HC Deb 02 July 2003 vol 408 cc290-3W
Andrew George

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many schools were involved in the Growing Schools programme in(a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03, broken down by region; [122825]

(2) pursuant to his answer of 18 June 2003, Official Report, column 314W, on rural affairs, if he will list the (a) partners involved and (b) types of activities undertaken by urban schools using the outdoor classroom; [122826]

(3) pursuant to his answer of 20 June 2003, fficial Report, columns 443–44W, on rural issues, how many students (a) took and (b) passed (i) GCSE Geography, (ii) GCSE Environmental Science, (iii) GCSE Rural and Agricultural Science, (iv) GNVQ Leisure and Tourism and (v) GNVQ Land and Environment in each of the last 10 years, broken down by region. [122827]

Mr. Stephen Twigg

My Department has received a number of representations concerning rural and countryside education. Between September 2001 and March 2003, around 225 schools and 40 partner organisations were involved in "Growing Schools", a programme which aims to encourage and inspire all schools to use the 'outdoor classroom' as a context for learning. The Department has not collected information on a regional basis.

Partners selected to be involved in 'the outdoor classroom' will vary, depending on the local area, whether urban or rural. It is for schools to determine what sort of activities will meet the needs of their pupils. In some areas, for example, schools involve pupils directly in planning and implementing projects to develop their school grounds as a learning resource. In others, a school might link with a city farm, field study centre or community allotment.

GCSE Achievements of 15-year-old pupils in schools 1992/93 to 2001/02
1992/93 1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/2000 2001/01 2001/02
Number attempted Geography
North East 14,439 15,405 17,971 18,606 14,526 12,830 12,229 11,981 11,665 11,139
North West 28,435 29,994 33,908 35,828 37,351 32,193 32,142 30,752 30,616 28,616
Yorkshire and Humber 23,156 24,070 26,560 28,533 27,099 24,605 24,556 22,428 22,863 21,111
East Midlands 19,491 19,001 20,963 22,279 21,893 19,704 19,129 17,809 18,109 17,001
West Midlands 24,962 26,695 30,257 31,287 29,656 27,121 26,358 24,462 24,548 23,266
East of England 10,887 10,760 11,960 12,562 30,626 27,644 26,523 25,357 26,266 24,508
London 25,128 26,147 28,741 30,137 29,523 27,037 26,174 24,808 25,502 24,905
South East 56,022 57,200 62,606 64,036 42,878 39,431 37,940 36,038 36,471 34,688
South West 23,510 24,717 26,325 26,823 26,257 25,343 24,751 23,452 24,338 23,040
England 226,030 233,989 259,291 270,091 259,809 235,908 229,802 217,087 220,378 208,274
Number achieved A*-C Geography
North East 6,665 6,951 7,826 8,577 6,475 6,084 5,854 5,938 5,874 5,528
North West 13,722 14,481 16,274 18,285 19,807 17,203 17,217 16,824 16,928 16,091
Yorkshire and Humber 10,776 11,500 12,528 13,803 13,530 12,159 12,344 11,757 12,194 11,375
East Midlands 9,423 9,551 10,614 11,896 11,674 10,748 10,755 10,307 10,930 10,227
West Midlands 11,746 12,555 14,623 15,769 15,297 14,244 14,414 13,640 14,114 13,609
East of England 5,605 5,623 6,225 6,735 16,733 15,795 15,570 14,921 16,139 15,098
London 11,443 12,467 13,804 15,168 15,536 14,522 14,737 14,103 14,919 14,588
South East 29,274 31,100 33,793 35,958 25,260 24,220 24,079 22,799 24,122 22,900
South West 12,452 13,413 14,608 15,509 15,256 15,097 15,483 15,000 15,938 15,178
England 111,106 117,641 130,295 141,700 139,568 130,072 130,453 125,289 131,158 124,594
Number achieved A *-G Geography
North East 13,845 14,818 17,039 17,898 13,842 12,343 11,733 11,559 11,251 10,737
North West 27,298 28,861 32,286 34,662 36,145 31,245 31,107 29,845 29,637 27,756
Yorkshire and Humber 22,137 23,140 25,300 27,529 26,131 23,705 23,595 21,604 21,988 20,307
East Midlands 18,572 18,114 19,994 21,365 21,052 19,184 18,581 17,368 17,560 16,548
West Midlands 23,921 25,457 28,922 30,125 28,587 26,286 25,512 23,753 23,768 22,621
East of England 10,501 10,417 11,602 12,245 29,838 27,023 25,957 24,847 25,698 24,033
London 23,425 24,690 27,321 28,648 28,328 26,124 25,192 23,961 24,707 24,176
South East 53,947 55,342 60,467 62,315 41,874 38,659 37,198 35,362 35,747 34,064
South West 22,757 23,984 25,554 26,208 25,723 24,880 24,285 23,059 23,888 22,656
Number attempted environmental science 1
North East 12
North West 0
Yorkshire and Number 7
East Midlands 422
West Midlands 15
East of England 0
London 3
South East 89
South West 17
England 565
Number achieved A*-C environmental science1
North East 10
North West 0
Yorkshire and Number 7
East Midlands 186
West Midlands 4
East of England 0
London 3
South East 28
South West 8
England 246
Number achieved A *-G environmental science1
North East 12
North West 0
Yorkshire and Number 7
East Midlands 415
West Midlands 9
East of England 0
London 3
South East 75
South West 15
England 536
Number attempted rural science or agriculture2
North East 266 232 249 213 145 148 0 0 0 0
North West 165 118 120 131 185 200 25 16 7 25
Yorkshire and Number 334 248 226 251 236 215 49 52 25 89
East Midlands 263 197 249 265 260 227 165 128 97 72
West Midlands 200 193 208 248 239 186 173 121 146 145
East of England 87 46 82 93 338 346 276 203 154 156
London 27 30 16 13 9 13 13 13 0 0

