Classroom Assistants: Finance
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to announce the allocation of the (a) work force modernisation and (b) higher level teaching assistant grant for local authorities. [39949]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 11 February 2011]: The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) wrote to directors of children’s services on 30 June to notify them that:
the work force modernisation and developments grants would not be paid beyond November 2010 and
the support staff training and qualification grant (which included funding for the training of higher level teaching assistants) would not be paid during 2010-11.
This is consistent with the White Paper we published in November 2010 “The Importance of Teaching” which stated that head teachers were best placed to decide how to develop and deploy school support staff.
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College of Social Work: Social Care Institute for Excellence
Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will investigate the use of funds allocated by his Department to the Social Care Institute for Excellence and the Interim Board of the College of Social Work for the establishment of the College of Social Work. [36594]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 7 February 2011]: Following the publication of the Social Work Task Force report, the Department for Education committed to match £2.5 million of funding made available by the Department of Health to support the establishment of an independent, national college of social work. This Department’s funds have not yet been allocated and officials are in discussions regarding the appropriate time that further funds will need to be made available to meet the emerging business development plan. Both Departments have recently investigated concerns raised with us in relation to the college’s use of public funds and are reassured that there is no actual or proposed misuse.
Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what role he plans the Social Care Institute for Excellence to have in the operation of the College of Social Work. [36596]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 7 February 2011]: The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has been asked to facilitate the establishment of the College of Social Work, providing administrative support and expertise in a developmental phase of two years. Neither Government nor SCIE seek to influence the form or function of the emerging college. SCIE will have no role in the governance of the college that emerges.
College of Social Work: Unison
Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions his Department had with other organisations before awarding Unison a contract for trade union services to the College of Social Work. [36268]
Tim Loughton: The Department does not seek to influence any partnership agreements the college might establish once it emerges from the current development stage and has not entered into any agreements or contracts with Unison or any other organisation on membership or trade union services.
The establishment process for the college was guided from January to September 2010 by a development group with representation from across the social work sector, including frontline practitioners, employer representatives, regulators, educators, work force organisations and the British Association of Social Workers, Unison and Aspect. Since September interim co-chairs and an interim board have been appointed who are taking forward this work and have maintained links with all parties.
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Curriculum
Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects his Department’s review of the national curriculum to be completed. [40309]
Mr Gibb: The review of the national curriculum for England is being conducted in two phases. We intend to publish new programmes of study for English, mathematics, science and physical education in autumn 2012, with the first teaching in maintained schools from September 2013. New programmes of study for all other subjects that are to form part of the new national curriculum will be published by September 2013, with teaching in maintained schools from September 2014.
Further details are in the remit for the review, a copy of which is in the House Libraries.
Departmental Allowances
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how long on average he spends managing expenses and allowances claims; and if he will make a statement. [24520]
Tim Loughton: My ministerial colleagues and I follow the Department’s policy, rules and guidance on expenses and allowances in the course of our official duties. However, the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Photographs
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on photography since May 2010. [35828]
Tim Loughton: Since May 2010, the Department has spent £7,306.48 on photography.
Departmental Press Releases
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on how many occasions his Department has provided embargoed media briefings prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010; in respect of how many such briefings his Department was informed that the embargo had been breached; what steps were taken as a result of each such breach; and on how many occasions his Department has provided media briefings without an embargo prior to an oral statement to the House since 26 May 2010. [31917]
Tim Loughton: The Department has not provided embargoed briefings during the requested period.
Departmental Redundancy
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff in his Department have been made redundant since May 2010; and how much it has spent on redundancy costs. [36151]
Tim Loughton
[holding answer 25 January 2011]: The Department has made no compulsory redundancies since May 2010. The Department has, however, reduced
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its headcount through voluntary early release and since May 2010 there have been 150 approved staff releases at a cost of £8.4 million.
