§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list local authorities in which spending on(a) special educational needs and (b) excluded pupils increased by a higher percentage than the individual schools budget in 2003–04, giving in each case the percentage increase for each budget head. [127928]
§ Alan JohnsonThe Secretary of State published tables showing this information on the 2 May. A copy was placed in the Library of the House. Detailed expenditure data will be made available in September to allow benchmarking by LEAs and their Schools Forums, and this will show year-on-year changes for a range of selected expenditure categories from 2002–03 to 2003–04, for both Schools and LEA Budgets. These will include changes in spending on special educational needs and spending on pupils educated other than at school.
§ Mr. Damian GreenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the circular documents that were sent by his Department to136W (a) primary schools, (b) city technology colleges, (c) other secondary schools and (d) special schools between 1 September 2002 and 1 July 2003; and how many pages each document contained. [127903]
§ Mr. MilibandWe sent the following in the period 1 September 2002 to 1 July 2003:
To all primary schools: 27 documents—total number of pages: 480
To all city technology colleges: 30 documents—total number of pages: 850
To all special schools: see the following:
To all other secondary schools: 30 documents—total pages: 850
Primary schools
The 27 documents sent to all primary schools were as follows:
Letter from Secretary of State on the Criminal Records Bureau
Guidance on School Teachers Pay and Conditions 2002
School Performance Tables
September 2002 class size count
Further literacy support file
Building on improvements (literacy and numeracy)
Secretary of State letter on KS2 results
New school finance pack flyer
Early Years headcount1
New funding system for LEAs
Criminal Records Bureau: update on arrangements
National literacy and numeracy refresher pack
Languages for all: languages for life
Information on Sure Start
Raising Standards and tackling Workload (National Agreement)
Letter from officials about development of an 'e-batch' system
Building schools for the future
Write here, write now
Annual Schools census 2002
Threshold guidance details
Excellence and enjoyment: a strategy for primary education
Safeguarding children: practice guidance for practitioners (summary)
Extended schools: providing opportunities and services for all
Childcare in extended schools
ICT in the literacy hour
City Technology Colleges (CTCs)
CTCs automatically received the same documents as those sent to 'other secondary schools'.
They were not sent any separate documents.
Special Schools
We are unable to provide total figures for special schools. This is because each school will have received documents that were relevant to their KS equivalent intake. So those with young people aged 5–11 would have received some of the material aimed at KS1 and KS2 level. Those with young people aged 11–16 would have received some of the material aimed at KS3 and KS4 level. Those with pupils aged between 5 and 16 would have received some of the material aimed at stages KSI-KS4.
137WSpecial schools automatically received a further document that went neither to primary schools nor to secondary schools. This was the report of the special schools working group which ran to 180 pages.
No special school would have received documents in excess of the individual totals shown for other secondary schools or for primary schools.
Other Secondary schools
The 30 documents sent to other secondary schools were as follows:
Letter from Secretary of State on the Criminal Records Bureau
Key Stage 3 framework for ICT capability
Schools and Colleges performance tables
Secretary of State letter on KS3 results
Revised guidance on dis-application of the national curriculum at KS4
Target setting at Key stage 3
Guidance on School Teachers Pay and Conditions 2002
New school finance pack flyer
KS3 year 9 booster: Maths
KS3 year 9 booster: Science
KS3 year 9 booster: English
Annual Schools census 2002
New funding system for LEAs
Criminal Records Bureau: update on arrangements
Languages for all: languages for life
Letter from officials about development of an `e-batch' system
Consultation on 14–19 arrangements: outcomes pack
Raising Standards and tackling Workload (National Agreement)
A new specialist system: transforming secondary education
Building schools for the future
Survey of absences in schools
National non statutory specification for careers education and guidance
Safeguarding children: practice guidance for practitioners (summary)
12th youth cohort study
Threshold guidance details
Extended schools: providing opportunities and services for all
Childcare in extended schools
Governing body procedures from 1 September 2003
Celebrating commonwealth day partners in development
Child protection: post-Climbie report
In addition we sent a copy of the monthly DIES bulletin (`Spectrum' which carries news and publications of interest) to all schools each month. These varied in length but in total 11 bulletins were sent with the total number of pages running to 120.
1 The early years headcount material was sent once a term.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the potential financial liability of school governors where a school sets a deficit budget. [127752]
138W
§ Mr. Stephen TwiggSection 50(7) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 provides that the governors of a school do not incur any personal liability in managing a delegated budget, provided they act in good faith. It does not appear to the Government that ordinarily the decision of a governing body to set a deficit budget is an act of bad faith such that individual governors would lose the protection of corporate status, and potentially be personally liable. However, such issues clearly turn on their own particular circumstances; and relevant matters would include whether members had conscientiously considered the relevant facts and circumstances, and had not knowingly misled the local education authority.
