classroom practice.
The Citizenship programmes of study ensure young people develop a historical understanding of issues that have shaped contemporary life in the UK and the values we share, and allow for joint working on issues such as diversity and ethnicity. There are strong links between Citizenship Education and the teaching of history with guidance available to teachers showing how cultural and ethnic diversity can be taught through history.
The Department has also produced a Community Cohesion Resource Pack on TeacherNet to help schools and head teachers meet their duty to promote community
cohesion. It has also developed the School Linking Network which helps schools establish links with other schools so that pupils from different backgrounds can mix and interact.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of teachers did not satisfactorily complete their induction year in the latest period for which figures are available. [287226]
Mr. Coaker: The General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) received notification of 24 newly qualified teachers (0.1 per cent.) who failed their induction in 2008 calendar year.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many teachers have been suspended for each reason in each of the last 10 years; [287230]
(2) how many teachers have been dismissed in each of the last 10 years. [287231]
Mr. Coaker: The operation of disciplinary procedures in schools, including those that result in suspension, is a matter for local determination. Accordingly the information requested about the suspension and any subsequent dismissals of teachers is not held centrally.
Teachers: Pay
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what the average salary of (a) primary and (b) secondary school classroom teachers was in the last year for which figures are available; [288356]
(2) what the average salary of (a) primary and (b) secondary school headteachers was in the last year for which figures are available. [288357]
Mr. Coaker: The following table shows the average salary of classroom grade and head teachers in service in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools in England, March 2008.
| Average salary of classroom grade and head teachers in local authority maintained nursery/primary and secondary schools. Year: March 2008. Coverage: England | ||
| Classroom grade( 1) | Head teacher | |
| (1) Includes main classroom, upper and advanced skills teachers. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest £100. Source: Database of Teacher Records | ||
Teachers: Pensions
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers have had their annual pension payments reduced as a result of over-estimates of the guaranteed minimum pension in (a) Test Valley borough and (b) Southampton; and by how much the total paid out in pension payments to such teachers will be reduced. [288396]
Mr. Coaker: The detailed information is not readily available within a geographic split. Specific details regarding the Guaranteed Minimum Pension overpayment are quoted within the National Audit Office Report "Review of Errors in Guaranteed Minimum Pension Payments" published on 16 July and available in the House Libraries.
Teachers: Recruitment
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was paid in golden hellos by the Training and Development Agency for Schools in the last year for which figures are available. [288342]
Mr. Coaker: In 2008-09 the Training and Development Agency for Schools paid £28 million in respect of reimbursements for golden hello payments made to teachers by schools or local authorities.
Teachers: Training
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the amount of the tax-free training bursary for people training to be teachers of mathematics will be in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11. [286992]
Mr. Coaker: The information is as follows.
(a) New entrants to secondary mathematics Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) initial teacher training (ITT) courses commencing on or after 1 August 2009 and on or before 31 July 2010 will receive a training bursary of up to £9,000 payable by monthly instalments over the period of their initial teacher training course.
(b) The applicable training bursary rate for new entrants to secondary mathematics PGCE courses starting during the academic year 2010/11 will be announced during September 2009 at the start of the 2010/11 ITT recruitment cycle.
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average annual salary for people begining the Graduate Teacher Programme was in the latest year for which figures are available. [288344]
Mr. Coaker: In the interests of reducing burdens on schools, information on graduate teacher pay is not collected centrally.
It is a condition of the Graduate Teacher Programme that trainees must be paid at least the minimum of the unqualified teacher pay scale. This equates to £15,113 (excluding the London area) and £19,007 in inner London (2008/09).
Once the trainees obtain qualified teacher status they are paid on the main scale for classroom teachers, starting from a minimum of £20,627 (excluding the London area) and £25,000 in inner London (2008/09).
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps have been taken by the Government with the objective of improving the quality of teaching training since 1997. [288346]
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