Departmental Regulation
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what regulations his Department has removed since 6 May 2010. [37370]
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Tim Loughton: In the period 6 May 2010 to 26 January 2011 the Department for Education has revoked a number of regulatory statutory instruments or significant parts of statutory instruments. These are detailed in the following table. However, as indicated by the third column of the table, in some cases the content of the revoked statutory instrument has been largely replaced.
Departmental Senior Civil Servants
Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the (a) names and (b) salaries are of each senior civil servant who has (i) joined, (ii) moved posts within and (iii) left his Department since May 2010. [36498]
Tim Loughton [holding answer 27 January 2011]: The information for the Department is set out in the following tables:
| Appointments (includes new appointees and promotions into senior civil service) | |
| Name (1) (at director level and above only) | Gross basic salary |
| Departures (including terminations, transfers to other Government Departments, outward secondments and loans out and others who can return to the Department, e.g. on career break) | |
| Name (1) (at director level and above only) | Gross basic salary |
| (1) Senior civil service naming and salary protocols are based on the latest published Transparency Agenda exercise criteria. | |
Departmental Travel
Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much has been spent on travel by officials of his Department since May 2010. [35205]
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Tim Loughton: The total amount spent on staff travel since May 2010 is £2,171,487 and includes all travel costs incurred between May 2010 and January 2011.
The corresponding staff travel figure for May 2009 to January 2010 is £4,023,795.
Departmental Written Questions
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2011, Official Report, columns 292-3W, on social services: children, what audit work Ofsted performed after 23 November 2010 to provide an answer to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Yardley; how many staff at each grade were involved; how much staff time the audit took; and what errors were identified in the data originally prepared for the answer. [36175]
Tim Loughton: 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 31 January 2011:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
An explanation of the context to the relevant data gathering may be helpful. Prior to receipt of PQ 025834, Ofsted was already carrying out an audit of all our serious childcare incident data dating back to 1 April 2007, The data requested in PQ 025634 covered very similar ground to this audit review, staff worked on the two processes together, and answering the PQ accurately was reliant on the audit being completed. As a result the work on PQ 025634 cannot be separated entirely from the wider ongoing audit. However, we have estimated the amount of time dedicated specifically to the PQ after 23 November 2010.
After 23 November 2010, Ofsted continued to audit data in respect of PQ 025634 dating back to April 2007, These data are stored in different formats and locations, and officials carefully and systematically cross-examined them to ensure there were no errors or duplication. This took one member of staff at Band A (grade 7) half a day, six staff at B1 (Senior Executive Officer) grade a total of eight and a half days and one member of staff at B2 (Higher Executive Officer) grade one day. The total staff time spent is therefore eight staff for a total of ten days.
Four errors were identified and corrected during the audit process. They all related to inaccurate recording or calculation of the ages of children.
I hope this is helpful and clarifies the work we have undertaken in this area. A copy of this reply has been sent to Tim Loughton MP, Minister for Children and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress his Department is making in developing an alternative to the education maintenance allowance. [35617]
Mr Gibb: We are currently working with school, college and training organisation representatives and others, including the Sutton Trust, to develop the arrangements for a package of financial support which is more closely targeted on those young people who face the greatest financial barriers to participation.
Mr Anderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has made an assessment of the cost to the public purse of terminating the education
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maintenance allowance (EMA), including
(a)
any penalty clause for the termination of the EMA element of his Department's learner support services contract with Capita and
(b)
any staff costs; and if he will make a statement. [38934]
Mr Gibb: We are working with the Young People’s Learning Agency, which administers the education maintenance allowance scheme on behalf of the Department for Education, to assess any costs that may arise from the reduction in value of Capita’s contract. Peter Lauener, the YPLA’s chief executive, has responded separately to the hon. Member on the question regarding penalty payments and staff costs, and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 11 February 2011:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ38934.
The contract with Capita currently supports a number of learner support schemes in addition to Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) so the decision to end EMAs will not trigger termination of the contract and there will therefore be no consequent liability to pay a penalty.
This is however a significant change to the scale of the contract with Capita and we have begun commercial discussions with Capita as to the costs involved in reducing the scale of their operation. These costs are likely to involve staff redundancies in Capita as a result of the end of EMA. These negotiations will also cover the need for on-going delivery of the remaining schemes.
