The “Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners: Maintaining the Excellent Progress” includes an overview of the key activities we are undertaking to raise standards in Secondary Schools, and the 2005 Schools White Paper—“Higher Standards, Better Schools for All”—sets out our vision for raising standards in Schools. I would also refer the hon. Member to the annual departmental report. Some key facts are summarised as follows:
In 2006, 85,000 more pupils obtained five or more GCSEs at A*-C than in 1997.
Spending per pupil since 1997 has doubled, and there are now 36,000 more teachers and 150,000 more support staff.
Since 1997, there has been a 15 percentage point increase in the number of 14-year-old pupils achieving level 5 or above in English, a 17 percentage point increase in mathematics and a 12 percentage point increase in science at Key Stage 3.
Through the Building Schools for the Future programme we are investing £17.5 billion in schools capital between 2005-08, enabling most secondary schools to be refurbished or rebuilt.
More than 2,600 secondary schools—85 per cent. of the total—have specialist school status and we are on track to achieve the target of every school achieving specialist status by next year. 70 schools are already working towards trust school status, enabling them to work with external partners to create a distinctive ethos and direction for their school, and we have over 100 academies open or in the pipeline in some of the most challenging parts of the country.
There is more work still to do. In recent years, the number of children eligible for free school meals achieving five good GCSEs has improved faster than the national average, but we need to do more to tackle some of the gaps between economically disadvantaged pupils and their peers, and between boys and girls.
The Government are investing over £1 billion between 2005-08 in personalised learning and extended services—including £621 million for secondary schools to help them tailor their teaching and learning to the needs of their pupils, including those who need support to help them catch up and those who have a particular gift or talent.
The Secondary National Strategy for School Improvement is at the heart of our work to transform secondary education and spreads effective teaching and learning to all schools through training and materials, a comprehensive development programme for teachers, and support from local consultants who are experts in their field.
The Key Stage 3 Behaviour and Attendance training programme for all secondary school staff involves training materials and resources to ensure consistent and effective policy and practice on behaviour and attendance and offers expert consultancy support to schools across the curriculum.