Memorandum submitted by Stephen Twigg
MP, Minister of State for School Standards, DfES
I promised to write to the Committee following
my appearance on 14 December 2004 with some further information.
I undertook to clarify the position in relation
to whether Ofsted collected figures about schools' use of School
Library Services. The school inspection framework does not require
Ofsted's inspectors to inspect whether schools are using a School
Library Service. However, the framework does require inspection
teams to evaluate the quality of resources at a school; whether
the resources available meet the curriculum needs of the school;
and whether the school manages its resources effectively. Resources
can include library provision. Ofsted will survey school libraries
within the English subject inspection programme in 2005.
I also undertook to let the Committee know whether
the numbers of school librarians had increased in the past ten
years. The Department collects figures on the numbers of education
support staff employed in school libraries in maintained schools
through the Annual School Census in January each year. The table
below shows numbers of education support staff employed as school
librarians in England in 1995, 1997 and 2004.
|
| Number of full time equivalent education support staff employed as school librarians in England(1)
|
|
| 1995 |
1997 | 2004
|
| Primary schools | 10
| 10 | 230
|
| Secondary schools (2) | 2,120
| 2,390 | 3,110
|
|
(1)Includes full time and the part equivalent of part time library staff. Includes library assistants as well as qualified librarians. Data rounded to nearest 10.
(2)Includes middle deemed secondary schools.
|
Based on these figures we estimate that the percentage of
secondary schools in England which employ at least one person
as a librarian has risen from 76% in 1997 to 85% in 2004.
| 
