New Heads' Poll Supports Blunkett's Approach To Education Reform - Annex 1
- Interviews were carried out over the telephone, between 5th February and 16th February 2001
- The results are based on a total of 1000 interviews, giving 755 primary schools, 196 secondary schools and 49 special schools.
- Results are weighted by school type (i.e. Primary, Secondary and Special).
- Where results do not sum to 100, this may be due to multiple responses, computer rounding or the exclusion of don't knows/not stated.
- An asterisk (*) represents a value of less than half of one per cent, but not zero.
- Results are based on all respondents unless otherwise stated.
Who do you think is best placed to carry out the following education functions?
Q1a Supporting and challenging schools causing concern
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Individual schools | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| LEA (Local Educational Authority) | 78 | 79 | 69 | 80 |
| DfEE (Department for Education & Employment) | 4 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| QCA (Qualifications & Curriculum Authority) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| OFSTED (Office for Standard in Education) | 8 | 7 | 11 | 12 |
| Groups of schools | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Other | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Don't Know | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Q1b Making arrangements for the education of excluded pupils and others not able to attend school
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Individual schools | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| LEA (Local Educational Authority) | 86 | 87 | 84 | 86 |
| DfEE (Department for Education & Employment) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| QCA (Qualifications & Curriculum Authority) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OFSTED (Office for Standard in Education) | * | * | 1 | 0 |
| Groups of schools | 3 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Other | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Don't know | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Q1c Co-ordinating and funding education for pupils with statements of special educational need
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Individual schools | 17 | 18 | 18 | 6 |
| LEA (Local Educational Authority) | 68 | 67 | 68 | 76 |
| DfEE (Department for Education & Employment) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| QCA (Qualifications & Curriculum Authority) | * | * | 0 | 0 |
| OFSTED (Office for Standard in Education) | * | * | 0 | 0 |
| Groups of schools | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Other | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Don't Know | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Q1d Planning for the supply of school places and building new schools
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Individual schools | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| LEA (Local Educational Authority) | 77 | 77 | 77 | 73 |
| DfEE (Department for Education & Employment) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 |
| QCA (Qualifications & Curriculum Authority) | * | * | 0 | 0 |
| OFSTED (Office for Standard in Education) | * | * | 0 | 0 |
| Groups of schools | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Other | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Don't know | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Q1e Organising and funding home to school transport
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Individual schools | 5 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| LEA (Local Educational Authority) | 89 | 89 | 87 | 84 |
| DfEE (Department for Education & Employment) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| QCA (Qualifications & Curriculum Authority) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| OFSTED (Office for Standard in Education) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Groups of schools | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Other | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Don't know | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Q2a How helpful did you find the LEA in implementing the literacy and numeracy strategies?
Base: All primary schools (755)
| % | |
| Very helpful | 60 |
| Fairly helpful | 33 |
| Not very helpful | 3 |
| Not at all helpful | 1 |
| Don't know | 2 |
Q2b How effective are the literacy and numeracy consultants employed by your LEA in terms of implementing the strategies?
Base: All primary schools (755)
| % | |
| Very effective | 49 |
| Fairly effective | 40 |
| Not very effective | 5 |
| Not at all effective | 1 |
| Don't know | 5 |
Q3a Do you have Learning Mentors in your school?
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Yes | 24 | 18 | 54 | 22 |
| No | 68 | 73 | 42 | 71 |
| Don't know what they are | 8 | 9 | 4 | 6 |
Q3b Would you like to have Learning Mentors in your school?
Base: All who do not have learning mentors in their school (669)
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Yes | 59 | 57 | 73 | 57 |
| No | 33 | 34 | 23 | 34 |
| Don't know | 9 | 9 | 4 | 9 |
Q3c How helpful are the Learning Mentors in assisting pupils in your school overcome problems that are in the way of their learning?
Base: All who have a learning mentor in their school (252)
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Very helpful | 71 | 73 | 65 | 91 |
| Fairly helpful | 20 | 17 | 25 | 9 |
| Not very helpful | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Not at all helpful | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Don't know | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
Q3d Do you have Teaching Assistants in your school?
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Yes | 97 | 97 | 95 | 98 |
| No | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
Q3e Would you like to have Teaching Assistants in your school?
Base: All who do not have teaching assistants in their school (29)
Note: Due to a low base size "n" rather than % are given
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| n | n | n | n | |
| Yes | 20 | 15 | 5 | 0 |
| No | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Don't know | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Q3f How helpful are the Teaching Assistants in supporting teachers' work in the classroom in your school?
Base: All who have teaching assistants in their school (971)
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Very helpful | 93 | 94 | 82 | 96 |
| Fairly helpful | 7 | 6 | 16 | 4 |
| Not very helpful | * | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Not at all helpful | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Don't know | * | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Q4a You will be aware of the increases in direct funding now being allocated to schools, that is School Standards Grant and devolved formula capital allocations which go to all schools on a formula depending on size and age range . How favourable or unfavourable do you feel towards this increase in direct funding to schools?
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Very favourable | 62 | 59 | 77 | 59 |
| Fairly favourable | 24 | 26 | 16 | 18 |
| Neither favourable nor unfavourable | 7 | 8 | 4 | 10 |
| Fairly unfavourable | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Very unfavourable | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| No opinion | 1 | * | 1 | 6 |
Q4b How is your school using the increases in direct funding?
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Teaching staff | 59 | 60 | 58 | 43 |
| Non-teaching staff | 52 | 55 | 38 | 47 |
| Equipment | 41 | 39 | 49 | 39 |
| Repairs and maintenance | 46 | 44 | 58 | 35 |
| Other | 23 | 20 | 25 | 32 |
| Don't know | * | * | 1 | 0 |
Q5 How do you feel about the new arrangement for receiving and spending Standards Fund? Would you say the new arrangements are:
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| More straightforward | 61 | 60 | 67 | 55 |
| Makes no difference | 11 | 10 | 13 | 18 |
| More complicated | 14 | 16 | 8 | 10 |
| Don't know | 13 | 13 | 12 | 16 |
Q6a Would you like to see greater delegation of funding and responsibilities from your LEA?
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Yes | 41 | 37 | 61 | 49 |
| No | 53 | 58 | 33 | 41 |
| Don't know | 5 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
Q6b What new functions would you like to see delegated? For example, any of the following if not already delegated?
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Responsibility for Special Educational Needs statement | 51 | 52 | 55 | 29 |
| Premises insurance | 23 | 19 | 38 | 25 |
| Employers' liability insurance | 16 | 12 | 28 | 12 |
| Public liability insurance | 16 | 12 | 30 | 21 |
| Ground and building maintenance | 6 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Other | 19 | 17 | 20 | 38 |
| None | 6 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Don't know | 22 | 23 | 18 | 33 |
Q7 What do you think should be the future role of LEAs?
| All | Primary | Secondary | Special | |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Remain as they are | 24 | 26 | 14 | 12 |
| Improve, with greater delegation | 27 | 24 | 41 | 33 |
| Improve (but not necessarily with greater delegation) | 44 | 45 | 33 | 49 |
| Be abolished | 5 | 3 | 12 | 6 |
| Don't know | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