The following tables set out GCSE and GNVQ achievements from 1992/93 to 2001/02 in Geography, Environmental Science, Rural Science or Agriculture and Leisure and Tourism:

GCSE Achievements of 15-year-old pupils in schools 1992/93 to 2001/02
1992/93 1993/94 1994/95 1995/96 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/2000 2001/01 2001/02
South East 791 746 803 736 436 383 324 307 241 202
South West 497 274 373 332 294 198 156 120 100 112
England 2,630 2,084 2,326 2,282 2,142 1,916 1,181 960 770 801
Number achieved A*-C rural science or agriculture2
North East 34 52 58 34 20 19 0 0 0 0
North West 60 33 38 43 51 29 1 1 1 2
Yorkshire and Number 36 49 45 64 53 43 19 11 4 9
East Midlands 41 43 58 69 50 32 33 23 13 15
West Midlands 38 59 51 43 51 29 44 43 36 36
East of England 13 11 25 29 81 77 72 65 79 66
London 8 3 2 3 0 1 4 1 0 0
South East 220 229 204 167 83 89 73 63 46 50
South West 151 81 120 78 63 41 40 22 16 21
England 601 560 601 530 452 360 286 229 195 199
Number achieved A*-C rural science or agriculture 2
North East 225 217 225 189 136 125 0 0 0 0
North West 150 112 113 127 180 175 22 16 7 25
Yorkshire and Number 242 210 176 216 207 191 48 47 25 81
East Midlands 248 188 240 250 247 213 159 120 93 71
West Midlands 184 182 198 232 229 175 163 119 143 135
East of England 82 44 77 88 305 316 262 200 150 154
London 25 24 16 13 8 13 13 13 0 0
South East 754 702 763 677 409 368 314 294 236 198
South West 474 257 365 321 285 188 152 120 95 108
England 2,384 1,936 2,173 2,113 2,006 1,764 1,133 929 749 772
1 Environment Science is a separate subject for exams but these were only taken in the one year as shown.
2 Rural science and agriculture are two different subjects but the figures are shown for those that attempted and passed either rural science or agriculture.

GNVQ achievements of 15-year-old pupils in schools 1998/99 to 2001/02
1997/98 1998/99 1999/2000 2000/01 2001/02
Number passed a GNVQ in Leisure and Tourism
North East 30 33 92 183 371
North West 111 186 318 487 951
Yorkshire and Number 19 112 145 208 527
East Midlands 51 143 225 285 572
West Midlands 57 120 180 250 769
East of England 51 133 128 245 540
London 20 76 122 393 597
South East 55 177 197 425 902
South West 54 189 181 297 457
England 448 1,169 1,588 2,773 5,686

Notes:

Table shows GNVQ data for those that achieved either a Part 1 or intermediate GNVQ in Leisure and tourism.

Data only available from 1997/98.

There are no passes in land and the environment.