HL Deb 24 July 2000 vol 616 cc28-9WA
Earl Russell

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will adjust the performance indicators of schools which take large numbers of asylum seekers' children to ensure that the school's statistical record does not suffer as a result. [HL3321]

Baroness Blackstone

In the light of representations received from schools we have decided that pupils recently arrived from overseas, including children of asylum seekers and refugees, whose first language is not English should not be counted as on school rolls when calculating information for publication in the annual primary and secondary school performance tables.

This adjustment to the tables will apply from this year and will only affect information published on individual schools and local education authorities. National level statistics, against which the Government's performance towards its literacy and numeracy targets at age 11 and the GCSE targets at age 15 are measured, will continue to be compiled on the same basis as in the past.