How the data is listed for each topic

The lists have been divided into sections, as listed below. In each section is a list of links. For each link in the data lists a short description is included of what you will find if you follow the link, the date it was published and the source or type of publication from which the data was obtained. Please note that some topics will not have data entered in every one of the sections. Each section is arranged in reverse date order so you will come to the most recent information first.

1 Parliamentary Answers

The Government is obliged to provide answers to any questions from Members of both Houses if it is possible to do so at reasonable cost. These written parliamentary answers to questions asked by MPs are on the site because they contain useful data. They are often a very useful source of statistics as the answers show revealing connections, not examined in the officially released publications. Many MPs ask for data on their constituencies but only answers which apply to the whole country are listed. Unfortunately in some cases the Minister’s reply is that the answer has been placed in the House of Commons Library or the head of an agency, for example the Learning and Skills Council, has been asked to reply. This section has answers going back several years. Links to the earliest answers reach the relevant Hansard page and you may need to scroll up or down slightly to find the particular answer you want.

2 Statistical First Releases

There are the three types of publication produced by the Statistics Branch of the DfES – statistical volumes, statistical bulletins and statistical first releases. They cover a whole range of topics and contain a vast range of statistics. They are a likely first point of call for any query and include all the standard statistics – for example, the numbers of teachers, schools, pupils, exclusions, etc. Statistical First Releases are more frequently produced than statistical volumes and statistical bulletins.

3 Press Releases

Press releases from the DfES form the major part of the press releases listed but those from other organisations, such as OFSTED and QCA, are included where relevant. Press releases are only included where they contain statistics or useful information or links to useful reports or sites.

4 Key Reports

• the DfES Departmental Report
• Key Stage National Data
• the Comprehensive Spending Review
• the Performance Tables

These contain a large number of important and wide ranging statistics about education but can be difficult to negotiate around online. Therefore a number of links to specific tables or chapters have been included within the documents. But the documents as a whole have also been included. Some documents in PDF format can only be downloaded as a whole; here page or chapter references are given.

The minutes of and responses to the Education and Skills Select Committee will also be found here as well as reports from the Audit Commission, OFSTED, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) etc.

5 Statistical Bulletins

Official DfES statistics. These are short analyses of the subject and are produced less often than statistical first releases.

6 Statistical Volumes

Official DfES statistics. These cover the subject in great depth. Most recent ones are only published on the internet.

7 Relevant Web Sites

Important and useful sites containing information relevant to the topic.