§ Sir John FarrTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is the position of four-year high schools with a transfer age of 10 years in relation to the certain categories of schools qualifying for particular weightings under section 107 of DES circular 7/88 published on 6 September 1988 under section 34(2) of the Education Reform Act;
(2) if he will define the phrase "certain categories of schools" in relation to section 107 DES circular 7/88 published on 6 September 1988 under section 34(2) of the Education Reform Act;
(3) in what circumstances local education authorities have discretion over allocation of the aggregated school budget, with reference to section 107 of DES circular 7/88 published on 6 September 1988 under section 34(2) of the Education Reform Act.
§ Mr. ButcherUnder schemes of local management, at least 75 per cent. of the aggregated schools budget must be allocated with reference to the numbers and ages of pupils in schools. All pupils of the same age will carry with them the same resources, irrespective of which type of school they attend. However, LEAs will have the discretion to allocate up to 25 per cent. of the aggregated schools budget by means of others factors which take account of objective need and are applied by means of a consistent set of rules.
Paragraphs 107 to 128 of DES circular 7/88 give some examples of such additional factors, such as a small school curriculum protection factor. Where such factors are used it may be appropriate within them to use different weightings for categories of schools serving different age ranges. For example, a lump sum in a small school curriculum protection factor might take a different value for primary schools than for secondary schools, and different value for primary schools than for secondary schools, and different again in middle schools. Four-year high schools with a transfer age of 10 could form such a category.