§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the funding arrangements for primary school non-contact time. [135469]
§ Mr. Miliband[holding answer. 30 October 2003]: Many primary teachers already receive non-contact time as part of their regular timetable. As a result of the National Agreement on raising standards and tackling workload, all teachers will be entitled to 10 per cent. guaranteed time for planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) from 1 September 2005.
The costs of implementing this contractual change in primary schools will vary. Many schools have already done so; others will need to take a rigorous look at how they use their existing resources. The more radical approach a school takes in pursuing workforce reform, the lower the cost is likely to be. Schools that abandon unnecessary tasks; reform their use of support staff; maximise the contribution of ICT and reduce reliance on expensive supply teachers will be able to deliver guaranteed PPA time from their base budgets.
The announcement, on 29 October, of a package of measures to deliver greater stability in school budgets for 2004–05 and 2005–06 will also help primary schools plan for the introduction of guaranteed PPA time.