FAQs
These Frequently Asked Questions are intended for sign-posting users to resources available on NIMS. For suggested additions or amendments please e-mail:nims@newham.gov.uk
- I cannot find the data that I'm looking for?
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The most popular and useful Newham statistics are documented in the Focus On Newham section.
Try searching the NIMS Online , using either the Meta Search Engine or browse through the data folders. To learn how to use the Interactive Statistics Portal, try the NIMS Online Help.
- How do I know that the figures are most up to date - how can I check?
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Whilst every effort is made to keep datasets and reports current, publications inevitably become out of data. Referring to the original data source or author may provide clues about data vintage. For example, headers or footers often contain useful weblinks to source datasets, as well as reference pages at the end of printed materials.
When using the NIMS Online, try the MetaData feature by clicking this symbol
Metadata will state when the dataset was last uploaded. In the near future, NIMS Online will have a data-uploading schedule so users can anticipate data-uploading cycles. - What is the proportion of Black and Minority Ethnic communities (BME) in Newham ?
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Newham has the largest proportion of non-white ethnic groups in the country. Almost two-thirds (61%) of Newham’s population were from non-white ethnic groups. (Figures published by ONS Census, 2001 and cited in Focus on Newham 2006).
- What are the most common languages spoken in Newham?
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We do not have a definitive answer about the most common languages spoken in Newham, although we can recommend a few sources. The National Literacy Trust provides a better portrayal of the difficulties surrounding collection and analysis of language information:"Pinning down the distribution of speakers of other languages and their needs has always proven difficult. It has often been carried out using a bottom-up method, counting the number of pupils in schools requiring support in this area to estimate the distribution in the local community. However, this system ignores all those who do not have contact with the school education system - e.g. new refugee or migrant worker populations where the dominant constituents are adult males. The general validity of the statistics can be challenged.
As far as we are aware, no single body collects national UK data on the percentage of the adult population speaking English as an additional language, or the languages spoken. Local authorities can often provide advice based on their knowledge of the communities in their area and the languages spoken by inhabitants. They may also be able to provide up-to-date information on growing or declining populations, and the age ranges of speakers, as these can change quite significantly over time. The most common languages to translate written materials into include: Arabic, Bengali,
Chinese, French, Gujerati, Polish, Punjabi, Somali, Tamil, Turkish and Urdu (and Welsh in Wales). "
Telephone Interpreting, Language Usage Statistics, provided by the Newham Language Shop:
You can view this monthly dataset from the NIMS Online, collected by the Newham Language Shop for telephone interpretation requests, referred from 6 Local Service Centres, a main Call Centre and a Homeless Persons Unit. Although these figures provide insight about the most popular languages requested via the LSCs, it is not possible to distribute the figures across standard geographical areas at this time.
PLASC - Pupil Level Annual Schools Census
PLASC collects a category called "First Language", which is the language to which the child was initially exposed during early development and continues to use this language in the home or in the community. If a child acquires English subsequent to early development, then English is not their first language no matter how proficient in it they become.
In the relatively infrequent case of a pupil for whom a language other than English has been acquired at a later stage in development, and has become the main language in the home, the school should consult with the pupil or parent to determine which language should be recorded.
Similarly, in the case of a pupil, for whom a language other than English was acquired during early development, but that language no longer continues to be used by the child in the home or community, the school should consult with the pupil or parent to determine which language should be recorded.
Please note this field is only compulsory for pupils aged 5 and above.
The fields available are:
- ENG English
- ENB Not known but believed to be English
- OTH Other than English
- OTB Not known but believed to be other than English
- REF Refused
- NOT Information not obtained
Values ENB and OTB are appropriate where the pupil’s first language is not known with absolute certainty because the parents have not responded to enquires, but the school can judge with a high degree of confidence whether it is English or not.
At present, there are limitations to the First Language category as it does not specify which First Language is spoken. However, the upcoming 2007 surveys will include a detailed list of approximately 250 languages for choosing by the parents and pupils. Pupils include children in mainstream schools from nurseries, up to and including secondary schools. For further information, please contact Newham Children & Young Peoples Services.
PLASC - Pupil Level Annual Schools Census
"The submission of a PLASC return, including a set of named pupil records, is a statutory requirement on schools under section 537A of the Education Act 1996. The reason for putting PLASC on a statutory basis is only partly to help ensure compliance by schools. It also means that schools do not need to obtain parental or pupil consent to the provision of information and schools are protected from any legal challenge that they are breaching a duty of confidence to pupils.
The information collected on PLASC helps the government monitor what is happening in schools and informs national policy development. For example, information about the numbers of pupils, teachers and education support staff is used to monitor child:adult ratios, data on pupil numbers is used to provide information about places for under fives, information on class sizes, free school meals, ethnicity and permanent exclusions is used to monitor the Government’s social inclusion policy. Pupil numbers are used for funding local authorities and schools and contribute to the Schools and Colleges Achievement and Attainment Tables (formally known as ‘Performance Tables’) exercise. The data are used to support other key areas involving LEAs such as Revenue Support Grant, LEA Benchmarking Tables and Ofsted Form 4. Without this information it would be very difficult for Ministers, Parliament, central and local government, pressure groups and the public at large to monitor government policies and their effectiveness. It is therefore important that the data submitted is as accurate as possible as opportunities/exercises for schools and LEAs to check their data will not be as great as in previous years.
Analysis of the individual pupil records from PLASC, in conjunction with pupils’ Key Stage and examination results, will provide schools, Local Education Authorities (LEAs) and central agencies with a greater range of information than was possible with the Annual Schools Census(ASC) totals. This enables raising standards, more accurate targeting of funding, and the monitoring and development of policy. The automation of the PLASC return through the school’s Management Information System (MIS) will also benefit schools and LEAs by minimising the burden on resources."