HC Deb 24 November 2000 vol 357 cc360-1W
Mr. Clappison

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he expects(a) Beechwood School, Slough and (b) Corby Community College to be able to return to a five day teaching week. [134347]

Ms Estelle Morris

John Christie, Chief Education Officer for Slough Local Education Authority, confirmed to DfEE officials on 25 October that Beechwood School would return to a full five-day teaching week on Monday 30 October. This has now happened.

Officials within my Department made it absolutely clear that Corby Community College should return to a full teaching week as soon as possible. DfEE officials from my Department and the Teacher Training Agency have been in close touch with both the school and Northamptonshire LEA to offer urgent practical support for recruiting the additional teaching staff they need. The target date for reverting to a normal week was November 13. The school is now operating normally.

In each case, officials from my Department have worked with the school and LEA to find urgent solutions to return the school to normal working and to provide pupils with their full learning entitlement.