§ 8. Mr. Phil Hope (Corby)If he will make a statement on the development of specialisms in secondary schools.[123340]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Jacqui Smith)Under the Government's specialist schools programme, schools can 416 specialise in one of four areas. Specialist school numbers have more than doubled since 1997, with just over 500 specialist schools operating from September this year. Those schools are continuing to prove their effectiveness in raising standards: the average percentage of pupils achieving five or more GCSE A* to C in 1999 compared with 1998 improved by two thirds as much again in specialist schools, compared with all other schools.
§ Mr. HopeI am glad that my hon. Friend agrees that specialist schools have a vital role to play in raising standards and in increasing diversity. My particular reason for raising the question is that we are creating a fresh-start school in Corby—Corby community college. It is about to head off into a brand new future, building on the success of two other schools that have merged. It will really help that school to make a fresh start if it becomes an arts and media specialist school, to match the technology school that we already have in Corby. When that application comes in, will my hon. Friend give it sympathetic consideration, so that every child in Corby gets the best possible start to their education?
§ Jacqui SmithMy hon. Friend is a strong and persistent advocate for schools in his constituency, and I am sure that he will continue to be. I offer my best wishes to staff and students of the newly formed Corby community college as they take forward the important job of raising standards for their children.
My hon. Friend is right—one of the important points about applying for specialist school status, which is increasingly popular among schools, is that, in producing a development plan that shows how the school intends to raise standards and to benefit the wider community, the focus on that activity itself helps to raise standards. I assure him that, as always, we will consider any forthcoming applications very carefully.
§ Mrs. Theresa May (Maidenhead)Grammar schools specialise in academic excellence. What is the Minister's definition of a "pretty standard" grammar school? Will she confirm, as a matter of fact, that Blackheath high school has never been one?
§ Jacqui SmithThat question confirms our view that the Opposition's attention is based on a few schools, whereas our attention is based on raising standards in all schools. The Conservatives have a shadow Minister for grammar schools. I understand, from reading The Birmingham Post, that they now have a Conservative candidate who calls himself the Midland's spokesman on grammar schools. I think that it is about time that the Opposition concentrated on all the schools in this country, and all the children in this country, as the Government intend to do.