As you will appreciate, I cannot anticipate the outcome of these commercial negotiations, which are likely to take several months to complete.
Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding has been allocated under each budget heading under his Department's Learner Support Services contract with Capita between 2009 and 2013; and what proportion of the contract is allocated to delivering education maintenance allowance. [38935]
Mr Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Blaydon with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 11 February 2011:
I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ38935 that asked:
“How much funding has been allocated under each budget heading under his Department's Learner Support Services contract with Capita between 2009 and 2013; and what proportion of the contract is allocated to delivering education maintenance allowance.”
The budgets for the administration of each scheme under the Learner Support contract with Capita for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are as follows;
| £ | ||
| Learner support schemes | 2009-10 Budget | 2010-11 Budget |
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There are differing levels of administrative complexity across the schemes and this is reflected in the budget required for each scheme. 77.3% of the budget for the contract is attributed to EMA in 2010-11.
The amounts budgeted for 2011-12 (and 2012-13) are still to be determined and are dependent on the shape and size of the service for these periods.
Education: Worcestershire
Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds on the levels of (a) dedicated schools grant, (b) pupil premium funding and (c) funding for nursery provision in Worcestershire in 2010-11. [37491]
Mr Gibb: Worcestershire's dedicated schools grant is worth £297.478 million in 2010-11, based on a per pupil amount of £4,027.71.
The pupil premium will be introduced from April 2011 and will be worth:
£430 for each pupil known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM);
£430 for each looked after child; and
£200 for each service child.
No funding is available for the pupil premium in 2010-11. The January 2010 pupil count allows an estimate of the number of pupils known to be eligible for FSM to be made. Based on the January pupil count, Worcestershire would receive an estimated pupil premium of £3.8 million. However, the pupil premium for 2011-12 could be higher or lower depending on actual pupil numbers in January 2011.
Worcestershire have budgeted to spend £14 million on children on early years provision in 2010-11, as recorded on their 2010-11 Section 251 Budget Statement.
English Baccalaureate
Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the merits of increasing the range of subjects that would satisfy the humanities requirement of the English Baccalaureate to include religious studies alongside history and geography. [38191]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 7 February 2011]: For the purposes of the 2010 performance tables the humanities element of the English Baccalaureate measure was either history or geography. We have not included religious education (RE) as fulfilling the humanity requirement of the English Baccalaureate because it is already a compulsory subject. One of the intentions of the English Baccalaureate is to encourage wider take up of geography and history in addition to, rather than instead of, compulsory RE.
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However we recognise, as many schools do, the benefits that religious education can bring to pupils. This is why the teaching of RE remains compulsory throughout a pupil’s schooling. Success in all subjects studied at GCSE will also continue to be recognised by other performance table measures, as it has in the past. We are open to arguments about how we can further improve the measures in the performance tables and will review the precise definition of the English Baccalaureate for the 2011 tables.
Free Schools
Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which applications to become free schools have been (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful. [37039]
Mr Gibb: As at 29 January 2011, eight proposals to open a free school have been given approval to pre-opening stage, the final stage in the approval process. These schools are as follows:
ARK Conway, Hammersmith and Fulham
Discovery New School, West Sussex
Etz Chaim, Barnet
The Free School, Norwich
l-Foundation, Leicester City
St Luke’s Church of England Primary School, Camden
Stour Valley Community School in Suffolk
Woodpecker Hall, Enfield
A further 27 proposals have been given approval to proceed to the preceding business case and plan stage and their full plans will be considered in due course.
60 proposals have so far been unsuccessful.
Mr Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much he plans to allocate to each free school to develop projects. [40240]
Mr Gibb: Support for all free school projects is considered and approved on a case by case basis, based on the needs of each individual project.
Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many proposals for free schools have been made in the Black Country. [39679]
Mr Gibb: As at 9 February 2011, we have received three proposals from groups and individuals within the four Black Country local authorities (Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton).
