§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish the criteria on which beacon school status is awarded. [78345]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe pilot group of Beacon schools was selected from those schools named in HMCI's annual report for 1996–97 as "best performing". Criteria for the selection of 125 new Beacon schools from September 1999 have been developed to enable a wider group of schools to apply this year. Full details of the criteria have been placed in the Library and are available on request or via the departmental internet site.