Thank you for contacting South Ayrshire Council, Freedom of
Information. This automatic reply is just to let you know we have received
your email and will be in touch soon. 

Freedom of Information requests will be processed in line with the Freedom
of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
([1]www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2002/13/contents)

Evironmental Information requests will be processed in line with the
Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004
([2]www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2004/520/contents/made)

We may need to get in touch with you to to seek more information or
request clarification from you to allow us to process your request.

To view how we process your personal data when you make a request to us,
please visit our website at [3]www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/privacy-notices

You can also find out more information about our FOI service at: 
[4]www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/foi and your information rights
at: [5]https://www.itspublicknowledge.info/Your...

We will be in touch with you again when we have the response to your
request, or need further information from you, but meantime please do not
hesitate to contact us further on the contact details provided below.

Regards

Information Governance | Chief Executive's Office |
[email address] | Tel: 01292 612223 | County Buildings,
Wellington Square, Ayr, KA7 1DR | [6]www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk

dangos adrannau a ddyfynnir

Thank you for contacting South Ayrshire Council, Freedom of Information. 
This automatic reply is just to let you know we have received your email
and will be in touch soon.

Freedom of Information - requests will be processed in line with the
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
([1]www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2002/13/contents)

Environmental Information - requests will be processed in line with the
Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004
([2]www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2004/520/contents/made)

We may need to get in touch with you to seek more information or request
clarification from you to allow us to process your request.

To view how we process your personal data when you make a request to us,
please visit our website at [3]www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/privacy-notices

You can also find out more information about our FOI service at: 
[4]www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/foi and your information rights at:
[5]www.itispublicknowledge.info/YourRights

We will be in touch with you again when we have the response to your
request, or need further information from you, but meantime please do not
hesitate to contact us further on the contact details provided below.

Regards

Information Governance | Chief Executive's Office |
[6][email address] | Tel: 01292 612223 | County Buildings,
Wellington Square, Ayr, KA7 1DR | [7]www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk

dangos adrannau a ddyfynnir

Good afternoon

Thank you for your recent enquiry which was given the above reference
number.

1) The total number of requests received to date for the Council to
provide discretionary funding for a further year of early learning and
childcare (nursery/ childminder etc) for children whose fifth birthdays
have will fall between the day after the school start date in August 2021
and 31st Dec 2021.

29 requests were submitted but 1 withdrew = 28

2) A breakdown of the total number in 1. above by requests for

a) continued funding in private/voluntary settings and

3

b) continued funding in council run settings and

24

c) continued funding for split placements where a child attends both a
private/voluntary and a council run setting.

1

3) In relation to question 2, please provide the number of places the
Council has agreed to provide continued funding for in

a) private/voluntary settings and

3

b) council run settings and

24

c) split placements where a child attends both a private/voluntary and a
council run setting.

1

4. How many of the children applying have a December birthday?

16

5a. How many appeals (challenges if there is no official appeals process)
did the Council receive against the Council’s decision not to grant
funding?

N/A

5b. How many of these appeals/challenges resulted in the initial decision
being overturned?

N/A

6. How many official complaints has the Council received regarding
discretionary deferral funding decisions between Nov 2020 and the date of
your response to this FoI request?

0

7a. How many applications did the Council receive for children to be
permitted early entry to primary school to start in Aug 2021 instead of
Aug 2022 (for children who will turn five on or after 1st March 2022)?

0

7b. How many of these early entry applications were approved?

N/A

8. Is the Council’s discretionary deferral funding policy currently under
review or are there any plans to update it for 2022-2023? 

Not at the moment

9. How many parents/carers are currently financing a further year of
nursery for their child's deferral year themselves in a council-run
nursery after the Council refused to fund their request for this?

N/A

10a. How many requests did the Council receive for older children* to
defer their primary one start till Aug2022?

0

10b. How many older children* has the Council permitted to defer their
primary one start till Aug 2022?

0

11. Has the Council requested to be part of the 2022-2023 expansion of the
Scottish Government's pilot scheme to fund a further year of ELC for all
mid-Aug to 31 Dec born children deferring their p1 start before the law is
rolled out nationally from Aug 2023?

No

12a. Please provide SIMD deciles for all applications received as per the
total number provided in your response to question 1.

This information is not gathered during the application process therefore
we are unable to provide

12b. Please provide SIMD deciles for all applications granted as per the
total number provided in your response to question 3.

This information is not gathered during the application process therefore
we are unable to provide

12c. Does the Council take the SIMD decile of applicants into
consideration when deciding whether to authorise a discretionary deferral
ELC funding application?

No – children who are deferring entry have a higher priority in the
allocation of places through admissions.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request you can ask for
a review.  A request for a review must be submitted within 40 working days
and should be put in writing to Deborah McVey, Information Governance Team
Leader, South Ayrshire Council, County Buildings, Wellington Square, Ayr
KA7 1DR, Tel: 01292 612223, Email: [1][South Ayrshire Council request email].  If you
remain dissatisfied after a review, you have the right to apply to the
Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision. This must be submitted
within 6 months after the review and should be put in writing to the
Scottish Information Commissioner at Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St.
Andrews, Fife KY16 9DS, Tel: 01334 464610 Email:
[2][email address] or use the online portal
[3]http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourR...
     

Kind regards

Andrew

Information Governance | Chief Executive’s Office |
[4][email address] | Tel: 01292 612223 | South Ayrshire Council
| County Buildings, Wellington Square, Ayr, KA7 1DR |
[5]www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk

dangos adrannau a ddyfynnir