Grant-maintained Schools

HC Deb 26 July 1993 vol 229 cc607-10W

Mr. Henderson

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give approval for a school opting out of local authority control where a local authority proposes to close that school as part of a review of surplus places.

Mr. Robin Squire

We have made it clear recently that my right hon. Friend would not normally aprove an application for grant-maintained status from a school already proposed for closure as part of a rationalisation scheme, particularly where the school concerned had a large number of surplus places.

Mrs. Anne Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the higher education institutions which are providing in-service training for teachers from grant-maintained schools.

Mr. Robin Squire

This information is not collected centrally.

Mrs. Ann Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how long grant-maintained schools will be able to rely on the facility to bring in services from their local education authority once grant-maintained status has been approved.

Mr. Robin Squire

This will vary from authority to authority. There is provision in the current Education Bill to enable grant-maintained schools to trade with LEAs for two years beyond what current legislation allows.

Mr. Byers

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is his policy on officials of his Department participating in meetings for parents or members of the public concerning grant-maintained status other than those meetings organised by his Department.

Mr. Robin Squire

The Department's activities in providing information on grant-maintained status are governed by a code of conduct, a copy of which is in the Library. The detailed wording of that code is currently being revised following discussions with the Society of Education Officers, local authority associations and others. Under the code, officials do not normally participate in such meetings.

Mr. Byers

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list those grant-maintained schools about which his Department has received representations from parents about (i) non-admission and (ii) exclusion of their children.

Mr. Robin Squire

The Department receives numerous letters and telephone inquiries from parents about matters relating to admission to and exclusion from maintained schools. The Department does not keep a record of every such inquiry.

Mr. Byers

To ask the Secretary of State for Education in what circumstances his Department will pay head teachers of grant-maintained schools to attend as invited speakers at meetings on grant-maintained status other than at their own schools; and what amount of funding would be paid in those circumstances.

Mr. Robin Squire

Headteachers of grant-maintained schools who are invited to speak at schools considering grant-maintained status about the arrangements for that and their own experiences may claim travel and subsistence expenses from the Department. Such expenses are reimbursed at normal public service rates.

Mr. Byers

To ask the Secretary of State for Education which grant-maintained schools have(a) applied for and (b) been approved to include as part of their admissions policy a process involving (i) pupil and (ii) parent interview; and in which schools the admissions policy has remained unchanged since the school became grant maintained.

Mr. Robin Squire

It is common practice for church schools, whether or not grant maintained, to make use of an interview to help decide whether the religious ethos of the school would be appropriate for the child concerned. Other schools may have arrangements which involve a senior member of staff meeting parents and children prior to admission. Such interviews, which do not affect the child's chance of gaining admission, can be extremely valuable for all concerned. The great majority of grant-maintained schools do not use interviews as part of their formal admission procedures. Relatively few schools have applied for changes in admission arrangements, of whatever kind, since acquiring grant-maintained status.

Mr. Byers

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the amounts of payments made under section 79(3)(a)(iii) of the Education Reform Act 1988 and under sections 79(3)(b) of the Education Reform Act 1988 to grant-maintained schools, giving in each case the name of the school and the purposes of the payments.

Mr. Robin Squire

The only payment that has been made to grant-maintained schools under section 79(3)(a)(iii) of the Education Reform Act 1988 was to Kirkbie Kendal school. The amount was £22,000, and the funds were made available in recognition of extra expenditure incurred by the school on meeting the needs of statemented pupils.

Tables giving the other information requested have been placed in the Library.

Mr. Byers

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the schools about which his Department has received representations from parents about the conduct of ballots held under section 61 of the Education Reform Act 1988.

Mr. Robin Squire

The Department does not collate information on representations received about the conduct of ballots held under section 61 of the Education Reform Act 1988, of which there have now been more than 1,240. Any complaints are considered individually on their merits.