§ Linda PerhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance he has given to local education authorities on the modernisation of school libraries. [127786]
§ Margaret HodgeGuidance on the design of school libraries is contained in the Department's Building Bulletin 82, "Area Guidelines for Schools", and Building Bulletin 95, "Schools for the Future—Designs for Learning Communities". Both documents are published by the Stationery Office, but can also be viewed on www.teachernet.gov.uk/schoolbuildings.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will instruct Ofsted to include the provision of science and biology fieldwork as one of the criteria for assessing school performance. [127744]
§ Margaret HodgeThis is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, David Bell, will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of his letter in the Library.
§ Linda PerhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to improve the quality of school science laboratories. [127835]
§ Mr. MilibandThis government aims to improve school laboratories in line with the recommendations of Sir Gareth Roberts report in 2002 on the supply of scientists, so that there are no unsatisfactory laboratories by the end of this spending review period in 2005–06, and all school laboratories are good or excellent by 2010. Capital funding available for investment in school buildings, including in laboratories, is 3.8 billion this year, and it will rise to over £5 billion by 2005–06. Most of this funding is allocated by formula to schools and to local education authorities so that they can invest in their school buildings in line with priorities determined locally through a rigorous, transparent and consultative asset management planning process, which reflects local needs and government aims. Guidance to schools and local education authorities on capital funding reflects its aim to improve school laboratories.
Further, earlier this year, we launched Building Schools for the Future, which aims to renew all secondary schools in England so that they are suitable for the teaching and learning needs of the 21st century, 139W in ten to fifteen years from 2005–06, subject to future public spending decisions. This programme includes developing a number of exemplar designs for secondary schools, including laboratory provision, which will reflect our ambitions for schools for the future.
§ Mr. Damian GreenTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which recent studies of literacy and numeracy standards among primary school children his Department has analysed; and what assessment he has made of these studies. [127920]
§ Alan JohnsonThe Department seeks to keep abreast of all research and evaluation of standards and practice in literacy and numeracy. On standards in England, the most comprehensive studies have been the evaluations of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies by Ofsted and by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, which found that the Strategies have had a significant impact on the standards attained and on the quality of teaching in primary schools. On international comparisons, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study found that children in England are among the most able readers in the world at the age of 10. England was ranked third of the 35 countries involved.
The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies from their inception were based on the best available research, and as our support for literacy and numeracy standards develops further through our primary strategy, "Excellence and Enjoyment" we will continue to ensure a sound evidence base for our policies.
§ Mr. HendryTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to prevent homophobic bullying in schools; and what guidance is issued to headteachers in this respect. [127872]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisOur free pack "Bullying: don't Suffer in Silence" is designed to help schools deal effectively with all forms of bullying. It recommends explicit reference to homophobic bullying in school anti-bullying policies so that pupils know it is unacceptable. The pack and our anti-bullying website also refer to other organisations that can provide additional help to young people affected by homophobic bullying.
Every secondary and middle school in England will shortly receive expert advice and training on improving attendance and behaviour. This will include material on the importance of tackling bullying in any form.
Tackling homophobic bullying will also feature in planned new National Healthy School Standard guidance and guidance for Connexions Personal Advisers.
§ Mr. DorrellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the schools in Leicestershire that are in the special measures category. [127265]
140W
§ Mr. MilibandThe schools in Leicestershire which currently require special measures as of 18 July 2003 are as follows:
(a) Leicester City LEA:
Spinney Hill Primary and Community Centre (Primary)
Queensmead Junior School (Primary)
Forest Lodge Primary School (Primary)
(b) Leicestershire LEA:
Latimer Primary School (Primary)
John Cleveland College (Secondary)
Longslade Community College (Secondary)
Shelthorpe Primary School (Primary)
Thrussington CE Primary School (Primary)
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in what exceptional circumstances local authorities will be free to passport less than the full increase in schools formula spending share to schools. [127927]
§ Alan JohnsonThe Secretary of State's statement of 17 July on school funding made clear the Government's expectation that "barring wholly exceptional circumstances, each and every LEA should 'passport' the full increase in its Schools Formula Spending Share (SPSS) into a matching increase in the Schools Budget". In considering whether or not to use his reserve power to set a minimum schools budget for the following financial year for any LEA proposing not to passport, the Secretary of State will consider all relevant circumstances including the reasons put forward by the LEA. He has made no pre-judgment on what would be considered exceptional. The current expectation is that every authority will passport and the Government will ensure that every local authority receives sufficient central Government grant to "passport" in full the increase in SPSS into its Schools Budget.
§ Mr. BradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether schools forums will be able to agree a funding baseline for the guaranteed per pupil increase which is higher than current per pupil funding. [127931]
§ Alan JohnsonThe Secretary of State said in his statement on school funding of 17 July stated that local education authorities and schools will work together through their Schools Forums to agree the funding baseline to which the guaranteed per pupil increase will be applied. We aim to issue guidance and draft regulations on this during the autumn.