§ Baroness Blatchasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish any evaluation there has been of education action zones. [HL1444]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)At the request of my right honourable friend the Secretary of State, the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) has undertaken an ongoing programme of inspection to evaluate the effectiveness of individual education action zones and to routinely publish the results of their findings. To date Ofsted has published 14 reports on individual education action zones and has, in addition, published a commentary on the first six education action zones that it inspected. The reports are published on the Ofsted websitewww.ofsted.gov.uk
The Department for Education and Skills has this year published an annual report on education action zones. This report documents and evaluates the progress of the education action zone programme to date. I am placing a copy in the Library of the House.
27WA
§ Baroness Blatchasked Her Majesty's Government:
Who was consulted and over what period about the abolition of education action zones. [HL1446]
§ Baroness Ashton of UphollandEducation action zones (EAZs) are not being abolished. All EAZs will complete their agreed full statutory term. Under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, EAZs were established for a maximum statutory term of five years. Our announcement on 14 November proposes that, wherever possible, we aim to continue to support ex-EAZ schools through our Excellence in Cities initiative, following the end of the zones' statutory term.
Officials from the Department for Education and Skills are holding discussions with each EAZ on the future of their schools, with a view to developing firm proposals well before the end of its statutory term.