HC Deb 23 April 1991 vol 189 cc406-7W
Mr. Shore

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will place a copy of the recent Her Majesty's inspectorate report on Culloden primary school, Tower Hamlets, in the Library.

Mr. Fallon

Copies of all Her Majesty's inspectorate reports are sent to the Libraries of both Houses on the Friday of the week in which they are published. A copy of the report on Culloden school was sent on 19 April.

Mr. Shore

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science on which date he ordered Her Majesty's inspectorate to investigate standards of reading by pupils at Culloden primary school, Tower Hamlets; by what date the report was completed; on what date he first received the completed report; on what date the principal and chairman of governors at the school were first informed of the findings of the report(a) orally and (b) in writing; and on what date the media were first informed by his Department of the findings.

Mr. Fallon

On 6 March 1991, my right hon. and learned Friend asked the senior chief inspector—SCI—for information about the standards of reading in Culloden primary school, Tower Hamlets. Since no recent and relevant information was available the SCI took the decision to inspect the school.

The school was inspected on 18 to 22 March 1991. The report was completed on 10 April and my right hon. and learned Friend received it on the same day. It was printed on 12 April 1991.

The headteacher was informed orally of the findings of the inspection on the last day of the inspection as is customary. Copies of the report were sent to the headteacher and chairman of governors early on 16 April prior to its release to the press on the same day. HMI met the chairman and governors' body to discuss the report on the evening of 18 April 1991.

Mr. Shore

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will detail the extent of Her Majesty's inspectorate's investigation at Culloden school, Tower Hamlets, enumerating the number of Her Majesty's inspectorate visiting the school, the duration of the investigation and the total cost of the inquiries.

Mr. Fallon

Her Majesty's inspectorate inspected Culloden primary school in the week 18 to 22 March 1991. Five inspectors each spent four and a half days in the school and were joined for one and a half days by one other inspector. The total cost of the inspection was £5,760. In addition to the actual inspection, HMI made preliminary visits, attended meetings of the governing body and were involved in preparing and writing the report. The total cost was, therefore, approximately £7,680.

Mr. Shore

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide details of all Her Majesty's inspectorate inspections of primary and secondary schools in Tower Hamlets since 1 April 1990, and a list of all subsequent reports that have been published.

Mr. Fallon

During the year in question, 23 inspection visits have been made to primary schools in Tower Hamlets and three to secondary schools; a further three were visited in February 1990. Three special schools were also visited. Although there was feedback to the schools in question during the visits themselves, none of the inspection visits to secondary or special schools were reporting inspections. Consequently they did not lead to published reports. The report on one of those inspection visits to primary schools, Culloden, was published on 16 April 1991. Since 1 April 1990 a report has also been published on Hague primary school, which was inspected prior to that date.