§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many nursery nurses are employed in schools in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement on their future role. [129508]
§ Ms HodgeThe information is not available in the form requested. Figures are not collected for schools—other than nursery and primary schools—or private and voluntary providers. Information on the overall numbers of full-time equivalent nursery nurses employed in maintained nursery and primary schools is shown in the table, which shows that the number of full-time equivalent nursery nurses has increased by more than 3,000, or 16 per cent., since January 1997.
Number of full-time equivalent Nursery Nurses1 in Maintained Nursery and Primary Schools in England: 1997 to 20002 Position as at January Number 20002 21,862 1999 20,266 1998 19,973 1997 18,860 1 Figures relate to staff who hold NNEB certificate or equivalent but exclude persons who are employed as unqualified teachers. Excludes unqualified persons. 2 Provisional Source:
Annual Schools' Census
We fully recognise the tremendous contribution that well-managed and well-trained support staff, such as qualified nursery nurses, can make. That is why we are implementing a range of measures to increase the availability of such support. Our programme includes:
additional recruitment—increasing by 20,000 the number of full-time equivalent support staff working in primary and secondary schools in England by 2002;effective induction training—with the forthcoming publication of high quality training materials for schools and local authorities;greater clarity over role and qualifications pathways—to be set out in a new national framework published by the Local Government National Training Organisation;good practice guidance—advice to heads and teachers on ways to support the effective involvement of support staff in schools.For information on teaching assistants in Wales, I refer the hon. Member to the Secretary of State for Wales.