School Achievement Awards (Hansard, 6 April 2001)

§ Mr. Chope
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) when it was decided that improvement awards should be given to all schools showing an improvement of at least 2.2 in the Key Stage 2 average point scores between 1997 and 2000; and what consultation was carried out prior to deciding the criterion; [157357]

(2) when it was decided that improvement awards should be given to all schools at Key Stage 1 showing an improvement of at least 1.4 in the average point 308W scores between 1997 and 2000; and what consultation took place with schools about the criterion for deciding awards; [157355]

(3) when it was decided that improvement awards should be given to all schools showing an improvement of at least 4.9 in GCSE/GNVQ average point scores between 1997 and 2000; and what consultation was carried out prior to deciding on the criterion; [157354]

(4) when it was decided that improvement awards should be given to all schools showing an improvement of at least 0.80 in Key Stage 3 average point scores between 1997 and 2000; and what consultation was carried out prior to deciding the criterion. [157356]

§ Ms Estelle Morris
We consulted relevant national bodies about the design of the School Achievement Awards Scheme in May and June last year. We proposed then, and confirmed in September, that about 30 per cent. of maintained schools in England would receive awards, that about three quarters of these awards would be for improvement, that schools would be ranked by the differences between their Key Stage test or GCSE/GNVQ average point scores in 1997 and 2000, and that improvement awards would be given to the highest ranking schools. The minimum increases in average point scores required for improvement awards were consequences of this process.

§ Mr. Chope
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make it his policy not to disadvantage schools which have been notified of a financial award by his Department which is based upon an administrative error; and if he will make a statement. [157385]

§ Ms Estelle Morris
As the hon. Member knows, a number of schools were incorrectly told that they would receive a School Achievement Award. We have made it clear to them that they will receive the financial value of the award.

§ Mr. Chope
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the cost of the error made by his Department in identifying schools which had won achievement awards in 2001. [157384]

§ Ms Estelle Morris
The cost of additional awards will be £1.9 million.