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10 Nov 2009 : Column 349W—continued
Learning and Skills Improvement Service: Finance
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department provided to the Learning and Skills Improvement Service in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion this constituted of the total budget of the Service. [293408]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) was established in October 2008 and, therefore, did not receive funding prior to that. However, LSIS became operational on 1 October 2008 following the merger of the Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) and the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL).
In 2008-09 the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (then DIUS) received funding from DCSF for both those organisations mentioned above totalling £44.8 million.
National Curriculum Tests
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what impact assessment was made of proposals to change the date of standard assessment tests from May to June 2011. [298170]
Mr. Coaker: The recommendation to change the date of the key stage 2 tests was made by the Expert Group on Assessment, set up by the Secretary of State to advise on the future of testing and assessment across the key stages. The group took into account a range of stakeholder's views including schools, local authorities, academics, social partners and others. The Government accepted the group's recommendations in full in May 2009. The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) is currently consulting schools, local authorities (LAs) and other interested stakeholders on the date of the 2011 tests.
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what effect the change of the date of standard assessment tests from May to June 2011 will have on opportunities for learning outside the classroom in the summer term 2011; and if he will make a statement. [298171]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: We do not expect the change of timing for the National Curriculum tests to have any major effect on opportunities for learning outside the classroom in the summer term. Activities should not, and need not, be left to the summer months. For it to be truly effective, learning outside the classroom should take place on a regular basis and be informed by what teachers want learners to achieve. We know schools recognise the importance of ensuring every child has access to learning beyond the classroom as such experiences excite young people, deepen their understanding of classroom subjects, and help develop their own mechanisms for identifying and managing risk. Learning outside the classroom is vital to make young people independent, confident and self-reliant.
Ofsted: Disclosure of Information
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many calls have been received on Ofsted's whistleblower hotline since the service was established. [295567]
Dawn Primarolo: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated October 2009:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
A total of 941 calls have been made to Ofsted's safeguarding children whistleblower hotline since its inception on 1 April 2009. Twenty two of these calls qualified under our whistleblower procedures and have been handled accordingly. In addition to the hotline, Ofsted has received 29 whistleblowing allegations by email or letter.
A significant number of calls to the hotline were not from whistleblowers (360) but were general queries. A further 258 calls were complaints about local and childcare services, but were not from 'whistleblowers'. These were dealt with within our normal procedures.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Primary Education: Pupil Numbers
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many surplus primary school places there were in each local authority area in each year since 2005. [298197]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: A table showing the number of surplus primary school places by local authority area between 2005 and 2009 has been placed in the House Libraries for viewing.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities his Department has directed to reduce the number of surplus primary school places in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement. [298198]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The Department has not directed any local authority to reduce the number of surplus primary school places in any year since 2005. Local authorities are responsible for managing school places and deciding the most appropriate pattern of school provision for their area.
Schools
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether a school may receive funding from (a) his Department and (b) local authorities without (i) a registration number and (ii) having been inspected. [298316]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 9 November 2009]: Local authorities provide funding for maintained schools, and can also provide funding for three and four-year-olds in independent schools.
With regard to maintained schools, a local authority should usually provide funding for a new school from 15 months before its opening, as set out in the School Finance Regulations 2008. A school is issued with a registration number by the DCSF shortly after the DCSF has been notified by the decision maker that a decision to approve the statutory proposals for a new school has been made. Therefore a new school will have a registration number before it is funded. The focus of inspection is on outcomes for pupils and the school needs to be operating before that can be assessed, therefore maintained schools do receive funding prior to being inspected.
With regard to independent schools, before any independent school can be entered on to the independent schools register it must meet the standards set out in "The Education (Independent School Standards)(England)Regulations 2003 (as amended)". Prior to registration being granted the Department would commission an inspection by Ofsted who would provide a report to officials in order to ascertain how far the school goes to meet the standards required. The school would be required to rectify any regulatory failings prior to registration. Only then would an independent school be able to receive funding for three and four-year-olds.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of progress towards his Department's targets under its policy of extended secondary and primary schools. [298642]
Dawn Primarolo: By 30 September 2009, over 19,000 maintained schools were offering access to the core offer of extended services. This represents 90 per cent. of primary schools and 90 per cent. of secondary schools. All schools should be providing access to extended services by 2010.
Schools: Discipline
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will initiate a survey of school discipline. [298663]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 9 November 2009]: We have recently received a considerable amount of information on school discipline, so do not consider a further study necessary at this time. This information includes the recent series of reports on school behaviour from Sir Alan Steer, school inspection evidence from Ofsted and a range of surveys conducted by our partners, including teacher professional associations and the National Audit Office. In 2007/08, Ofsted judged that behaviour in 93 per cent. of primary and 72 per cent. of secondary schools was good or outstanding. On 30 September 2009 the Government launched a new Behaviour Challenge to local authorities and schools, making clear our ambition that by 2012 all schools will either have a good or outstanding Ofsted rating on behaviour, or be on track to reach one at their next inspection. The Behaviour Challenge will ensure delivery of the guarantee we made in the White Paper on 21st Century Schools earlier this year that all schools will have good behaviour, strong discipline, order and safety.
