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26 Oct 2009 : Column 197W—continued
Schools: Asbestos
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools have been found to contain hazardous asbestos in the last 12 months; in how many of those schools all asbestos has been removed; at what cost; and what assessment has been made of the health of (a) teachers and (b) pupils attending schools where asbestos has been found. [291622]
Mr. Coaker: During any major refurbishment project, the Department expects those responsible to remove hazardous asbestos and asbestos likely to be disturbed. Outside major projects, periodic asbestos surveys identify Asbestos Containing Materials that are likely to deteriorate and we expect them to be removed or encapsulated.
There is no requirement for routine reports of the condition of asbestos containing materials; for each public building there is an individual with specific statutory
duties related to asbestos but routine reporting is not one of those duties. So, data are not available on the number of schools found to contain hazardous asbestos in the last 12 months.
Earlier this year, the Prime Minister gave a commitment to find out more about local authority management of asbestos.
In September 2008 DCSF and HSE sought to determine, by questionnaire, how asbestos is being managed in system-built schools.
Initial evaluation of the responses is complete. It has highlighted the need for further investigation and follow-up action. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) officials will discuss with the Department in November how to take this forward.
Schools: Buildings
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will review the adequacy of the provisions of the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999, with particular reference to statutory provision for (a) water and (b) toilets. [295469]
Mr. Coaker: The officials and colleagues from Partnerships for Schools are arranging to meet the Paediatric Continence Forum to discuss the adequacy of water and toilet provision in schools. This will include considering statutory methods that might be appropriate.
This issue has already been addressed in the Building Schools for the Future programme with the 2007 publication of Toilets in Schools, a DCSF guidance note to encourage the use of standard layouts and designs to make toilets more attractive, cleaner and safer for pupils to use.
Schools: Cricket
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what percentage of state schools are linked to a cricket club; [292568]
(2) what percentage of state schools include organised games of cricket in the sports curriculum. [292569]
Mr. Iain Wright: The 2008/09 School Sport Survey, published on 14 October, shows that 58 per cent. of schools are linked to a local cricket club and 89 per cent. of schools include cricket as part of the curriculum.
A copy of the 2008/09 School Sport Survey will be placed in the Libraries.
Schools: Heating
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools use heat generated by (a) solar panels and (b) ground source heat pumps. [292013]
Mr. Coaker: The Department does not hold information on the numbers of schools that use heat generated by (a) solar panels and (b) ground source heat pumps. Investment in measures of this nature would typically be funded from budgets delegated to schools and local authorities. This information may be held at a local authority.
The Department receives information on planned installations of renewable energy systems for new school projects that are being delivered within Building Schools for the Future and the Academies programme. We have received details for 71 new school projects since January 2008. Of these, 39 are planning to install systems that generate heat from solar panels, and eight plan to install ground source heat pumps for heat generation.
Schools: Standards
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of (a) schools and (b) Catholic schools Ofsted judged to be outstanding or good in the latest period for which figures are available. [293945]
Mr. Coaker: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Libraries.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 20 October 2009:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
The latest figures published by Ofsted about the inspection outcomes of maintained schools refer to inspections carried out in the autumn and spring terms of 2008/09. During that period, 19% of all schools inspected were judged to be outstanding and 50% were judged to be good in terms of their overall effectiveness. During the same period, 23% of Roman Catholic schools inspected were judged to be outstanding and 56% were judged to be good. Table A summarises the outcomes for all schools inspected during this period by phase of education, and Table B summarises the outcomes for Roman Catholic schools.
Figures covering all inspections which took place during the full academic year 2008/09 will be published in November 2009 alongside the Annual Report.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Vernon Coaker MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and placed in the library of both Houses.
| Table A: overall effectiveness in schools inspected in the autumn and spring terms of academic year 2008/09 | |||||
| Overall effectiveness: percentage of schools inspected | |||||
| Phase of education | Number of inspections | Outstanding | Good | Satisfactory | Inadequate |
| Notes: 1. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. 2. Figures include one special school which was inspected twice during this period and found to be inadequate on both occasions. | |||||
| Table B : overall effectiveness in Roman Catholic schools inspected in the autumn and spring terms of academic year 2008/09 | |||||
| Overall effectiveness: percentage of schools inspected | |||||
| Phase of education | Number of inspections | Outstanding | Good | Satisfactory | Inadequate |
| Notes: 1. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. 2. Roman Catholic schools excludes those of mixed denomination. | |||||
Teachers
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers in (a) secondary and (b) primary schools had advanced skills teacher status on the most recent date for which figures are available. [295668]
Mr. Coaker: The information requested is published in table 5 of the Statistical First Release (SFR) 'School Workforce in England (including Local Authority level figures) January 2009 (Revised)' published on 29 September 2009. The table is available at the following web link:
Teachers: Training
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers took a (a) Bachelor of Education or Bachelor of Arts degree and (b) a Post-graduate Certificate of Education with a language specialism in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [295773]
Mr. Coaker: The available information is given in the following table.
| Number of new entrants to initial teacher training (ITT) courses specialising in modern foreign languages, years 2006/07 to 2008/09: coverage England | |||
| 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 | |
| Notes: 1. Recruitment figures for 2008/09 were provisional and are subject to change. They include 100 forecast trainees who are expected to enter ITT during the academic year. 2. Includes Universities and other Higher Education Institutions, SCITT and Open University but excludes employment based routes. 3. Figures for secondary include Key Stage 2/3. 4. Figures include trainees who are re-sitting all or part of their ITT programme. 5. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Totals as shown may not equal the sum of component parts. Source: TDA's ITT Trainee Numbers Census | |||
The downward trend in entrants to ITT courses specialising in Modern Foreign Languages reflects the target number of places set for recruitment and the low level of teacher vacancies in the subject.
Travelling People: Schools
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether local authority performance targets on Traveller pupils are part of his Department's national indicator set. [294898]
Mr. Coaker: Currently local authorities have to set performance targets for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils at key stages 2 and 4 where there is a cohort of 30 or more pupils. Recent changes to the target setting regulations mean that from 2010, performance targets will need to be set where there is a cohort of three or more Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils.
Vocational Guidance: Finance
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding has been provided to each local authority to provide careers services in accordance with sections 68 and 69 of the Education and Skills Act 2008. [295587]
Mr. Iain Wright:
The Education and Skills Act 2008 transfers to local authorities the statutory responsibility for the delivery of Connexions services, including assessments for young people with learning difficulties.
Sections 68 and 69 of the Act require local authorities to provide services, as directed by the Secretary of State, to encourage, enable or assist the effective participation of young people in education or training.
Responsibility and funding for Connexions services, including information, advice and guidance and careers services, transferred to local authorities on 1 April 2008. The funding is paid via the area based grant arrangements and is not ring fenced. We do not collect information on what precisely the Connexions funding is spent on.
Connexions grant funding is allocated using a national funding formula which is based on the 13-19 population, educational attainment, NEET figures and deprivation indicators. The funding formula is intended to share out the national Connexions budget between the 152 local authorities in a way that is fair, objective and transparent, so that they can deliver a high quality service to all young people. It is intended that the formula should broadly reflect the needs of an area and that it is then for local authorities to decide how best to use their funding to deliver Connexions services locally.
We only have information on the funding provided for the provision of Connexions services as a whole which includes the provision of careers services. Some local authorities, reflecting the needs of their area, may commission additional services from a number of other agencies. The amount of funding allocated to each local authority for the provision of Connexions services since 2008 is as follows:
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