Freedom of Information Request – Breakdown of Education Budget and Teacher-Related Expenditures
Dear East Ayrshire Council,
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 regarding the council’s education budget. Specifically, I request the following for the financial years 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, and 2023/2024:
1. Breakdown of Education Budget: A detailed breakdown of the council’s total education budget for each of the specified years, with a particular focus on allocations for teacher salaries, recruitment, retention, and other teacher-related expenses.
2. Changes in Budget Allocation: Information on any changes in the allocation of funds within the education budget, particularly in relation to teaching staff, during these periods. If there were any reductions in funding, please provide details on how these impacted teacher numbers or teacher-related services.
3. Funding for Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Details of any specific funding or grants received for teacher recruitment, retention, or professional development during the specified years, and how these funds were allocated and used.
4. Utilisation of Allocated Funds: Documentation outlining how the allocated funds were utilised within the council, particularly for staffing, teacher salaries, recruitment, and retention strategies.
If no such documents or information exist, please confirm this explicitly in your response.
Yours faithfully,
Stuart Wysocki
Scottish Teachers for Permanence
Thank you for contacting East Ayrshire Council. This is an automated
response to advise you that your email has been received
If you are making a freedom of information enquiry then your request for
information will be processed and you should receive a response within 20
working days.
If you are making a subject access request then your enquiry will be
processed and you should receive a response within one calendar month.
If your enquiry concerns any other matter, your email will be passed to
the
relevant section for appropriate action to be taken.
CLASSIFICATION: OFFICIAL
Dear Stuart,
Request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002
I refer to your correspondence dated 3^rd January 2025 requesting
information in relation to education budgets and teacher-related
expenditures.
The Council is treating your request as a request under the Freedom of
Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and can respond as follows:
Specifically, I request the following for the financial years 2020/2021,
2021/2022, 2022/2023, and 2023/2024:
1.Breakdown of Education Budget: A detailed breakdown of the council’s
total education budget for each of the specified years, with a particular
focus on allocations for teacher salaries, recruitment, retention, and
other teacher-related expenses.
FINANCIAL YEAR - APPROVED BUDGET
Budget
Allocation 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24
Employees
Related
Exp - LGE
General 27,854,550 29,229,610 31,230,120 34,228,160
Employees
Related
Exp -
Teachers 67,578,280 67,340,110 70,207,320 77,757,960
Employees
Related
Exp -
Other
Indirect
Expenses 1,041,080 1,539,450 4,906,060 184,130
Premises
Related
Exp 6,214,270 6,331,170 6,054,950 6,139,550
Transport
Related
Exp 2,232,560 2,203,830 2,137,600 2,137,270
Supplies
and
Services 7,565,460 7,379,110 7,804,760 8,395,560
Third
Party
Payments 2,755,580 2,827,510 2,959,220 2,778,050
Transfer
Payments 997,230 1,040,230 1,114,230 1,075,000
Income (2,346,520) (2,402,550) (5,264,910) (3,667,340)
TOTAL
APPROVED
BUDGET 113,892,490 115,488,470 121,149,350 129,028,340
Please see above table In response to question 1 of your request.
2.Changes in Budget Allocation: Information on any changes in the
allocation of funds within the education budget, particularly in relation
to teaching staff, during these periods. If there were any reductions in
funding, please provide details on how these impacted teacher numbers or
teacher-related services.
Movement in budget allocations are noted in the annual revenue budgets,
further details are referenced in each report which have been attached
below.
[1]Setting the 2023-24 Revenue Budget - setting the 2023-24 revenue
budget.pdf
[2]Transformation Strategy Update - 2022-23 Revenue Budget -
transformation strategy update - 2022-23 revenue budget.pdf
[3]Transformation Strategy Update - 2021-22 Revenue Budget -
transformation strategy update - 2021-22 revenue budget.pdf
[4]transformational strategy update - revenue budget, council tax, rent
proposals 2020-21.pdf
3.Funding for Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Details of any specific
funding or grants received for teacher recruitment, retention, or
professional development during the specified years, and how these funds
were allocated and used.
Additional funding was received in 20/21 and 21/22 in response to Covid.
Funding of £3.315m received by East Ayrshire Council in 23/24 was
ringfenced to maintain teacher numbers.
4.Utilisation of Allocated Funds: Documentation outlining how the
allocated funds were utilised within the council, particularly for
staffing, teacher salaries, recruitment, and retention strategies.
Please see find link below to the Devolved School Management (DSM) scheme
which is the framework that sets out the Council’s financial processes for
funding schools, how financial decisions are delegated to schools, and the
accountability and responsibility for financial decisions.
[5]https://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/Educati...
I trust this information has been of assistance to you and I have attached
a leaflet to confirm your rights.
Kind regards
Sean Colman
Freedom of Information Team
East Ayrshire Council
Council Headquarters
London Road
Kilmarnock
KA3 7BU
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now