FOI Request: Jane S Robinson - Simon Langton Girls Grammar School, Canterbury

Kent County Council did not have the information requested.

Dear Kent County Council,

The Head Teacher of our children’s school (Simon Langton Girls Grammar School, in Canterbury) claims to have an award from Cambridge University which appears to relate to a study period around 1974 – 1978. It is claimed that Jane Robinson has an undergraduate degree in Medicine from Girton College, Cambridge, and she also uses the award letters “MA” on all formal school correspondence.

Can you please confirm the following request for record information held by Kent County Council as her employer:

1. Exactly what qualifications, if any, Jane Robinson holds from Cambridge University and the date/s awarded?
2. Exactly what qualifications, if any, Jane Robinson holds from Wye College and the date/s awarded?
3. What teaching qualifications Jane Robinson holds from any institution and the date/s awarded?
4. What award Jane Robinson holds that entitles her to use the award abbreviation “MA” [Master of Arts], and from which institution and date/s on which it was awarded?

Yours sincerely

Richard Davis

Kent County Council

Dear Mr Davis

 

Thank you for your email below.

 

Kent County Council acknowledges your request for information under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000. Assuming KCC holds this information, we
will endeavour to supply the data to you as soon as possible but no later
than 7th October 2016 (20 working days from date of receipt).

 

We will advise you as soon as possible if we do not hold this information
or if there are exemptions to be considered and/or any costs for providing
the information. Please quote our reference - FOI/16/1449 - in any
communication regarding this particular request.

 

Best regards,

 

Kirsty-Leigh Robertson| Information Access Officer | Information
Resilience & Transparency Team | Room 2.71, Sessions House, Maidstone |
Phone 03000 418301 | Fax 03000 420303 |
[1]http://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council...
|

 

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Kent County Council

Dear Mr Davis

 

Thank you for your request for information made under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) 2000, relating to The Head Teacher of Simon Langton
School.

 

Simon Langton Girls Grammar School do not use Kent County Council’s HR
services therefore we do not hold any information relating to Jane
Robinson. You may wish to contact Christine Carpenter, the Chair of
Governors of Simon Langton Girls Grammar School to seek this information.

 

If you are unhappy with this response, and believe KCC has not complied
with legislation, please ask for a review by following our complaints
process; details can be found at this link
[1]http://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council...
on our website. Please quote reference FOI/16/1449.

 

If you still remain dissatisfied following an internal review, you can
appeal to the Information Commissioner, who oversees compliance with the
Freedom of Information Act 2000. Details of what you need to do, should
you wish to pursue this course of action, are available from the
Information Commissioner’s website [2]http://www.ico.org.uk/concerns.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Alex Corcoran | Information Access Officer | Information Resilience &
Transparency Team | Kent County Council | Room 2.71, Sessions House,
Maidstone, ME14 1XQ | Phone 03000 419707 | Fax 03000 420303 | 
[3]http://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council...
|

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Dear Kent County Council,

My understanding, is that Kent County Council are Jane Robinson's contractual employer.

It would be somewhat odd, if an employer, particularly in the field of education/teaching, did not fully scrutinise the qualifications that a prospective employee claimed to hold before offering them a teaching employment contract. Therefore:

1 - Please list all of the schools in the county of Kent, for which Kent County Council must have been the contractual employer, that Jane Robinson has held a post in during her education career?

2 - Please confirm, that at no time, during, or indeed before offering her any of these posts during her entire teaching career, that any member of Kent County Council asked for, or scrutinised, the claimed academic qualifications held by Jane Robinson prior to offering her a contract of employment. This is clearly not limited to the Simon Langton Girls Grammar School, as this is not the only school at which she has ever held a post.

Yours faithfully,

R Davis

Kent County Council

Dear R Davis

Thank you for your email. I am sorry you are unhappy with our response to your request for information, and that you do not believe Kent County Council does not hold any information falling within the scope of your request.

An independent officer who was not involved with your original request will investigate your complaint and review our original response on behalf of the Head of Paid Service. Their reply will be forthcoming within 20 working days from receipt (by 18th October 2016).

Best regards

Caroline Dodge | Team Leader | Information Resilience & Transparency Team | Kent County Council | Room 2.71, Sessions House, Maidstone, ME14 1XQ | Phone 03000 416033 | Fax 03000 420303 | http://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council... |

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Kent County Council

Dear Mr Davis

 

Thank you for your email.

 

On behalf of the Head of Paid Service, independent officers in Human
Resources reviewed our handling of your original request for information
and confirmed that Kent County Council does not hold information meeting
the scope of your request and therefore your complaint is not upheld.
However, they have provided the following comments to answer the
additional points you have raised in your 20^th September email.

