§ Lord Wedderburn of Charltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will take steps to encourage independent schools which enjoy charitable status to share their sports grounds and facilities with schools in their districts which are less able to offer students opportunities to play sport. [HL4707]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)It is the Government's policy to encourage partnership between the maintained and independent education sectors. Through our independent/state schools partnership scheme we provide grants which foster a range of partnership activities between schools in both sectors, including partnerships which use shared sports facilities. Partnerships help to build bridges between the sectors and encourage schools to explore collaboration across a wide range of activities. We know that many independent schools have taken the decision to share facilities with maintained schools. We applaud these arrangements and hope that independent schools will reflect on their success and consider whether they could be extended. The Government'sPlan for Sport, published in Spring 2001, acknowledges the independent/state school partnership scheme and the part that the independent sector can play in improving the provision of PE and school sport in all our schools.