| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
3 Nov 2009 : Column 956W—continued
Specialised Diplomas
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils began studying for a diploma in September 2009. [295279]
Mr. Iain Wright: Figures from local authorities will have been completed, returned and confirmed by the end of the year.
Specialised Diplomas: Finance
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost to date has been of the diploma aggregation service; and how much is expected to be spent on the service in each of the next five years. [296516]
Mr. Coaker:
The diploma aggregation service is designed and managed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Authority to enable the aggregation and awarding of diplomas. It became operational in September 2008. The total cost of the service during its initial
development phase (April 2006 to 31 August 2008) was £18 million. Since then we have continued to invest in both enhancing and maintaining the service. In the subsequent period to the end of the current financial year (September 2008 to March 2010) the estimated additional cost of investment and maintenance is £6.4 million, with running costs in the following financial year estimated at £2.2 million. Later financial years will be considered as part of the next spending review process.
Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps his Department has taken to increase levels of educational opportunity for children from the most deprived households. [296519]
Mr. Coaker: Increasing levels of educational opportunity for disadvantaged children is a top priority for this Government. This is reflected in one of the Government's public service agreements which commits us to:
narrowing achievement gaps at the Early Years Foundation Stage;
narrowing the achievement gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and their peers at key stages 2 and 4;
narrowing gaps in the proportion of pupils progressing by two levels in English and mathematics at the end of key stages 2, 3 and 4;
increasing the numbers of Looked After Children reaching Level 4 in English at key stage 2 and reaching Level 4 in mathematics at key stage 2;
increasing the numbers of Looked After Children achieving five or more good GCSEs at key stage 4; and
narrowing the gap between full-time higher education initial participation rates for young people aged 18-20 from the top three and the bottom four socio-economic classes.
As part of our programme of work to deliver this PSA, we have introduced a range of initiatives designed to increase the level of educational opportunities for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, from their early years right though to early adulthood. For example, from this September we are extending free early learning opportunities to the most disadvantaged two-year-olds and their families and we are beginning to roll out one-to-one tuition on a national basis to pupils in key stages 2 and 3 who are falling behind.
Targeted programmes such as the Extra Mile pathfinder and the extended services pilot for disadvantaged children are raising the aspirations and attainment of individual pupils. Last December, we legislated to require local authorities to set targets for the attainment of all free school meals pupils, to help ensure that help and support are targeted where they are most needed. And the Aimhigher Programme is raising aspirations in 41 areas by providing summer schools, university visits and masterclasses to 14-19-year-olds from low income households, as well as to Looked After Children and disabled young people from all backgrounds.
All of this work is having an impact. The 2009 Early Years Foundation Stage Profile results show that children living in the most disadvantaged areas are improving faster than their peers-the gap has narrowed from 16 per cent. last year to 15 per cent. this year. In schools too, while the performance of all pupils has improved substantially over the last decade, some of the fastest progress has been made by children eligible for free school meals. To give just one example, between 2002 and 2008, the percentage of free school meals pupils
achieving the equivalent of five or more good GCSEs rose by 17 percentage points (from 23 per cent. to 40 per cent.), in comparison with a 13.3 percentage point rise for non-free school meals pupils.
Of course there is more to be done and in 'Breaking the Link between disadvantage and low attainment' and the Schools White Paper we set out a wide range of further plans. These include a proposal to include a measure of schools' progress in narrowing attainment gaps for their disadvantaged pupils in the new school report card, (on which we are currently consulting).
Teachers: Absenteeism
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to seek to reduce the level of absences due to stress amongst school staff. [296524]
Mr. Coaker: The Department recognises that there are a variety of factors that contribute to stress among teachers and the wider school workforce. Accordingly we have put in place a range of measures to address the causes.
Through our ongoing work with social partners, we are undertaking a significant programme of workforce reform to help address those causes associated with workload. The National Agreement on Raising Standards and Tackling Workload, which was signed in January 2003, led to guaranteed time for planning, preparation and assessment, limits on the amount of cover teachers could do, and a transfer of admin tasks to support staff, all of which help address the issue of workload. There have also been increases in the number of teachers and support staff working in schools. Since 1997, the number of support staff has more than doubled and teacher numbers have risen by over 40,000.
Encouraging better pupil behaviour and attendance also has a direct impact on reducing teacher stress. That is why we are investing in a comprehensive national programme to strengthen schools' capacity to manage pupil behaviour.
In addition we have encouraged better management of school workforce health matters through improved occupational health guidance for schools and local authorities, and we are working with employers to encourage early intervention to avoid ill health retirements. We have reinforced these moves through the release of guidance on common mental health problems which give practical advice on positive action to support teachers and the wider workforce through the stresses and strains that can arise through life and work.
Teachers: Lancashire
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) teachers and (b) teaching assistants were working for Lancashire Education Authority (i) in 1997 and (ii) on the most recent date for which figures are available. [296835]
Mr. Coaker:
The information requested is published in tables 19 and 26 of the Statistical First Release (SFR) "School Workforce in England (including Local Authority
level figures) January 2009 (Revised)" published on 29 September 2009. The SFR is available at the following web link:
Teachers: Training
Michael Gove:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many entrants for
mathematics specialist initial teacher training there were in (a) 2002, (b) 2004, (c) 2006 and (d) 2008; and what percentage of the Department's target for each year these figures represented. [296513]
Mr. Coaker: The available information is given in the table.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |