---

29 Oct 2009 : Column 596W—continued

Members: Correspondence

Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he will reply to the hon. Member for Christchurch's letter of 16 September 2009 on the Mediabox project, The Dreamwalkers. [296420]

Ms Diana R. Johnson: The Department has no record of that letter being received. If the hon. Member forwards a copy of the letter to the Department it will be answered in line with Whitehall standards.

National Council for Educational Excellence

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many times the National Council for Educational Excellence has met since 1 January 2009; and which Ministers attended those meetings. [296146]

Mr. Coaker: There was one meeting of the full National Council for Educational Excellence on 16 July 2009 at Acland Burghley School. I attended along with my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the Prime Minister, the Minister of State for Higher Education and Intellectual Property and my hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State for 14-19 Reform and Apprenticeships.

Primary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were being taught in primary schools with over 800 pupils in (a) 1997 and (b) 2009. [295290]

Mr. Coaker: In 1997 there were 9,266 sole registered pupils (headcount) being taught in primary schools with over 800 pupils. The equivalent figure for 2009 is 14,127 pupils. Information is sourced from the school census.

Primary Education: Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and for what reasons primary school pupils of each age were given a fixed-period exclusion in 2007-08. [293359]

29 Oct 2009 : Column 597W

Mr. Coaker: Information on the number of fixed period exclusions from primary schools by age and reason for exclusion, and the number of pupils excluded by age, is shown in the table.

29 Oct 2009 : Column 598W

Pupils can be excluded more than once, and each exclusion can be for a different reason, therefore the number of exclusions by reason for pupils cannot be calculated.

Primary schools( 1) : Number of fixed period exclusions by age and reason for exclusion, and the number of times pupil enrolments( 2) were excluded by age( 3) , England 2007/08
	Age( 2)
	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total
Number of instances of exclusion (pupils can have multiple exclusions):
Physical assault against a pupil	20	310	630	770	1,250	1,830	2,480	3,350	60	10,690
Physical assault against an adult	10	520	1,120	1,160	1,160	1,120	1,060	910	20	7,090
Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against a pupil	(4)-	30	60	120	240	400	620	850	20	2,330
Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult	(4)-	50	180	310	540	840	1,380	1,900	40	5,260
Bullying	0	(4)-	20	20	40	50	120	220	10	460
Racist abuse	0	0	10	10	50	80	120	130	(4)-	390
Sexual misconduct	0	10	20	10	30	30	60	80	(4)-	240
Drug and alcohol related	0	0	0	0	(4)-	(4)-	10	20	0	40
Damage	0	10	30	50	120	140	220	290	10	860
Theft	0	(4)-	10	10	40	50	80	130	(4)-	320
Persistent disruptive behaviour	(4)-	200	670	960	1,690	2,230	3,240	3,730	70	12,800
Other	(4)-	50	110	150	270	420	760	1,030	40	2,830
Total	40	1,190	2,850	3,570	5,420	7,190	10,140	12,620	280	43,290
Number of pupil enrolments excluded(2)	30	640	1,360	1,710	2,710	3,670	5,290	6,910	150	22,460
(1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Pupils may be counted more than once if they were registered at more than one school or moved schools during the year. (3) Age as at 31st August 2007. (4) Less than 5. Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Census

Private Education: Per Capita Costs

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent estimate is of the average annual sum spent per pupil in the private educational sector; and if he will make a statement. [295243]

Mr. Coaker: The Department does not collect data from the independent sector. However, the hon. Member may be interested to know that the Independent Schools Council (ISC) conducts an annual census and information for independent day school fees can be found on their website on:

http://www.isc.co.uk/

Pupils: Absenteeism

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children have had one or more periods of absence from school for more than a week due to serious illness in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) the Tees Valley and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency since 1999. [296364]

Mr. Coaker: Information is not available in the form requested.

The latest available information on absence where the reason code is illness (not medical or dental) is available in the SFR 'Pupil Absence in Schools in England: Autumn Term 2008 and Spring Term 2009' at:

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000882/index.shtml

The latest available figures for a full year are available in the SFR 'Pupil Absence in Schools in England, including Pupil Characteristics: 2007/08' at:

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000832/index.shtml

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils in each local education authority area are entitled to free school meals; and if he will make a statement. [295241]

Ms Diana R. Johnson: The requested information on free school meals is published as part of the Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics SFR: January 2009, at:

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000843/index.shtml

29 Oct 2009 : Column 599W

The data regarding nursery and primary schools are contained in Table 11a, the data for State-funded Secondary schools are in Table 11b and the data for Special schools are in Table 11c.

Pupils: East of England

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the pupil to teacher ratio has been in each local education authority in the East of
29 Oct 2009 : Column 600W
England at key stage (a) 1, (b) 2 and (c) 3 in each year since 1999. [296167]

Mr. Coaker: Information on pupil to teacher ratios (PTR) by key stage is not collected centrally. Figures are however available for the within school PTR by phase of education. The following table shows the number of pupil to teacher ratios in local authority maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in each local authority within the east of England Government office region, January 1997 to 2009.

---