Exclusions data 2018-2020

Dear ARK Schools,

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 ARK Schools,

I sent you a request for information under the FOI Act 2000 over a month ago and have yet to receive a response. By law, you should have responded by 14 Februrary 2022, which was 20 working days after my original request was submitted.

Despite this, I have reviewed and decided to reduce the scope of my request, as follows (please note that I have provided a link to a new spreadsheet, below, and ask you to download and complete a copy of this spreadsheet with the data requested. If you do not hold some of the information, or any of the data requested risks identifying an individual pupil, please just indicate this in the relevant field on the spreadsheet):

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 ARK Schools,

Many thanks for your response and for providing most of the data requested; your explanations of why you were unable to provide every element have been noted.

Thank you again, and kind regards,
Lucy Potter