HC Deb 26 February 2001 vol 363 cc345-9W
Charlotte Atkins

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Staffordshire, Moorlands constituency, the effects on Staffordshire, Moorlands of his Department's policies and actions(a) since 2 May 1997 and (b) in the 12 months ending on 1 May 1997. [149190]

Mr. Wills

Outlined are details of the effect on the Staffordshire, Moorlands constituency and Staffordshire LEA of a range of the Department's policies since 2 May 1997.

Sure Start Cannock Chase—£2.5 million Telford and Wrekin—£1.8 million

Cannock Chase The catchment area covers Broomhill, Chadsmoor, Huntingdon and part of Cannock Chase south. The partnership places strong emphasis on parental involvement and includes eight parents on its board. It has incorporated new activities which offer a series of initiatives that impact family lives. These include the Library and Information Project and Holiday Play schemes. The programme was allocated £2.5 million over three years from 2000–01.

Telford & Wrekin The programme aims to enhance existing provision in the area such as outreach services, pre-school services, primary community healthcare and improve support to teenage parents. The catchment area covers the Lawley and Overdale ward in Telford. There are plans to create innovative work with families in the travellers site based in the area. The programme was allocated £1.8 million from 1999–2000 over three years.

Beacon Schools Staffordshire has six beacon schools: Barnfields Primary School, Blackfriars School, Oakridge Primary School, Painsley RC High School, St. Joseph and St. Teresa Primary School and The Willows Primary School.

Specialist Schools Staffordshire has three specialist schools: Wilncote High School (Arts), Clough Hall Technology School (Technology) and Thomas Alleyne's School (Technology).

Performance Results

Key Stage 2: Percentage of pupils achieving level 4
2000 1999 1998 1997
English
LEA 76 72 66 66
England 75 71 65 63
Maths
LEA 72 70 60 65
England 72 69 59 62
Science
LEA 87 82 73 72
England 85 78 69 69
GCSE and GNVQ results
Percentage
2000 1999 1998 1997
5+ A*-C
LEA average 48.1 48.1 45.0 45.0
England 49.2 47.9 46.3 45.1
5+ A*-C
LEA average 91.7 91.5 90.1 88.7
England 88.9 88.5 87.5 86.0
No passes
LEA average 4.3 4.6 5.1 6.5
England 5.6 6.0 6.6 7.7
Average point score
LEA average 38.5 38.3 36.4 n/a
England 38.9 38.1 37.0 n/a

Capital funding
£000
2001–02 2000–07 1999–2000 1998–99 1997–98
ACG 10,251 11,442 7,740 5,978 4,368
SCA 515 300 508 987
NDS 10,368 4,421 3,975 1,387
VA grant 804 843 670 576 456
Seed 459
ppp 14,000
Capital formula 6,279
NgFL 3,000 3,000 2,500
Science labs 464 464
SSLU 156 178
Access at 85 per cent. 813
Security 387 292 278 223
Class size 312 671 350
Outside toilets 176
Energy efficiency 245
Assistance with AMPs 123
Nursery provision

PPP £13.7 million—PPP project to rebuild Sir Graham Balfour High School and the extensive refurbishment of Cooper Perry Primary.

Examples of New Deal for Schools projects in Staffordshire, Moorlands

  • NDS1—Total Allocation £1,387,000
  • Included within an 11 school package: Replacement of felt roofing—Meadows School
  • NDS2—Total Allocation £3.975 million
  • The LEA bid for, and was allocated funds for, numerous smaller type projects.
  • St. Edward's CE First—external fabric maintenance—£19,800
  • Werrington Primary—external fabric maintenance—£19,800
  • Biddulph High—external fabric maintenance—£49,500
  • Springfield—major extension—£36,800
  • NDS3—Total Allocation £4.421 million
  • Maryhill High—refurbish science, technology and prep area—£206,245
  • St. Filumena's RC Primary—Replacement of defective boiler plant—£11,391
  • NDS4—Total Allocation £10.368 million
  • Leek High School—ICT development—£11,865
  • Moorside High School—ICT Improvements—£28,072

Students at FE colleges and external instructions
Council funded Non Council funded
16–18 19+ 16–18 19+
Full time Part time Full time Part time Full time Part time Full time Part time Grand total
1996–97 829 454 509 5,642 35 221 82 625 8,397
1997–98 772 436 425 5,801 55 281 33 480 8,283
1998–99 741 407 373 6,148 42 301 34 510 8,556
1999–2000 770 347 377 6,018 34 325 35 722 8,628

FE students at higher education institutions
Council funded Non Council funded
16–18 19+ 16–18 19+
Full time Part time Full time Part time Full time Part time Full time Part time Grand total
1996–97 1 1 1 19 2 24
1997–98 6 4 2 15 27
1998–99 1 2 3 36 42
1999–2000 Data for higher education institutions not yet available

  • Moorside High was included within a two school package:
  • Technology refurbishment—£243,397
  • Included within a 13 school package: Electrical works—£239,905
  • Leek High, Park Middle and Woodhouse Middle Schools.
  • Included within a 14 school package: Water hygiene works—£250,805
  • Moorside High, Leek High, Westwood High and Cicely Haughton Schools.

infant class size
£
Revenue Capital
1998–99 0 350,000
1999–2000 1,243,000 883,180
2000–01 2,426,602 283,800

The September 2000 figure shows that there are now only 249 (1.0 per cent.) pupils remaining in infant class sizes of 31 or more. The figure in January 1997 was 11,254 (28.6 per cent.).

Further education Student numbers at all FEFC-funded institutions where home postcode is in the Staffordshire, Moorlands local authority district—1996–97 to 1999–2000—excludes with invalid/missing postcodes

Modern Apprenticeships Since 2 May 1997, we know of 1,084 starts on Modern Apprenticeships in the Staffordshire Moorlands constituency (as at 31 October 2000). Broken down by financial year these are:

Financial year Foundation modern apprenticeships1 Advanced modern apprenticeships2 Total
1997–98 23 135 158
1998–99 119 159 278
1999–2000 158 189 347
2000–01 (to date) 151 150 301
Total 451 633 1,084
1 Foundation Modern Apprenticeships, formerly known as National Trainee ships, were introduced nationally in September 1997.
2 Advanced Modern Apprenticeships, formerly known as Modern Apprenticeships, were introduced nationally in September 1995.

Source:

WBTYP trainee database.

Notes:

1. The Trainee Database System (TDS), from which these data are taken, is less complete than Management Information supplied to the Department by Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) (around 95 per cent.).

2. In addition, the postcode information on the TDS, from which parliamentary constituency data are compiled, are 95 per cent. complete.

3. TEC Management Information does not provide information at parliamentary constituency level.

New deal statistics In the Staffordshire Moorlands constituency to the end of November 2000, 454 young people have joined the New Deal, with 254 finding employment. Of these, 183 have entered sustained employment.

Labour market The working age employment rate in Staffordshire UA in Autumn 2000 was 79.0 per cent., above the UK rate of 74.7 per cent. The rate in autumn 1997 was 77.9 per cent. and in autumn 1999 78.9 per cent. The claimant unemployment rate has fallen from 4.0 per cent. in December 1997 to 2.6 per cent. in December 2000 in the Staffordshire Moorlands constituency.