§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by local education authority how many acting heads and acting deputy heads there were in January 1999 and in each of the last three years in maintained schools in England and Wales, listing separately(a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools. [80676]
§ Ms Estelle Morris[holding answer 23 April 1999]: The information requested is not held centrally.
An Office for Manpower Economics sample survey of vacancies and recruitment in schools in the maintained sector in England and Wales at September 1998 estimated that the proportion of acting heads was about 3 per cent. and the proportion of acting deputy heads was about 6 per cent.
Teachers may take on a job in an acting capacity when another post is vacant or the incumbent is absent because of sick, compassionate, study or training leave.