Further Education: Absenteeism
John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of students in further education were persistent absentees in each year since 2004. [39139]
Mr Gibb [holding answer 8 February 2011]:Information on pupils who were persistent absentees is not collected for further education establishments. The Department collects information on pupil absence for pupils aged 5 to 15 at the start of the school year from maintained primary, secondary, all special schools, city technology colleges and academies.
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Information on absence can be found in Statistical First Release 07/2010 “Pupil Absence in Schools in England, Including Pupil Characteristics: 2008/09” at:
http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000918/index.shtml
GCSE
Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average number of GCSE entries was per student reaching the end of school year 11 in maintained schools in academic year (a) 1996-97 and (b) 2009-10. [27598]
Mr Gibb: In 1997, the average number of GCSE entries among pupils in maintained schools aged 15 at the start of the academic year was 8.33.
In 2010, the average number of GCSE entries among pupils in maintained schools at the end of key stage 4 was 7.69.
Short courses have been counted as half a GCSE entry and double courses as two entries.
Prior to 2005, statistics were based on pupils aged 15. In 2005, statistics based on pupils reaching the end of
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key stage 4 were introduced, which aimed to take better account of the attainment of pupils learning at different rates. Since 2009, all figures have been based exclusively on pupils reaching the end of key stage 4.
Source:
School and College Performance Tables.
Mr Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which were the 100 lowest performing schools on the basis of proportion of students gaining five A* to C GCSEs including English and mathematics in the latest period for which figures are available; and in which local authority area each such school is located. [30671]
Mr Gibb: The following table shows the lowest performing schools, based on the percentage of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C (or equivalent) including English and Mathematics GCSEs, by local authority. The table lists only those open maintained mainstream schools (including city technology colleges and academies, but excluding hospital schools and pupil referral units) with results published in the 2010 School and College Performance Tables with more than 10 pupils on roll at the end of Key Stage 4.
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|
Blue Coat Church of England Comprehensive School A Performing Arts Specialist College |
||
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| Source: 2010 School and College Performance Tables. | ||
Mr Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of children have achieved five A* to C GCSEs, including English and mathematics, in (a) England and (b) each local authority area in each year from 1997 to 2010. [30672]
Mr Gibb: The information requested is given in the following table:
| Percentage of 15-year-old pupils (1) achieving 5+ A*-C grades inc. English and Mathematics at GCSE and equivalent. Years: 1996/97 to 1999/2000 (2) (final) | ||||
|
|
1996/97 | 1997/98 | 1998/99 | 1999/2000 (3) |
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| (1) Age at the start of the academic year. (2) Including attempts and achievement in previous academic years. (3) In 1999/2000, local authority, Government office region and total figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (4) Maintained schools only, including maintained special schools and CTCs. Academies were not in existence during this time period. (5) Local authority not in existence at that time. | ||||
Mr Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools achieved five A* to C GCSEs, including English and mathematics, for (a) under 20 per cent., (b) 20 to 30 per cent., (c) 30 to 35 per cent., (d) 35 per cent. to 40 per cent., (e) 40 to 45 per cent. and (f) 45 to 50 per cent of pupils in the latest year for which figures are available. [30673]
Mr Gibb: The breakdown of the number of schools by the percentage of pupils that achieved five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics is shown in the following table. The figures shown are for only those open maintained mainstream schools (including city technology colleges and academies, but excluding hospital schools and pupil referral units) with results published in the 2010 school and college performance tables with more than 10 pupils on roll at the end of Key Stage 4.
| Percentage of pupils in the school who achieved 5 or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics | Number of schools |
Mr Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of students achieved five GCSE at grades A* to C or equivalent in each year from 1990 to 2010; and what proportion achieved these grades, excluding (a) non-GCSE qualifications, (b) non-GCSE qualifications and religious studies GCSEs and (c) non-GCSE qualifications, religious studies GCSEs and vocational GCSEs in each year. [32408]
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Mr Gibb: The figures are presented in the following table: