HC Deb 20 May 2002 vol 386 c21W
Mr. Damian Green

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations she has received in relation to the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. [57722]

Mr. Timms

Over the last 12 months, the Secretary of State has been asked 22 Parliamentary Questions and received at lease 400 items of written correspondence, including correspondence via email, related to the National Literacy and Numeracy strategies. The Secretary of State also received a total of 206 responses in response to consultation in the Autumn term 2001 about the national targets at Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics for 2004.

Mr. Damian Green

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which recent studies of literacy and numeracy standards among primary school children her Department has analysed; and what assessment she has made of these studies. [57721]

Mr. Timms

The following reports have been published by Ofsted (about literacy and numeracy in primary schools) in the last 12 monthsThe National Numeracy Strategy in Special Schools: An evaluation of the first year (14 June 2001) Teaching of Phonics: A paper by HMI (29 October 2001) Teaching literacy and mathematics in reception classes: A survey by HMI (29 October 2001) The National Literacy Strategy: the third year (4 December 2001) The National Numeracy Strategy: the second year (4 December 2001) Teaching of Calculation in Primary Schools: A report by HMI (15 April 2002) Teaching Assistants in Primary Schools: An evaluation of the quality and Impact of their work (16 April 2002). The University of Toronto which is independently evaluating the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies produced the following report last year: Watching and Learning 2, OISE/UT Evaluation of the Implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, Second Annual Report, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto (September 2001).

The Department has considered carefully the findings of these studies which have generally been supportive of the strategies and also helped to improve them.