§ 34. Mr. David ShawTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the geographical spread of schools in England and Wales that have applied to opt out of local authority control; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldOf the 54 proposals for grant-maintained status that have so far reached my right hon. Friend for decision, he has approved 41 and is minded to approve a further school subject to agreement with the governing body about minor technical adjustments to the proposals.
The 42 schools which he has approved or is minded to approve for grant-maintained status are drawn from 31 LEAs. The geographical breakdown is as follows: 176W
Geographical breakdown for each school approved for GM status Region and School LEA Northern Castle Hall GM School Kirklees Heckmondwike Grammar School Kirklees North West Audenshaw High School Tameside Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School Lancashire Bankfield High School Cheshire Lancaster Royal Grammar School Lancashire St. Francis Xavier's College Liverpool St. James's CE School Bolton Midlands Adams' Grammar School Shropshire Baverstock GM School Birmingham Netherthorpe School Derbyshire Old Swinford Hospital School Dudley Small Heath School Birmingham Southfield School for Girls Northamptonshire Wolverhampton Girls High School Wolverhampton Eastern The King's School Lincolnshire Queen Elizabeth's GM Grammar School Lincolnshire Skegness Grammar School Lincolnshire Carre's Grammar School Lincolnshire Long Field High School Leicestershire London North and Home Counties Bishopshalt School Hillingdon Claremont High School Brent Hendon School Barnet Queen Elizabeth's GM School for Boys Barnet Queensbury School Bedfordshire Rickmansworth School Hertfordshire Watford Grammar School for Boys Hertfordshire Inner London Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School Kensington and Chelsea London Nautical School Southwark London Oratory School Hammersmith and Fulham South East The Grammar School for Girls, Wilmington Kent Guildford County School Surrey Wilson's School Sutton South West Beechen Cliff School Avon Brindley Hall School Buckinghamshire Bridgewater Hall School Buckinghamshire Colyton Grammar School Devon Marling School Gloucestershire Ribston Hall High School Gloucestershire Southlands School Berkshire Stroud Girls High School Gloucestershire Bournemouth Grammar School1 Dorset 1 Denotes minded to approve subject to agreement with the governing body about minor technical adjustments to the proposals.
§ 42. Mr. William PowellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applications he has received from schools wishing to opt out of local authority control; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldA total of 64 proposals for grant-maintained status have been published following parental ballots. Of these, 54 have so far reached my right hon. Friend for decision: he has approved 41, is minded to approve one and has rejected 12.
§ 46. Mr. Allan StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has 177W received from parents about the conduct of local authorities towards schools that wish to opt out of local authority control; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldConcern has been expressed from time to time by governors and parents about the actions of some local authorities towards schools seeking grant-maintained status. My right hon. Friend has said repeatedly that it is important that parents, governors and staff at such schools should have an informed debate about the options available to them; and that LEAs should not obstruct that debate in any way.
§ 56. Mr. PageTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the consequences for schools of opting out of local authority control; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldGrant-maintained schools have many advantages: they are run by local people who know the schools; their governing bodies have considerable autonomy, including the freedom to choose how to spend most effectively their share of LEA expenditure on central services; and they are proving popular with parents; and attracting teachers to work in them.