Schools: Finance
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department plans to spend on schools in each of the next five years. [298859]
Mr. Coaker: In November 2007, the Government announced the indicative budgets for the dedicated schools grant from 2008 to 2011. The indicative dedicated schools grant for 2010-11 for England is £30,959 million. The overall school revenue funding will be approximately £42.1 billion in 2010-11. We cannot confirm what the education funding settlement will be from 2011-12 onwards in advance of the next Spending Review.
Schools: Standards
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which maintained (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special schools Ofsted classified in each local authority as (i) outstanding and (ii) in special measures on the latest date for which figures are available. [294607]
Mr. Coaker: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM chief inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools have been given notices to improve by Ofsted since 1 September 2009. [298738]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 9 November 2009]: Ofsted publish these data on a termly basis and this information will not be available until January 2010.
Schools; Finance
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) of 9 September 2009, Official Report, columns 1938-9, on schools: finance, which individual programmes and corresponding allocations are aggregated as (a) children in care proposals and (b) teenage pregnancy grant. [297334]
Ms Diana R. Johnson: The information requested is as follows:
(a) The individual Programmes included under the heading Children in Care Proposals in the DCSF's Departmental Annual Report 2009, table 8.4, are provided in the following list:
Fostering Change
Recruit foster carers from a diverse range of backgrounds
Choice Protects Topslive - fosterline contract
In the child's trust fund, £100 per year for every child who spends the year in care.
Independent visitors
Social work practices
Multi Systemic Therapy
Family Drug and Alcohol Courts
Virtual Head teacher and the Private Tutoring Pilots
Social Pedagogy in residential care
MTFC - Multi dimension Treatment Foster Care
Right2B Cared4
Staying with foster carers until 21
Promote the use of Family Group Conferencing through a programme of national events and training
Develop a training resource for practitioners drawing on the conclusions of research on the identification of neglect
To update the guidance on Promoting the Health of looked after children, clarifying the functions and responsibilities of those involved in ensuring that children in care receive the health services they need
National Centre for Excellence in Residential Children's Care (NCERCC) (originally from CP Topslice)
IRO Training and support
NMS-Non Maintained Specialist Schools
Children Act Guidance
Training for practitioners/governors
Funding allocations are yet to be finalised for the programmes.
(b) The £2.0 million that is shown on table 8.4 under the heading Teenage Pregnancy Grant forms part of a larger amount of funding that is allocated through Area
Based Grants (ABG), which amount to £27.5 million as a Department. This level of funding has been announced to local authorities (LA's) through the ABG mechanism.
In addition to this we have a further teenage pregnancy budget within the Department totalling £5.85 million, which funds the TPG media campaign and secondment costs of Regional Teenage Pregnancy Coordinators.
Sure Start Programme
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent assessment he has made of the effects of Sure Start children's centres on low income families. [297948]
Dawn Primarolo: The National Evaluation of Sure Start report The Impact of Sure Start Local Programmes on Three Year Olds and Their Families', was published in March 2008. This report found a number of positive impacts for children in Sure Start Local Programme (SSLP) areas. Parents of three-year-old children showed less negative parenting while providing their children with a better home learning environment. Three-year-old children areas had better social development with higher levels of positive social behaviour and independence/self-regulation than children in similar areas not having a SSLP. Families living in SSLP areas used more child- and family-related services than those living elsewhere. The effects associated with SSLPs appeared to apply to all of the resident population sub groups assessed, including those on low incomes.
In February 2009, DCSF published the 'Sure Start Children's Centres Survey of Parents' research by TNS. This found very high levels of satisfaction with children's centres by users of centres. It also found that those using centres closely matched the local community.
The report also commented that
"there is no evidence that any sub-groups within the community are monopolising the centres. Equally, the results suggest that no sub-groups are being excluded from or failing to access the centres."
Further evaluation of the impact of children's centres will be published in due course.
Teachers: Training
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teacher training entrants did not gain qualified teacher status within 12 months of beginning initial teacher training in each year since 1997. [297044]
Mr. Coaker: The number and percentage of final year initial teacher trainees who gained qualified teacher status (QTS) are given in the following tables. This information is available from 1998/99 onwards for college-based courses and 2001/02 for employment-based routes (EBR) and relates to initial teacher training (ITT) courses of all lengths-not just one year.
For academic year 2008/09, 92 per cent. of postgraduate entrants and 91 per cent. of employment based entrants were on courses intended to be for one year, but only 1 per cent. of entrants to undergraduate courses were on courses intended to last one year.
Information in the requested format could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
| Initial teacher trainees: final year trainees gaining QTS via college based courses, years: 1998/99 to 2007/08, coverage: England | ||||||
| ITT route | ||||||
| Postgraduate | Undergraduate | |||||
| Trainees gaining QTS | Trainees gaining QTS | |||||
| Number of final year trainees | Number | Percentage | Number of final year trainees | Number | Percentage | |
| Notes: 1. Includes trainees from universities and other higher education institutions, school centred initial teacher training and Open universities but excludes employment based routes (EBR). 2. Those who have gained QTS does not include final year trainees who are: 'known not to have completed the course'; have 'undefined outcome'; are yet to complete their course; those with withheld QTS (including those where their skills test were not met, their standards were not met and where both their standards and skills test were not met) and those where the skills test has not been taken (including those whose standards were met and those whose standards were not met). 3. Numbers are individually rounded to the nearest 10. Source: TDA's Performance Profiles | ||||||
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