HC Deb 18 May 2004 vol 421 cc927-8W
Sir Nicholas Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) if he will make a statement on the model of inspection proposed by HM Chief Inspector of Schools in his recent letter to all primary schools in England; and what assessment he has made of the accordance of that model with his Department's guidelines on earned autonomy and staged intervention in schools; [173683]

(2) what plans he has to instruct Ofsted to use a range of electronic and other performance indicators to undertake a distance review of a school before deciding on the most appropriate way to carry out inspection; and if he will make a statement; [173684]

(3) what plans he has to instruct Ofsted to send single inspectors to validate (a) schools clearly demonstrating success in a range of existing performance indicators, (b) school self-evaluation systems and (c) the evaluation of other processes; [173685]

(4) what plans he has to introduce the principle of minimum notice to the school inspections process; what assessment he has made of its efficacy in the day-to-day performance of schools; and if he will make a statement; [173687]

Net current expenditure per pupil
Pre-Primary Education Primary Education Pre-primary and Primary Secondary Education
1996–97 n/a n/a 1,800 2,590 15,990
1997–98 n/a n/a 1,820 2,630 17,320
1998–99 n/a n/a 2,000 2,700 17,770
1999–2000 7,130 2,110 2,170 2,760 18,490
2000–01 11,030 2,330 2,440 2,910 18,770
2001–02 16,390 2,630 2,800 3,230 20,600
2002–03 2,900 3,400

Notes:

1.The financial data are taken from Lancashire LEA's Section 52 Outturn Statement submitted to the DfES from 1999–00 onwards and the ODPM's RO1 statement previously. Figures up to and including 1997–98 figures are for Lancashire LEA prior to local government reorganisation. From 1998–99 onwards parts of Lancashire LEA became Blackpool and Blackburn LEAs. Expenditure was not distinguished between pre-primary and primary sectors until the inception of the Section 52 outturn statement in 1999–00. 1999–00 figures reflect the return of GM schools to local authority maintenance.

(5) what plans he has to introduce a two-tier system of reporting on schools to provide for professional confidentiality and staff anonymity; and if he will make a statement. [173688]

Mr. Miliband

HM Chief Inspector, David Bell, recently conducted a consultation on proposals for changing the arrangements for school inspections. He has now submitted his proposals for change to the Secretary of State for consideration. We will publish our intentions shortly.