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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 3 February 2003, Official Report, column 783W, on specialist status schools, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of specialist status on technology colleges. [96767] Mr. Miliband: The October 2001 Ofsted survey of the programme ("Specialist Schools: An evaluation of progress") looked at the Technology specialism alongside the three other specialisms which were part of the programme in 2000. The survey found that four out of five of the well-established specialist schools covered by the survey were in large measure achieving the aims of the programme and making good use of the advantages it brings. The survey said that for these schools specialist status had often been a catalyst for innovation and helped to sustain or accelerate the momentum of school improvement. The Ofsted survey found no problems specific to Technology Colleges. The question refers to my answer of 28 January 2003, Official Report, column 783W, which said that since the programme began, 32 Technology Colleges have lost their specialist status in comparison to one school designated in another specialism. The reason for this disparity is that Technology Colleges have been part of the programme for longer and there are many more of them. Technology was the first specialism and was introduced in 1994. Schools come up for re-designation every four years (until 2000 this was every three years). There are currently schools operating in eight specialisms in the programme-- Technology Colleges represent 45 per cent. of these schools. The first Language Colleges began operating in 1995. The first Sports and Arts Colleges began operating in 1997. The first specialist schools designated in Science, Engineering, Business and Enterprise and Mathematics and Computing began operating in September 2002.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

96767; 399 c697W;399 c695W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Standards Technology Specialist schools

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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