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Pupils: Questionnaires

Answer

HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member to explain how Ofsted will use information obtained from its questionnaires about lifestyles. A copy of her reply has been placed in the House Library.I am aware of two letters received by the Department about the recent ‘Tellus2’ survey undertaken by Ofsted, both of which were referred to Ofsted for reply. I understand that Ofsted itself received seven queries from primary schools during the response period, three of which questioned the general suitability of some questions for younger children. Of these three, one specifically mentioned the question on drinking. These queries did not result in a complaint. Since the closure of the survey, Ofsted has received nine communications from parents, of which two expressed concern about the nature of the questions and two specifically mentioned the question on drinking. One of these latter two also mentioned the question on smoking. The primary school questionnaire did not include a question on drugs.Respondents to such questionnaires quite rightly have their anonymity protected. In the case of the Tellus2 survey, children and young people responded using an individual, randomly generated ‘log in’ identifier, rather than their names or dates of birth. Postcode information was collected, at the request of local authorities, to enable summary information to be produced about groups of children living in different parts of an authority. However, this was on the basis that data would only be reported if no individuals or schools could be identified from it.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

149438; 463 c1726W

Session

2006-07

Subjects

Pupils Questionnaires

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk