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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what policies (a) initiated and (b) managed by his Department since 2001 have had an impact on Pendle; and if he will make a statement. [124096] Mr. Stephen Twigg: Outlined are details of the effects of a range of the Department's policies on the Pendle constituency and Lancashire LEA. Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)--East Lancashire Transport Pilot This is a pilot EMA area operating the transport variation. Young People receive a free travel pass to their place of learning. They can also receive up to three £50 bonuses a year plus a £50 achievement bonus at the end of their studies. Schools in Special Measures There is one school in Nelson--Maries Hill Pupil Referral Unit--which has been in special measures since February 2003. Extended School Pathfinder Lancashire is one of 25 LEAs that has received £200,000 in 2002-03 to run an extended school pathfinder (made available through the Standards Fund). An additional £25,000 was allocated to each of the pathfinders specifically for childcare provision. Overall the aim of the pathfinders has been to test out various approaches used by schools and authorities in the development of family and community facilities and services on school premises. The Lancashire pathfinder has built upon existing and emerging developments in community use of maintained schools in the County. The project has focused primarily on five specific areas in the county where serious issues of social unrest, lack of community cohesion, significant levels of deprivation and poor health have already been identified. One of the five areas is Pendle, where six schools have been involved (listed as follows) The six Pendle schools are: Nelson Walton High School West Craven High School Nelson Edge End High School Colne Saints John Fisher and Thomas Moore High School Brierfield Mansfield High School Nelson Marsden Early Excellence Centre Connexions Connexions is the Government's front line support service for all young people in England aged 13-19. It is a universal service, offering integrated information, advice and 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. The headline aim is to reduce the number of young people aged 16-18 years who are not in education, employment or training. Connexions Lancashire went live in April 2002. Its budgets were: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. £ 2002-03 12,132,753 2003-04 12,666,525 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Note: A breakdown for Pendle itself cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost. School Achievement Awards The following schools in Pendle have received School Achievement Awards since 2001: Round one awards announced March 2001 Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary School Barrowford School Colne Gibfield School Colne Lord Street School Holy Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School, Nelson Kelbrook Primary School Brierfield Mansfield High School McMillan Nursery School Nelson Bradley Primary School Nelson St. Paul's Church of England Primary School Nelson St. Philip's Church of England Primary School Nelson Whitefield Infant School and Nursery Unit Salterforth Primary School St. John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School, Colne St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Barnoldswick Trawden Forest Primary School Round two awards announced March 2002 Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary School Barrowford St Thomas Church of England Primary School Bradley Nursery School Laneshaw Bridge Primary School Marsden Community Primary School McMillan Nursery School Nelson Whitefield Infant School and Nursery Unit Newjown Nursery School Park Primary School Reedley Primary School Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, Colne Salterforth Primary School St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Barnoldswick Walton Lane Nursery School West Street Primary School Round three awards announced May 2003 Bradley Nursery School Walton Lane Nursery School Newtown Nursery School McMillan Nursery School Barrowford School Blacko Primary School West Street Community Primary School Bradley Primary School Walverden Primary School Nelson Whitefield Infant School and Nursery Unit Kelbrook Primary School Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Nelson St. Philip's Church of England Primary School St. John Southworth Roman Catholic Primary School, Nelson Wheatley Lane Methodist Voluntary Aided Primary School West Craven High Technology College Nelson Edge End High School Capital Allocations (£000) for Lancashire LEA: Lancashire LEA have not bid for any capital funding for Pendle through any of the bidding rounds since 2001. The only funding going specifically to schools in Pendle (through Lancashire LEA) is devolved formula capital which started in 2000-01. The amount of devolved going to Pendle would only be known by the LEA. Since 1999 the LEA has received the following capital allocations: £000 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Capital allocation 1999-2000 3,5179 2000-01 38;021 2001-02 29,778 2002-03 44,303 2003-04 62,607 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. School Attendance Lancashire is one of the Authorities that have been funded through the £11.25 million Capital Modernisation Funding project to provide funding for electronic registration systems in secondary schools with high levels of unauthorised absence which was initiated by the Department in 2001-02. Lancashire has received £444,340 towards setting up electronic registration in 23 secondary schools including two schools (Walton High School and West Craven High School) in the Pendle constituency receiving a total of £38,570. Independent evaluation has shown that, used effectively, electronic registration can significantly reduce levels of truancy within the first two years of implementation. Lancashire has also participated in the nationally co-ordinated truancy sweeps, for example in December 178 truants were found. Lancashire also conducts a termly programme of truancy sweeps. Truancy sweeps have not only been found useful in returning truanting children back to school and publicising the importance of school attendance, but also through them children who have been missing from the school system altogether have been identified. Exclusions Pendle district has two Pupil Referral Units: Maries Hill PRU (40 places), and Pendle PRU (24 places). The LEA has a well structured Pupil Referral Service with clear policies and procedures for admissions and exit. On reintegration of teenage parents into education Lancashire has received funding from the DfES Standards Fund since 2000 to help reduce the levels of conception for under 18 by half by 2010--and the social exclusion of teenage parents within the Authority. Details of funding are as follows: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. £ 2000-01 137,400 2001-02 137,400 2002-03 163,847 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Lancashire has recruited five part time Learning Mentors to complement the work of the re-integration officer. For example, altogether they dealt with over 140 secondary educational bases. 62 young girls and four young men were referred to the re-integration officer in the 2001-02 financial year. Beacon Schools There are currently two beacon schools in the Pendle constituency--they are Laneshaw Bridge Primary School and Walton Lane Nursery School. Laneshaw Bridge became a beacon school in September 2000 and has just has its beacon status renewed for a further year until September 2004. Walton Lane Nursery School became a beacon school in September 2001 and its beacon status also ends in September 2004. Newchurch in Pendle St. Mary's CE Primary School ceased to be a beacon school in September 2002. Pathfinder Young Community Champions Fund (PYCCF) Funding £45,000 shared between four Boroughs (February 2003--September 2004). Note: Pendle forms part of the Lancashire Partnership pathfinder community cohesion area (consisting of Lancashire county council, Burnley borough council, Hyndburn borough council, Pendle borough council and Rossendale borough council). The area will receive £45,000 to implement the PYCCF between February 2003 to September 2004.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

124096; 409 c141-5W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Government departments Policy Department for Education and Skills Pendle

Link

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