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Schools

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children have started primary schools in West Sussex in each of the last 10 years; and what her projections are for the next five years. [28233]

Jacqui Smith: The requested time series is not available due to changes in the way that information is collected on new admissions to primary schools. The table shows the number of four and five-year-olds in maintained primary schools in West Sussex from 1996 to 2005.

The Department does not produce projections of numbers of pupils starting schools in individual local authorities. The Department has recently released pupil number projections at local authority level for 2006 and 2007 which it plans to use in setting authorities' Dedicated Schools Grant guaranteed units of funding. These projections are for all children aged three to 15 funded by authorities. They can be seen at the following address: http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=9224
Maintained primary schools: number of pupils aged four and five1. Position in January each year. West Sussex local authority

	Pupils aged:
	Four	Five
1996	5,990	8,470
1997	6,120	8.510
1998	7,850	8,580
1999	8,060	8,250
2000	7.930	8,430
2001	7,900	8,190
2002	7.970	8,100
2003	7,970	8,160
2004	7,870	8,100
2005	7,760	8,020

⁽³⁶⁾ Age as at 31 August the previous year.
Note:
Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Annual Schools' Census





 
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Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many (a) unitary and (b) metropolitan local authorities have received claims for compensation for (i) sexual and (ii) physical abuse in residential schools in the last five years; [28788]

(2) which local authorities have received claims for compensation for (a) sexual and (b) physical abuse in residential schools; and what the total value of such claims was in respect of each authority in 2004–05; [28789]

(3) how much has been paid in compensation to complainants by local authorities for (a) sexual and (b) physical abuse in residential schools since 1992. [28790]

Maria Eagle: My Department does not hold this information.

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) classroom assistants and (b) full-time equivalent classroom assistant posts there were in schools in Hemel Hempstead constituency in each year since 1997. [25808]

Jacqui Smith: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants in maintained sector schools, including pupil referral units, in Hemel Hempstead constituency in January of each year.

The number of full-time equivalent teaching assistant posts in Hemel Hempstead is not collected centrally.
Full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants⁽³⁷⁾ in maintained sector schools⁽³⁸⁾, including pupil referral units, in Hemel Hempstead constituency

	Teaching assistants FTE
1997	100
1998	130
1999	140
2000	180
2001(39)	220
2002	180
2003	290
2004	300
2005	340

⁽³⁷⁾ Includes teaching assistants, special needs support staff and ethnic minority support staff.
⁽³⁸⁾ Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
⁽³⁹⁾ Data for 2001 may be affected by misclassification of support staff roles following major changes to information systems.
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Annual School Census

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what remuneration was received by her adviser on specialist schools in each year since 1996. [23422]

 
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Jacqui Smith: The adviser to the Secretary of State on specialist schools and academies, Sir Cyril Taylor, has not received remuneration for this position since his original appointment in 1987. His appointment is on a part-time and voluntary basis.

Special Educational Needs

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to ensure that children with autism receive the educational support they need. [29698]

Maria Eagle: Schools and local authorities have duties under the Education Act 1996 to identify, assess and make suitable provision for all children with special educational needs (SEN), including those with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). In making provision for children with SEN schools and local authorities have to have regard to statutory guidance set out in the SEN Code of Practice. With the Department of Health, we have also published non-statutory Good Practice Guidance on ASDs (2002) some 30,000 copies of which have been distributed on demand. The Guidance is designed to raise awareness and to give providers a tool with which to audit and develop their provision. The Department is aware that the Guidance is being used in this way by schools, local authorities and the Departmentally-funded SEN Regional Partnerships, nine of the 11 of which have established autism working groups.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make it her policy to include compulsory modules on (a) identifying children with special educational needs and (b) developing appropriate teaching methods for them within initial teacher training courses. [29701]

Maria Eagle: I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 1 November 2005, Official Report, columns 1002–03W, in response to her earlier question on training to equip the education workforce with the skills needed to improve attainment among pupils with special educational needs. That answer explained the SEN requirements already in place for teachers undergoing initial training and induction.

As part of a review of professional standards, including those for Qualified Teacher Status, the Training and Development Agency for Schools will be looking at whether there is a need to strengthen the Standards relating to special educational needs and inclusion. The Agency will also consider whether there is a case for expanding associated guidance. The Department will of course contribute to this process.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to ensure that special educational needs co-ordinators have appropriate training for the role they undertake. [29702]

Maria Eagle: Special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) are appointed by headteachers. It is for individual schools and their maintaining local authorities to arrange appropriate induction and
 
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training. This would need to have regard to the existing experience and knowledge of the individual acting as SENCO, and the range and complexity of special educational needs represented within the school. Schools may use their School Development Grant to arrange appropriate training.

I would also refer my hon. Friend to the reply on SENCO qualifications and experience given on 11 November 2005, Official Report, column 810W.

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils are in special needs schools in Surrey; how many pupils with special educational needs are in mainstream schools in Surrey; and how many special needs schools have (a) opened and (b) closed in Surrey since 1997. [30187]

Maria Eagle: The information requested is shown in the tables.
All special schools: number of pupils ⁽⁴⁰⁾—Surrey local authority area

January 2005	Total pupils
Maintained special	1,928
Non-maintained special	538

⁽⁴⁰⁾ Excludes dually registered pupils
Source:
Annual Schools Census




Mainstream schools: number of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) by type of school—January 2005

Surrey local authority area
Nursery
Pupils on roll	348
Pupils with statements	12
% Pupils with statements	3.4
Pupils with SEN without a statement	60
% Pupils with SEN without a statement	17.2
Primary
Pupils on roll	78,780
Pupils with statements	1,682
% Pupils with statements	2.1
Pupils with SEN without a statement	13,128
% Pupils with SEN without a statement	16.7
Secondary
Pupils on roll	59,361
Pupils with statements	1,252
% Pupils with statements	2.1
Pupils with SEN without a statement	9,051
% Pupils with SEN without a statement	15.2

Source:
Annual Schools Census

Since 1997, there has been one non-maintained special school which has opened and one maintained special school has closed in Surrey local authority area.

Source:

Edubase

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