Departmental Policies (Plymouth) (Hansard, 29 January 2004)

§ Mr. Miliband

Outlined as follows is background on a range of the Department's policies and actions, and their impact on Plymouth and Devon local education authorities. Where analysis has allowed, constituencies requested and the Plymouth Travel to Work Area are detailed.

Specialist Schools Programme

The Specialist Schools Programme is contributing to the creation of a specialist system in which every secondary school has its own special ethos and works with others to spread best practice and raise standards. The programme helps schools, in partnership with private sector sponsors and supported by additional Government funding, to achieve their targets to raise standards. It promotes school improvement by providing opportunities for schools to work to their strengths, enabling them to deliver effective teaching and learning in their area of expertise, as well as across the curriculum, and to drive innovation.

Any maintained secondary school in England may apply to be designated as specialist in one of 10 areas: arts, business and enterprise, engineering, humanities, language, mathematics and computing, music, science, sports and technology. Schools can also combine any two specialisms.

There are currently 1,444 specialist schools operating in eight of the 10 specialisms (this represents 46 per cent. of all secondary schools). We expect the first music and humanities colleges to begin operating in September 2004. Over 1.5 million pupils now attend specialist schools— half of all pupils attending secondary schools are attending specialist schools.

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The number of applications from schools wishing to be specialist is at record levels. In October 2001, 267 schools applied; in October 2003 it was 411.

Specialist schools raise £50,000 from private sector sponsorship (less in the case of schools with less than 500 pupils attending) and prepare four-year development plans for improvements in teaching and learning and involving other local schools and the wider community. Designated schools receive a £100,000 capital grant and £126 per pupil per annum for four years. Schools making good progress in meeting their targets can apply for extension funding for another four years.

The Government have set a target to increase the number of specialist schools to 2,000 by 2006. The aim is that all secondary schools will become specialist schools.

Beacon schools:

The Department is currently phasing out the existing beacon schools programme.

The leading edge partnership programme is specific to secondary schools and builds on the success of the beacon schools initiative to encourage an accelerated pace of change and improvement. We need our very best schools and departments to play a leading role in this; to encourage excellence, to develop curriculum expertise and to work with other schools to raise standards through improved teaching and learning. Leading secondary schools will work with other secondary school partners to find solutions to the most critical learning challenges and those most likely to have the greatest impact on closing the attainment gap. We are committed to establishing a network of 300 partnerships by 2006.

In primary, the leading practice programme, described in the recent primary strategy document "Excellence and Enjoyment'", a strategy for primary schools, will build on successful practice developed through the beacon programme. We intend to develop a leading practice programme with common national criteria and branding. It will focus on identifying outstanding work in particular areas, within schools that are performing well across the board. The LEA will have a role in working with leading practice schools to ensure they contribute to local networking arrangements so that excellent practice is spread widely.

Excellence Clusters:

Excellence Clusters are designed to bring the benefits of Excellence in Cities (EiC) to smaller pockets of deprivation. Some 197 secondary schools and over 440 primary schools are involved in Excellence Clusters. Like EiC, the clusters focus on some of the most deprived areas of the country, using a structured programme designed to raise standards.

Clusters benefit from extra resources to provide the three core strands of the EiC programme:

Extended opportunities for Gifted and Talented pupils
Access to full time Learning Mentors for pupils who need them
Learning Support Units to tackle disruption.

A fourth strand of funding is available to target particular local issues, as identified by the schools in each cluster.

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Under our transformation strategy for Education Action Zones (EAZs) established under the Standards and Framework Act 1998 41 of the 73 EAZs will transform to Excellence Clusters. This process will be completed by the end of April 2005.

Leadership Incentive Grow:

The Leadership Incentive Grant is intended to accelerate the improvement in standards and to strengthen leadership at all levels in schools. The grant also enables schools to work together to share expertise, resources and effective practice to strengthen teaching and learning.

Primary Leadership Strategy:

In 2003, primary schools in every LEA were invited to take part in the Leadership Programme, funded by the Primary National Strategy and developed in partnership with the National College for School Leadership (NCSL). (The National Primary Strategy is a holistic whole-school improvement strategy, building on and incorporating the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies.)

The programme seeks to support schools in improving the leadership of the teaching and learning of English and mathematics, helping to ensure that the rate of progress of children within the school community continues to improve as more reach the standards expected.

Sure Start:

Sure Start programmes work with parents-to-be, parents and children to promote the physical, intellectual and social development of young children—particularly those who are disadvantaged— so that they can flourish at home, when they get to school and during later life. The programme aims to help strengthen families and reduce child poverty by enabling parents to maximise their opportunities to work, learn and study, confident their children are being cared for in a safe and stimulating environment; and contribute to building and sustaining strong local communities through high quality and innovatively delivered family services, which respond to the needs of the communities they serve.

Connexions:

Connexions is the Government's front line support service for all young people in England aged 13–19. Connexions will play an integral role in the delivery of the agenda for reform on services for children and young people proposed in the Green Paper "Every child matters".

