2022-2023 Primary One Deferral Data

The request was successful.

Patricia Anderson

Dear Fife Council,

This is a Freedom of Information request which I am sending to all 32 Scottish local authorities.

Please could the Council provide:

1. The total number of requests received to date for a further year of early learning and childcare (nursery/ childminder etc) for children whose fifth birthdays fell/ will fall between the day after the school start date in August 2022 and 31st Dec 2022.

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

a) continued funding in private/voluntary settings and

b) continued funding in council run settings and

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

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

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

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?

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

6. How many official complaints has the Council received regarding discretionary deferral funding decisions between Nov 2021 and the date of your response to this FoI request?

7. 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?

8a. How many applications did the Council receive for children to be permitted early entry to primary school to start in Aug 2022 instead of Aug 2023 (for children who will turn five on or after 1st March 2023)?

8b. How many of these early entry applications were approved?

9a. How many requests did the Council receive for older children* to defer their primary one start till Aug 2023?

*(by "older children" I mean those who had already reached the age of five by the school commencement date in August 2022).

9b. How many older children* has the Council permitted to defer their primary one start till Aug 2023?

*(by "older children" I mean those who had already reached the age of five by the school commencement date in August 2022).

Yours faithfully,

Patricia Anderson

Ross Wiggin, Fife Council

Dear Patricia Anderson,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

 

Thank you for your information request received on 25/10/2022 our
reference FCIR: 42475 relating to 2022-2023 Primary One Deferral Data.
This is being dealt with in terms of the Freedom of Information (Scotland)
Act 2002.

 

We are presently assessing your request and may be in touch soon to ask
for further clarification or to offer advice and assistance if we are not
able to fulfil your request in its present form.

 

The legislation allows us up to 20 working days from the date that we
receive a valid request, including any clarification we require, to make a
final response.  We will be in touch within 20 working days of receipt of
your initial request to provide our response or to seek clarification
where necessary.  We hope to provide you with the information you are
looking for at an earlier date where possible.

 

Yours sincerely,

Ross

 

 

 

Ross Wiggin

Information Assistant

Information Management & Requests Team (IMRT)

Fife Council

Fife House

Glenrothes

KY7 5LT

 

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Innes Coull, Fife Council

Dear Patricia Anderson,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
I refer to your request for information dated 25/10/2022 our ref;
FCIR:42475.
I have detailed below the information you requested and trust that it
meets your requirements.
Information Requested
1. The total number of requests received to date for a further year of
early learning and childcare (nursery/ childminder etc) for children whose
fifth birthdays fell/ will fall between the day after the school start
date in August 2022 and 31st Dec 2022.
The number of requests received between the request dates was 205.
2. A breakdown of the total number in 1. above by requests for
a) continued funding in private/voluntary settings and
22 continued funding in private/voluntary settings.
b) continued funding in council run settings and
174 continued funding in council run settings
c) continued funding for split placements where a child attends both a
private/voluntary and a council run setting.
9 continued in both a council and private/voluntary run setting.
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
22 in a private/voluntary setting
b) council run settings and
174 in a council run setting
c) split placements where a child attends both a private/voluntary and a
council run setting.
9 in a council and private/voluntary setting
4. How many of the children applying have a December birthday?
83 Children have December birthdays.
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?
0 appeals have been received in relation to granting funding.
5b. How many of these appeals/challenges resulted in the initial decision
being overturned?
0 have been overturned.
6. How many official complaints has the Council received regarding
discretionary deferral funding decisions between Nov 2021 and the date of
your response to this FoI request?
0 official complaints have been received.
7. 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?
0 parents/carers are currently financing a further year.
8a. How many applications did the Council receive for children to be
permitted early entry to primary school to start in Aug 2022 instead of
Aug 2023 (for children who will turn five on or after 1st March 2023)?
0 applications were received.
8b. How many of these early entry applications were approved?
0 were approved.
9a. How many requests did the Council receive for older children* to defer
their primary one start till Aug 2023?
*(by "older children" I mean those who had already reached the age of five
by the school commencement date in August 2022).
<10 requests were received to defer.
9b. How many older children* has the Council permitted to defer their
primary one start till Aug 2023?
*(by "older children" I mean those who had already reached the age of five
by the school commencement date in August 2022).
<10 children have been permitted to defer.
I would like to draw your attention to the copyright situation in relation
to the material.
The Council holds the copyright for all of the material provided and it
may be reproduced free of charge in any format or media without requiring
specific permission.  This is subject to the material not being used in a
derogatory manner or in a misleading context.  The source of the material
must be acknowledged as Fife Council and the title of the document must be
included when being reproduced as part of another publication or service.
If you are dissatisfied with this response, you can ask us to carry out a
review of the decision.  You must do this in writing (or other permanent
form) within 40 working days of the date of this letter.  Your review
should explain why you are dissatisfied with our response and we will
respond to you within 20 working days of receipt.  A review should be made
to the Head of Legal & Democratic Services:
 
Post: Head of Legal & Democratic Services
Finance & Corporate Services
Fife House
North Street
Glenrothes
KY7 5LY
Email: [email address]
If you remain dissatisfied following the review stage, you have the right
to appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision. Please
refer to the following guidance on how to make a valid appeal:
[1]www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal

[2]Appeal to the Commissioner | Scottish Information Commissioner
If you're still unhappy after the review stage, you can appeal to the
Commissioner. You must make your appeal within 6 months of when you
received (or should have received) your review response, and your appeal
must be "valid" - see our guidance below on how to make a valid appeal.
www.itspublicknowledge.info













Yours sincerely,
Innes Coull

Innes Coull | Information Specialist

Information Management & Requests Team | Customer & Online Services | Fife
Council | Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes, Fife KY7 5LT

Email:  [email address]

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Dear Fife Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Fife Council's handling of my FOI request '2022-2023 Primary One Deferral Data'.

