§ Mr. FatchettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science for what reasons grant-maintained schools are excluded from the requirement of section 26(9) of the Education Reform Act relating to duty to comply with a parent's preference as to school and the circumstances in which no prejudice is taken to arise.
§ Mr. EggarThe provisions made in section 26(9) of the Education Reform Act relate to the Education Act 1980, which does not apply to grant-maintained schools.
Under section 83(1) of the 1988 Act the governing body of a grant-maintained school is required to fix as the number of pupils it intends to admit in any school year a number which is at least equal to the approved admission number.
§ Mr. FatchettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science under which separate headings grant-maintained schools may apply for special purpose 291W grant; in each case, what criteria or formulae are applied in determining the level of such grant; and what is the total sum available for such grant for 1991–92.
§ Mr. EggarSchools may apply for four separate types of special purpose grant: SPG (development) or SPG(D); SPG (premises) or SPG(P); SPG (restructuring) or SPG(R); and SPG (VAT) or SPG(V).
SPG(D) is intended to mirror what the school might have received via educational support grant and local education authority training grants scheme towards the cost of management training, staff development and the implementation of the national curriculum and assessment arrangements. In 1991–92 each school will be entitled to receive up to £42 full-year equivalent per pupil.
SPG(P) is intended to meet the costs of premises insurance. It is payable up to a limit of —6,000 or 50 per cent. of the school's insurance premium, whichever is the lower figure.
SPG(R) is available to help with the costs of redundancy payments and other staff restructuring, where it can be demonstrated that the staffing changes are in the interests of the efficient operation of the school.
SPG(V) compensates for the payment of VAT on supplies and services, which grant-maintained schools, unlike local education authorities, may not claim back. It is available at a rate of 2.5 per cent. of a school's annual maintenance grant, with an appropriate deduction in the case of ex-county schools which on incorporation become eligible to receive rate relief as charities.
The total amount of special purpose grant available in 1991–92 will depend upon the number of grant-maintained schools in operation. That figure cannot be accurately predicted.
§ Mr. FatchettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what special purpose grant payments have been made, or approved, under each heading to grant-maintained schools so far; and how much this represents per pupil.
§ Mr. EggarThe only firm information available is for the financial year 1989–90. The total payments were:
1989–90 Total payments (£) SPG(D) 183,956 SPG(P) 27,736 SPG(R) 11,823 SPG(V) 231,313 Total 454,828 Taking pupil numbers as at January 1990, these payments in total represent a full-year equivalent payment of £59–35 per pupil.