Through multi-agency working, Connexions provides integrated advice guidance and access to personal development opportunities to help remove barriers to learning and progression and ensure young people make a smooth transition to adulthood and working life. Personal advisers play a lead professional role. They provide advice on careers and lifestyle issues as well as barriers such as homelessness and drugs. They refer young people to specialist support where needed.

The new vision statement for Connexions launched in November 2002, signed by eight Government Ministers, re-affirmed the universal nature of the service.

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Connexions' overarching objective is to reduce the number of 16 to 18-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (MEET). Connexions Partnerships have a target of reducing local MEET numbers by 10 per cent. by November 2004.

Plymouth, Devonport

Four specialist schools covering Arts and Technology;
One beacon school (primary);
14 EiC Excellence Cluster schools;
Four secondary schools receive Leadership Incentive Grant;
One primary school is part of Primary Leadership Strategy;
Sure Start and Connexions programmes in operation.

Plymouth, Sutton

Three specialist schools covering Arts, Engineering and Technology;
Two beacon schools (one primary/one secondary);
Seven EiC Excellence Cluster schools;
One primary school is part of Primary Leadership Strategy;
Sure Start and Connexions programmes in operation;
Lipson Community School is in the top 100 improving maintained schools based on sustained improvement in the GCSE/GNVQ five plus A^*-C indicator 2000–03.

South-West Devon

Covers two local education authorities:
Plymouth:
Three specialist covering Language, Maths and Sports;
One beacon secondary school;
Two primary schools part of Primary Leadership Strategy;
Sure Start and Connexions programmes in operation.
Devon:
One specialist covering Sports
One beacon primary school;
One primary school is part of Primary Leadership Strategy;
Sure Start and Connexions programmes in operation.

Total for South West Devon constituency:

Four specialist covering Language, Maths and Sports;
Two beacon schools (one primary/one secondary);
Three primary schools part of Primary Leadership Strategy;
Sure Start and Connexions programmes in operation.

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Key Stage 1 test/task results at schools in Plymouth areas: 2001–03
	2001	2002	2003
	Percentage of pupils at level 2 and above:	Percentage of pupils at level 2 and above:	Percentage of pupils at level 2 and above:
Area	English reading	English writing	Maths	English reading	English writing	Maths	English reading	English writing	Maths
Plymouth, Devonport	80	82	88	80	80	88	80	77	88
Plymouth, Sutton	78	81	86	81	81	86	81	80	88
South-West Devon	88	89	93	88	90	94	89	87	93
Plymouth Unitary Authority	81	83	89	82	83	89	82	80	89
Plymouth TTWA	83	84	90	84	84	90	83	80	90

Key Stage 2 test/task results at schools in Plymouth areas: 2001–03
	2001	2002	2003
	Percentage of pupils at level 4 and above:	Percentage of pupils at level 4 and above:	Percentage of pupils at level 4 and above:
Area	English	Maths	Science	English	Maths	Science	English	Maths	Science
Plymouth. Devonport	68	67	83	68	68	83	70	68	84
Plymouth, Sutton	72	69	87	69	70	81	66	68	82
South-West Devon	82	80	93	81	82	92	83	82	93
Plymouth Unitary Authority	72	71	86	71	72	84	72	71	85
Plymouth TTWA	75	73	88	74	74	86	75	74	87

Key Stage 3 test/task results at schools in Plymouth areas: 2001–03
	2001	2002	2003
	Percentage of pupils at level 5 and above:	Percentage of pupils at level 5 and above:	Percentage of pupils at level 5 and above:
Area	English	Maths	Science	English	Maths	Science	English	Maths	Science
Plymouth, Devonport	53	57	58	57	58	59	60	61	59
Plymouth, Sutton	73	76	78	69	74	75	75	76	77
South-West Devon	73	75	77	71	74	77	82	82	83
Plymouth Unitary Authority	64	67	68	63	67	68	69	70	69
Plymouth TTWA	65	69	70	66	73	70	73	73	73

Key Stage 4 attainment at schools in Plymouth areas: 2001–03
	2001	2002
Area	Percentage gaining five plus GCSEs at A^*-C	Percentage gaining one plus GCSEs at A^*-G	Percentage gaining five plus GCSEs at A^*-G	Percentage gaining five plus GCSEs at A^*-C	Percentage gaining one plus GCSEs at A*-G	Percentage gaining five plus GCSEs at A^*-G
Plymouth. Devonport	34.3	94.1	87.8	39.0	93.7	87.1
Plymouth, Sutton	64.6	97.0	92.1	68.7	97.2	92.8
South-West Devon	62.9	97.4	94.5	57.7	96.7	93.2
Plymouth Unitary Authority	50.3	95.5	90.3	51.4	95.3	90.0
Plymouth TTWA	51.4	95.8	91.3	52.5	95.9	91.2

	2003
Area	Percentage gaining five plus GCSEs at A^*-C	2003 Percentage gaining one plus GCSEs at A^*-G	Percentage gaining five plus GCSEs at A^*-G
Plymouth, Devonport	41.0	93.3	85.6
Plymouth, Sutton	67.3	97.5	93.2
South-West Devon	61.6	98.0	94.8
Plymouth Unitary Authority	53.0	95.5	89.9
Plymouth TTWA	54.9	96.3	91.4