Please could you review the numbers provided in your responses to questions 1-3. The total of 205 is more than three times the number of 64 you provided last year in response to the same FoI request and seems incredibly high. I wonder if January and February deferrals have been included in this total by mistake instead of just mid-August - 31st Dec born deferrals? I would be grateful if you could double-check this.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/2...

Yours faithfully,

Patricia Anderson

Info Review, Fife Council

Dear Patricia Anderson,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 - REQUEST FOR REVIEW

 

I refer to your e-mail  dated and received today which has been taken as a
request to review the Council’s response to your request for information.

               

Your e-mail has been passed to the Head of Legal & Democratic Services for
review.

 

A response will be sent to you within 20 working days of receipt of your
e-mail. 

 

If you are dissatisfied with the Councils response to your request for a
review, you have the right to make an application to the Scottish
Information Commissioner in terms of Section 47(1) of the Freedom of
Information (Scotland) Act.  Any such application must be made before the
expiry of the 6 months after the date of receipt of our review letter and
should be sent to the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle,
Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9D or online at
www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Alison Marr

Solicitor

 

Legal & Democratic Services

Fife Council, Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes KY7 5LT

 

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Denise Boyack, Fife Council

Dear Patricia Anderson,

 

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002 (“the Act”)

REQUEST FOR REVIEW – REF Q6.1.1/FCIR:42475 R158.22

 

I refer to your email dated and received on 15^th November 2022 which has
been taken as a request to review your information request.  This has been
passed to me for attention.

 

I note that on 25^th October 2022, you requested information relating to
deferred school places.

 

By email dated 3^rd November 2022, a response was issued to you

 

REQUEST & RESPONSE

 

1. The total number of requests received to date for a further year of
early learning and childcare (nursery/ childminder etc) for children whose
fifth birthdays fell/ will fall between the day after the school start
date in August 2022 and 31st Dec 2022.

 

The number of requests received between the request dates was 205.

 

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

a) continued funding in private/voluntary settings and

 

22 continued funding in private/voluntary settings.

 

b) continued funding in council run settings and

 

174 continued funding in council run settings

 

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

 

9 continued in both a council and private/voluntary run setting.

 

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

 

22 in a private/voluntary setting

 

b) council run settings and

 

174 in a council run setting

 

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

 

9 in a council and private/voluntary setting

 

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

 

83 Children have December birthdays.

 

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?

 

0 appeals have been received in relation to granting funding.

 

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

 

0 have been overturned.

 

6. How many official complaints has the Council received regarding
discretionary deferral funding decisions between Nov 2021 and the date of
your response to this FoI request?

 

0 official complaints have been received.

 

7. 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?

 

0 parents/carers are currently financing a further year.

 

8a. How many applications did the Council receive for children to be
permitted early entry to primary school to start in Aug 2022 instead of
Aug 2023 (for children who will turn five on or after 1st March 2023)?

 

0 applications were received.

 

8b. How many of these early entry applications were approved?

 

0 were approved.

 

9a. How many requests did the Council receive for older children* to defer
their primary one start till Aug 2023?

*(by "older children" I mean those who had already reached the age of five
by the school commencement date in August 2022).

 

<10 requests were received to defer.

 

9b. How many older children* has the Council permitted to defer their
primary one start till Aug 2023?

*(by "older children" I mean those who had already reached the age of five
by the school commencement date in August 2022).

 

<10 children have been permitted to defer.

 

In your email dated 15^th November 2022, you asked for the information
provided to you to be checked.

 

REQUEST FOR REVIEW

Please could you review the numbers provided in your responses to
questions 1-3. The total of 205 is more than three times the number of 64
you provided last year in response to the same FoI request and seems
incredibly high. I wonder if January and February deferrals have been
included in this total by mistake instead of just mid-August - 31st Dec
born deferrals? I would be grateful if you could double-check this.

 

I have asked the relevant service to carry out an additional search to
assist my review.

 

REVIEW RESPONSE

The service have advised that the figures have been checked and can
confirm 205 are correct. 

 

For information, please see information below regarding the change in
rules for deferrals, which explains the jump in numbers:

 

In Scotland, children usually start primary school in the year preceding
or during which they have their 5th birthday.  This means that in Primary
1 classes, children are usually aged between 4½ and 5½ years.  Where a
child does not start school at the anticipated August start date for their
year group, it is called deferred entry to primary school.

 

Children who are five at the start of the school session in August must
start school in August. Alternatively, parents/carers can make
arrangements to home educate their child.

If your child’s 5^th birthday falls between 18^th August 2022 (the day
after the school commencement date) and the end of February 2023 you have
a legal right to defer their entry into Primary 1 until August 2023, when
they are nearer 6 years old.

 

Previously, only children born in January and February had the automatic
right to receive an additional year of funded Early Learning and Childcare
(ELC) when they deferred.  From August 2022, Fife Council will be taking
part in a Scottish Government pilot scheme to extend this to all children
who are eligible to defer entry into Primary 1. This is before it becomes
a universal right in August 2023.

 

I hope this is of assistance.

 

If you are dissatisfied with the Council’s response to your request for a
review in terms of the Act, you have the right to make an application to
the Scottish Information Commissioner in terms of Section 47 of the Act. 
Any such application must be made before the expiry of six months after
the date of receipt of this letter and should be sent to the Scottish
Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St Andrews,
Fife KY16 9DS or you can appeal online at
[1]www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal. You also have the right of appeal
to the Court of Session (on a point of law only) if dissatisfied with a
decision issued by the Commissioner.

 

Yours sincerely

 

D Boyack

On behalf of

Head of Legal & Democratic Services

 

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