 

Community schools and Voluntary Controlled (VC) schools, like Simon
Langton Girls Grammar School, are considered to be the ‘first’ employer
when dealing with all employment matters, as delegation for the running of
the school has been given to the Governing Body. The Local Authority, like
Kent County Council, is classed as the ‘second’ employer and would only be
considered as the ‘first’ employer (and therefore deal directly with
employment issues in the school) should delegation be removed from the
Governing Body. For Simon Langton Girls Grammar School, this means that
the overall employer is indeed KCC, but the Governing Body act in this
capacity and are therefore responsible for ensuring they have checked and
validated qualifications, proof of ID etc. in the recruitment process.

 

A KCC Senior Improvement Adviser (SIA) and KCC’s Schools Personnel Service
(SPS) are involved in the Head teacher recruitment process for Kent
Maintained Schools. Candidates bring along their original documents of
qualifications/ID and these are photocopied. Once the governors have made
their decision to appoint a person, the documents along with the
references are handed to the Chair of the Appointment Panel to be retained
at the school. The only notes the Lead Officer retains are personal notes
to ensure comprehensive feedback to candidates. Papers from all members of
the panel are collected at the end of the process and returned to SPS.
Copies of unsuccessful candidates’ documentation are disposed of
confidentially as soon as possible.

 

A search of KCC’s Human Resources system and KCC’s Schools Personnel
Service information system has established no records are held in relation
to Jane Robinson.

 

Ms Robinson has not held a post in any other school in Kent where KCC
would be regarded as the employer (albeit the second employer) other than
Simon Langton Girls Grammar School.

 

I trust that this explanation now satisfies your complaint. However, if
you are still unhappy, you can appeal to the Information Commissioner, who
oversees compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Data
Protection Act 1998. Details of what you need to do, should you wish to
pursue this course of action, are available from the Information
Commissioner’s website [1]http://ico.org.uk/concerns, or you can phone the
ICO Helpline on 0303 123 1113.

 

Best regards

 

Caroline Dodge | Team Leader | Information Resilience & Transparency Team
| Room 2.71, Sessions House, Maidstone | Phone 03000 416033 | Fax 03000
420303 | [2]http://knet/ourcouncil/Pages/information... |

 

 

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Dear Kent County Council,

Can you please confirm what posts Jane Robinson has held within Kent County Council schools? I am aware of:

1 - Head Teacher at Simon Langton Girls Grammar School in Canterbury
2 - Head Teacher at QE Grammar School in Faversham

Yours faithfully,

R Davis

Kent County Council

Dear Mr Davis

 

Thank you for your email

 

As I have already stated, Kent County Council has no records in relation
to Ms Robinson so cannot confirm what educational establishments she may
have been employed by previously.

 

For your information, Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School Faversham has
academy status and is completely outside the jurisdiction of Kent County
Council. You will need to approach the School direct for information about
their employees, past or present.

 

If you remain unhappy, you should now appeal to the Information
Commissioner, who oversees compliance with the Freedom of Information Act
2000 and the Data  Protection Act 1998. Details of what you need to do,
should you wish to  pursue this course of action, are available from the
Information  Commissioner’s website [1]http://ico.org.uk/concerns, or you
can phone the ICO Helpline on 0303 123 1113

 

Best regards

 

Caroline Dodge | Team Leader | Information Resilience & Transparency Team
| Kent County Council | Room 2.71, Sessions House, Maidstone, ME14
1XQ | Phone 03000 416033 | Fax 03000 420303 | 
[2]http://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council...
|

 

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Dear Kent County Council,

It seems somewhat amazing, that the local authority is unable to confirm what list of schools within Kent, that Jane Robinson has ever held a post at.

Whilst I might be able to accept that you may not be able to confirm specific academic qualifications, one would imagine that you could confirm the staff that have ever been employed at any school in your County, whether they are an Academy or not. To simply say "we cannot confirm whether Jane Robinson has ever worked at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Faversham as they are now an Academy" is beyond belief.

For your information, she was the Head Teacher at this school until approximately 2008. Quite why I have to inform you of that, is entirely embarrassing don't you think?

Yours faithfully,

R Davis

Kent County Council

Dear Mr Davis

 

Thank you for your email.

 

Kent County Council only holds information about its own employees, past
and present. Even then, records of former employees are only retained for
six years after their contract has ended. KCC may hold information about
some staff working in schools, if those schools used KCC's Schools
Personnel Service to recruit their staff. However, as we have told you
previously, we do not hold any records relating to Jane Robinson, so do
not hold any information to answer your questions.

 

If you still dispute our stance, you should now escalate your complaint to
the Information Commissioner, who oversees compliance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. Details of what you need to do, should you wish to
pursue this course of action, are available from the Information
Commissioner’s website [1]http://ico.org.uk/concerns, or you can phone the
ICO Helpline on 0303 123 1113.

 

Best regards

 

Caroline Dodge | Team Leader | Information Resilience & Transparency Team
| Kent County Council | Room 2.71, Sessions House, Maidstone, ME14
1XQ | Phone 03000 416033 | Fax 03000 420303 | 
[2]http://www.kent.gov.uk/about-the-council...
|

 

 

 

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