§ 5. Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received on her policy of requiring key stage 2 SAT results to be submitted to her for publication; and if she will make a statement. [33200]
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe key stage 2 tests have been a great success this year. The overwhelming majority of schools have taken the tests and sent them for marking.
§ Mr. HughesWhat would the Secretary of State say to the governors, the head and the teachers of the Church of England primary school in Bermondsey, where I am the chair of governors, who met last week to consider the extremely good inspector's report that has been produced on the school, which has now been publicised, and who decided—I vacated the chair so I did not influence the decision—that sending SAT results for publication is a completely irresponsible and inaccurate method of comparing schools' performances? Will the Secretary of State consider the school's request that it not be obliged to provide that information and that it rest its case on the basis of the Office for Standards in Education report, which says it is a perfectly good school that has obtained good results in all subjects?
§ Mrs. ShephardI congratulate the hon. Gentleman on the quality of the Ofsted report on the school where he is the chairman of governors. However, I regret the decision by any governing body to break the law and to withhold from parents and the wider community information about a school's performance to which they are entitled. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will exercise his influence in a benign way in that regard.
Performance tables contain hard facts. Obviously, value added is also important and the hon. Gentleman will know that we have asked the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority to take forward work in that area.
§ Mr. ThomasonCan my right hon. Friend confirm that the publication of the figures has proved extremely popular with parents? Is it not surprising that Opposition Members should seek to ensure that that information is not freely available?
§ Mrs. ShephardI do find that surprising. I think that parents greatly value information about schools and their performance at both primary and secondary levels. It seems curious that any hon. Member would wish to deny them that information.