Dear Academies Enterprise Trust,

Please treat this request for information under the FOI Act 2000. I request this information from and broken down by the following three academic years, and by term if available:

September 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018
September 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019
September 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020 (the academic year minus COVID closures)

To fulfil this request, follow this link and download a copy of the spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...

Please return a completed copy of this spreadsheet via WhatDoTheyKnow within 20 working days.

1. Please provide data as collated from the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms pertaining to the total number of (FTE) pupils in years 9–11, broken down by ethnic origin and year group

2. Please supply data as collated from the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms pertaining to the total number of:*

a. fixed term exclusions lasting more than five days, or where the cumulative total was more than five days
b. fixed term exclusions of pupils with an EHCP
c. fixed term exclusions of pupils on SEND support but without an EHCP
d. fixed term exclusions of pupils with SEN, with or without an EHC plan, and on free school meals

*I ask for these figures to be broken down by ethnic origin and year group (Y9–Y11)

3. Please supply data as collated from the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms pertaining to the total number of:*

a. permanent exclusions
b. permanent exclusion of pupils with an EHC Plan
c. permanent exclusion of pupils on SEND support but without an EHCP
d. permanent exclusions of pupils with SEND, with or without an EHCP, and on free school meals

*I ask for these figures to be broken down by ethnic origin and year group (Y9–Y11)

4. The total number (and Full Time Equivalent if different) of transfers into Alternative Provision, broken down by ethnic origin and year group (Y9–Y11)

5. The number of exclusion decisions in years 9–11 resulting in a decision of reinstatement following a governing body's review, broken down by pupil ethnicity

6. What actions, if any, you are doing as a MAT to reduce the number of exclusions/suspensions that are issued in your academies.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
Lucy Potter

Dear Amanda,

Thank you for your reply. Your response indicated that providing the information I asked for in my original request would exceed the appropriate time/cost limit. I have therefore reduced my request in scope by requesting data from academic years, rather than terms, and from years 9-11 together, rather than each year group separately. I have also amended the question re: fixed-term exclusions of 5 days or more, to just fixed-term exclusions as recorded by your academies.

My refined request and spreadsheet are below; please use the link to and download a copy of this new spreadsheet for your response. Thank you.

REFINED FOI REQUEST:

Please provide the following information, broken down by the academic years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20:

1. The total number of pupils in years 9–11 (inclusive), broken down by ethnic origin

2. In years 9-11, the total number of*
a) fixed-term exclusions
b) fixed-term exclusions of pupils with an EHCP
c) fixed-term exclusions of pupils on SEND support but without an EHCP
d) fixed-term exclusions of pupils with SEND (with or without an EHCP) and on free school meals

*I ask for these figures to be broken down by pupil ethnicity

3. In years 9-11, the total number of*
a) permanent exclusions
b) permanent exclusions of pupils with an EHCP
c) permanent exclusions of pupils on SEND support but without an EHCP
d) permanent exclusions of pupils with SEND (with or without an EHCP) and on free school meals

*I ask for these figures to be broken down by pupil ethnicity

4. The total number of transfers into Alternative Provision from years 9-11, broken down by pupil ethnicity

5. The number of exclusion decisions in years 9–11 resulting in a decision of reinstatement following a governing body's review, broken down by pupil ethnicity

6. What actions, if any, you are doing as a MAT to reduce the number of exclusions/suspensions that are issued in your academies.

To fulfil this request, please follow this link and download a copy of the spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...

Please return a completed copy of this spreadsheet via WhatDoTheyKnow within the legal timeframe of 20 working days.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,
Lucy Potter

Dear Amanda,

Thank you for your reply, and for letting me know. I will look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,
Lucy Potter

Dear Academies Enterprise Trust,

Many thanks for your response and for providing data from your academies. This is much appreciated.

Amanda Dean's letter - document titled 'FOI - AET Exclusions Response Letter 2' - begins 'Thankyou for your email request for information concerning the fixed-term exclusions as recorded by our academies.' Can you explain why this only refers to fixed-term exclusions, rather than fixed-term and permanent exclusions, as per my FOI request and the spreadsheet template?

I note that most of the academies either do not provide data for or have given 0 in the permanent exclusions section of the spreadsheet. Is this because they were not asked to provide this by the MAT itself, or does this reflect their actual figures?

I'll look forward to your clarification.

Kind regards,
Lucy Potter

Dear Amanda,

Many thanks for your reply; that's great.

Kind regards,
Lucy Potter