Grant-maintained Schools

HC Deb 13 January 1992 vol 201 c448W

Mr. Norris

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have(a) become committed to hold a ballot on grant-maintained status, (b) voted yes and (i) had the proposals approved, (ii) had the proposal rejected and (iii) await determination of the proposal and (c) voted no; how many in each category were the subject of (1) closure or (2) reorganisation proposals; and whether, for schools in categories (b)(ii) and (c), the proposals have been approved or rejected.

Mr. Eggar

To date 446 schools¹ have become committed to hold a ballot on grant-maintained status and (i) 162 schools have received approval for their proposals for grant-maintained status, (ii) 29 have had their proposals rejected and (iii) 62 await determination of their proposals and 60 have yet to publish proposals. Ninety-one schools have voted no to grant-maintained status. There are 41 schools with ballots pending, and one school where the application for grant-maintained status has lapsed.

The most recent information held by the Department on current and subsequent associated closure and reorganisation proposals is as at 31 October 1991. At that date:

(a) Of the 390 schools² which had balloted or were committed to balloting on grant-maintained status, 106 were or are named in associated closure or reorganisation proposals³.

(bi) Of the 130 schools which received approval for their proposals for grant-maintained status, 23 schools were or are named in associated closure or reorganisation proposals;

1. ¹ This figure includes six schools which have balloted twice on grant-maintained status.
2. ² This figure includes four schools which have balloted twice on grant-maintained status.
3. ³ Information differentiating between closure and reorganisation proposals is not readily available.

(bii) Of the 24 schools which had their proposals for grant-maintained status rejected, 22 schools were or are named in associated closure or reorganisation proposals, of which 19 have been approved and three rejected;

(biii) Of the 69 schools which awaited determination on their proposals for grant-maintained status, 23 schools were or are named in associated closure or reorganisation proposals; of the 28 schools who had voted yes but had not published proposals, 10 were or are named in associated closure or reorganisation proposals; and

(c) Of the 70 schools who voted against applying for grant maintained status, 26 schools were or are named in associated closure or reorganisation proposals⁴.

(d) Sixty-eight schools had ballots pending, two of which were or are named in associated closure or reorganisation proposals. One application for grant-maintained status had lapsed.

(4) Information on whether these proposals were approved or rejected is not readily available.