Budgetary spending limits and Governing Body Minutes Confirming those limits

13th July 2009

Dear Mr. John

Re: FOI request on Budgetary spending limits and Governing Body
Minutes

We acknowledge receipt of your request. However, in relation to
question 3 could you please narrow down your request i.e. specify
which year/s you are wanting the information for. Please be aware
because of the work necessary to collate this information a charge
may be levied.

Yours faithfully

Forefield Junior School

Forefield Junior School Forefield Lane Crosby Liverpool L23 9TJ

14th July 2009

Dear Mr John I write with reference to your Freedom of Information
request, dated 1st July 2009. You asked for the following
information:- 1. The schools current budgetary spending limits and
authority in relation the amount of money the Head Teacher can
spend without reference to either the Full Governing Body (FGB) or
Finance Committee or other such committee that reports to the FGB.

2. The FGB minutes confirming approval and authority for the Head
Teacher's spending limits as requested in question 1 above.

3. Full details of all invoices authorised for payment by the Head
Teacher or other such approved person (Bursar,school secretary etc)
that is within the Head Teacher's budgetary spending limits as
requested in question 1 above.

To assist you I do not require copies the invoices but simply date,
amount spent and the service(s) or product(s) supplied to the
school. e.g. 1st Nov 07, £2000.00, desks for classrooms etc etc

Question 1 The schools current budgetary spending limits and
authority in relation to the amount of money the Head Teacher can
spend without reference to either the Full Governing Body (FGB) or
Finance Committee is as follows: 1. Headteacher is allowed to
authorise contracts up to £5,000 2. Finance Committee is allowed to
authorise contracts up to £10,000 3. £10,000 + Full Governing Body

Question 2 Please see attached copy of draft minutes from the
Finance Committee 16th June 2009, confirming approval of the
Delegation of Duties Document which details the Headteacher’s
spending limits.

Question 3 You subsequently provided clarification that you
require the information for the last 2 financial years and the
current financial year up to 1st July 2009. Unfortunately, we do
not hold the information you have requested electronically and have
contacted colleagues in our schools management information support
team to see if they can help. They have confirmed that it is not
possible to provide electronically, thus a manual trawl of records
will need to be undertaken to provide you with the information you
request. Section 12 (1) of the Freedom of Information Act states
that a public authority is not obliged to comply with a request for
information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying
with the request would exceed the appropriate limit. The limit is
currently set at £450 (based on a calculation of 18 hours at £25
per hour). We will need to trawl approximately 386 pages of
information in order to fulfill your request and estimate that this
will take approximately 35 hours. Thus resulting in a cost of
approximately £875.00. Section 13 (1) (a) of the Freedom of
Information Act states that a public authority may charge for the
communication of any information because the cost of complying with
the request exceeds the amount which is the appropriate limit for
the purposes of section 12 (1) and (2). Please accept this letter
as a fees notice under Section 9 of the Act. Section 9 (2) states
that where a fees notice has been given that the public authority
is not obliged to comply with the request unless the fee is paid
within the period of three months beginning with the day on which
the fees notice is given. Please contact my bursar at the above
address should you wish to pay the fee and we will raise an
invoice. However, as the school closes on Wednesday 22nd July and
the work will take 5 working days it will not be possible for us to
fulfil your request before the end of the summer term. Yours
sincerely R. F. NAYLOR HEADTEACHER