§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the local education authorities in England which have issued guidance to their schools on strategies for improving attendance and preventing exclusions. [102883]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 16 December 1999]: This information is not collected centrally. However, local education authorities' Behaviour Support Plans are expected to include information on the support for schools in improving the management of pupil behaviour with a view, among other things, to minimising unauthorised absence and exclusions.
In addition local education authorities should take account of Circular 10/99 "Social Inclusion: Pupil Support" which is my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's guidance on pupil attendance, behaviour, exclusion and re-integration. This is backed up with some £500 million, which we are making available over three years, for projects to help schools tackle truancy and prevent exclusions.
§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the local education authorities in the North West Region which analyse attendance and exclusion data at(a) group, (b) pupil and (c) school level. [102888]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 16 December 1999]: The Department does not collect information about how local education authorities analyse their attendance and exclusions data.
All schools since 1991, other than independent schools for boarders only, have been required to collect information on authorised and unauthorised absences. Absence figures at local education authority level have been published annually in the National Tables since 1992–93. The latest published information relates to the academic year 19980–99.
Figures on permanent exclusions were collected for the first time in January 1996. They have been published annually since 1994–95. The latest published information, produced in the volume "Statistics of Education (Schools in England) 1999", relates to the academic year 1997–98.
§ Helen JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many local education authorities collect and analyse data on fixed period exclusions; and what percentage of local education authorities this represents. [102886]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 16 December 1999]: The Department does not collect information about the number of local education authorities which analyse their data on fixed period exclusions. 402W For the first time, the Department has recently required all local education authorities to provide data on fixed period exclusions of more than five school days in total in any one term in the academic year 1998–99.