APPENDIX: CORRESPONDENCE (SI 2007/2972)
Letter from the Department for Children, Schools
and Families
Education (School Performance Targets) and (Local
Authority) (England) Regulations 2007 (SIs 2007/2972 and 2975)
First, I acknowledge that the Explanatory Memorandum
(EM) failed to mention the consultations. May I sincerely apologise
to the Merits Committee for this omission?
In terms of consultation responses from the Making
Good Progress (MGP) pilot, I think it may be helpful to distinguish
between the number received and the weight of opinion represented.
The most influential educational bodies, including the Qualifications
and Curriculum Authority, the Association of School and College
Leaders, Professional Association of Teachers, and Association
for Directors of Children's Services, did express they were are
in favour of establishing a progress measure.
I would like to stress that the Department has carried
out extensive consultative meetings on the progression measure,
since the MGP pilot, as part of discussions on the full range
of Public Service Agreement targets with the organisations [listed
below]. Some of these worked together with DCSF in the development
of the Treasury's delivery agreement document which sets out how
we are going to achieve the PSA targets and the contribution of
partners to this process. We accept that some bodies are lukewarm
to targets in general, but the inclusion of progress targets (the
number of levels a pupil climbs in the key stage) is more widely
welcomed.
Therefore, while we acknowledge that there were more
individual responses against the introduction of progress targets
than for it, I believe that [the] statement that the "benefits
of progress targets are widely accepted" is fully justified.
Ministers did, of course, take into account contrary views, but
on the balance of educational evidence and opinion they remain
absolutely convinced that progress targets are key elements in
any policy to create higher standards in schools and across local
authorities.
More detail about consultation and our response to
it has therefore been drafted into a new EM ... my colleagues
and I will need to obtain ministerial clearance for this, but
I hope to send you the new EM as soon as possible.
DfES Consultees for CSR07 PSAs
LGA
CRE/EOC/DRC
CBI
TUC
Devolved Administrations
NDPBs
Government Offices
Local authorities
Children's Trust Partners
ECM Board of Stakeholders
DfES Children and Youth Board
DfES/HO children and Young people's steering group
Voluntary sector organisations
Children's commissioner
Sustainable Development commission
DH, DCMS, DfT, DCLG, DEFRA, DWP / DTI
LSC
Universities UK
HEFCE
SLC
Office of Fair Access
Higher Education Statistics Agency
Guild HE
Foundation Degree Forward
QCA
Sector Skills Council Development Agency (SSDA) /
Sector Skills Councils (SSC)
FE Providers
Association of Colleges (AoC)
Association of Learning Providers (ALP)
157 Group
Quality Improvement Agency (QIA)
University for Industry (UfI)
Regional Development Agencies (RDA)
IiP UK
UK Skills
ECITB
19 November 2007
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