In the reply to PQ 231974, the estimated costs of providing the information requested in PQs 224479 and 224500 were £1,300 and £900 respectively.
Following a detailed analysis of the processes involved in answering these questions we are able to provide the itemised breakdowns as follows:
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, at how many comprehensive schools 50 per cent. or more pupils achieved a modern languages GCSE at A*-C in each year since 1997. (224479)
Hours required Cost to Department Planning 9 225 Implementing production rules 1 25 Writing syntax 8 200 Producing figures (11 years) 50.16 1,254 Producing figures (one year) 4.56 114 Run the required filters (including maintained only sector) 0.32 8 Create variables in exam file 0.32 8 Aggregate up to pupil level 0.2 5 Merge into pupil file 0.32 8 Aggregate up to school level 0.2 5 Merge to school file 0.2 5 Analysis of output (e.g. remove independent schools, remove schools with <10 pupils, count how many with <50 per cent. MFL, etc.) 3 75 Additional work 1.5 37.5 Formatting, footnotes, etc. 0.25 6.25 Personal QAing 1 25 Drafting PQ reply 0.25 6.25 QAing 3.5 87.5 Comments, redrafting, etc. 3 75 Signing off at SCS level 1 25 Total 66.16 1,704
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what percentage of pupils in the maintained mainstream sector achieved five GCSEs including a modern language at A* to C grades in each year since 1997. (224500)
Hours required Cost to Department Planning 9 225 Implementing production rules 1 25 Writing syntax 8 200 Producing figures (11 years) 16.28 407 Producing figures (one year) 1.48 37 Run the required filters (including maintained only sector) 0.32 8 Create variables in exam file 0.32 8 Aggregate up to pupil level 0.2 5 Merge into pupil file 0.32 8 Analysis of output (count number of pupils with 5 A*-C including MFL) 0.32 8 Additional work 1.5 37.5 Formatting, footnotes, etc. 0.25 6.25 Personal QAing 1 25 Drafting PQ reply 0.25 6.25 QAing 3.5 87.5 Comments, redrafting, etc. 3 75 Signing off at SCS level 1 25 Total 32.28 857
The estimated cost to the Department of providing all the information requested is £850. These are salary costs.
Further mathematics is a subject that is not available at GCSE or equivalent. Further mathematics is first available as an AS-level subject.
The tables show the number of pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving (a) an A* or A grade at GCSE and (b) an A* to C grade at GCSE in each subject in the last five years. Also shown are the percentages of these pupils who studied at comprehensive, independent and grammar schools and are placed in the House Libraries. These figures are not included for further mathematics, as this is not available at GCSE level.
Tables showing the number and proportion of GCSE entries by grade and subject for pupils at the end of key stage 4 attending maintained and independent secondary schools from 2005-08 have been placed in the House Libraries. All GCSE attempts (including multiple attempts within each subject group) have been counted.
Figures prior to 2005 can not be provided on a comparable basis.
The information is given in the following table:
School code Institution name Local authority 3096905 Greig City Academy Haringey 3125406 Rosedale College Hillingdon 3304611 St. Alban's CE Specialist Engineering College Birmingham 3706905 The Barnsley Academy Barnsley 8134075 Brumby Engineering College North Lincolnshire 8564005 New College Leicester Leicester City 8866906 The Marlowe Academy Kent 9255422 St. Hugh's C of E Mathematics and Computing College Lincolnshire 9354600 St. Benedict's Catholic School Suffolk
[holding answer 29 January 2009]: The numbers of pupils attempting both English language and English literature GCSE in maintained and independent schools for the last five years are as follows:
Maintained schools Independent schools 2007/08 471,943 38,685 2006/07 481,904 39,704 2005/06 486,514 39,944 2004/05 485,569 38,495 2003/04 491,666 37,011 Notes: 1. Figures relate to pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 except in 2003/04 for which the figures relate to 15-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August). 2. Figures include attempts by these pupils in previous academic years. Only one attempt is counted per pupil. 3. The figures are derived from the Achievement and Attainment Tables data.