Learning Support Units (Hansard, 1 November 2000)

§ Mr. Coaker
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what specialist training is to be given to teachers working in learning support units. [135482]

§ Jacqui Smith
Most teachers working in learning support units are experienced in classroom teaching and behaviour management. The amount of extra training they need will be determined by the school, drawing on other staff in the school or the local education authority's behaviour support service.

§ Mr. Coaker
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what involvement the young people attending learning support units will have in their operation. [135484]

§ Jacqui Smith
Young people attending a unit should be consulted and involved in self-monitoring and in setting individual targets for improving their learning and behaviour. Young people should also be consulted about the rewards and sanctions to be imposed while in the unit.

§ Mr. Coaker
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what criteria he will use to judge the effectiveness of individual learning support units. [135486]

§ Jacqui Smith
We have required each school with a learning support unit in Excellence in Cities areas to have performance indicators and to set targets over a three-year period. Performance indicators includereduction in the number and frequency of incidents of poor behaviour or discipline in school for which a punishment is imposed; improved rates of attendance; improved educational achievement of pupils in the target group.
We also hope that the availability of the units will reduce the need for exclusions in less severe cases.

§ Mr. Coaker
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment who will be responsible for the management of learning support units. [135485]
501W

§ Jacqui Smith
The day-to-day running of the learning support unit will be the responsibility of the full-time head of unit, but a member of the school's senior management team should have overall responsibility for the management of the unit.

§ Mr. Coaker
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the expected pupil:teacher ratio is in learning support units.[135488]

§ Jacqui Smith
Learning support units will be staffed with a full-time head of unit and appropriate support assistance, either full or part-time. There should be between six and not more than 10 pupils in the unit at any one time, either on a full or part-time basis.