July 2019 - Discretionary Deferral Funding & Early Entry to School Data

The request was successful.

Patricia Anderson

Dear Dumfries and Galloway Council,

Please accept this email as a Freedom of Information request.
Please could the Council provide:

(For Qs 1-3 below this data was already requested in an FoI by Sarah McCluckie via the WDTK website in early May so I am looking for either confirmation that your response to that FoI is still accurate or an update on the data if there have been any subsequent applications and decisions).

1) The total number of requests received to date for the Council to provide discretionary funding for a further year of early learning and childcare for children whose fifth birthdays will fall between the day after the school start date in August 2019 and 31st Dec 2019.

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.

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.

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 2018 and today?

7a. How many applications did the Council receive for children to be permitted early entry to primary school to start in Aug 2019 instead of Aug 2020 (for children who will turn five on or after 1st March 2020)?

7b. How many of these early entry applications were approved?

8. Is the Council’s discretionary deferral funding policy currently under review or are there any plans to update it in the near future?

Yours faithfully,

Patricia Anderson

Dumfries and Galloway Council

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002

Thank you for your request for information which was received on 18/07/2019 which we are dealing with in terms of the above legislation. We have given your request the unique reference 425064 and we would appreciate it if you could quote this on all correspondence to us.

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Kind Regards

FOI Unit
Dumfries and Galloway Council

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Dumfries and Galloway Council

Please find below the Council's response to your request 425064 which was received on 18/07/2019.

Details of request: 1) The total number of requests received to date for the Council to provide discretionary funding for a further year of early learning and childcare for children whose fifth birthdays will fall between the day after the school start date in August 2019 and 31st Dec 2019.

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.

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.

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 2018 and today?

7a. How many applications did the Council receive for children to be permitted early entry to primary school to start in Aug 2019 instead of Aug 2020 (for children who will turn five on or after 1st March 2020)?

7b. How many of these early entry applications were approved?

8. Is the Council?s discretionary deferral funding policy currently under review or are there any plans to update it in the near future?

Response:

1) The total number of requests received to date for the Council to provide discretionary funding for a further year of early learning and childcare for children whose fifth birthdays will fall between the day after the school start date in August 2019 and 31st Dec 2019.
53
2) A breakdown of the total number in 1. above by requests for
a) continued funding in private/voluntary settings. ? 35
b) continued funding in council run settings. - 18

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 ? 35
b) council run settings. - 18

4. How many of the children applying have a December birthday? - 14

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? None

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

6. How many official complaints has the Council received regarding discretionary deferral funding decisions between Nov 2018 and today? None

7a. How many applications did the Council receive for children to be permitted early entry to primary school to start in Aug 2019 instead of Aug 2020 (for children who will turn five on or after 1st March 2020)? 1 ? then withdrawn by parent.

7b. How many of these early entry applications were approved? N/A

8. Is the Council?s discretionary deferral funding policy currently under review or are there any plans to update it in the near future? No

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Kind Regards

FOI Unit
Dumfries and Galloway Council

This email, from Dumfries and Galloway Council, and any files transmitted with it, is confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.

If you are not the intended recipient of this email (and any attachment) please inform the sender by return email and destroy all copies. If you are not the intended recipient or responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, disclosure, review, dissemination, distribution or reproduction of this email is strictly prohibited. Please be aware that communication by internet email is not secure as messages can be intercepted and read by someone else. Dumfries and Galloway Council do not accept liability for any loss or damage which may result from this email or any files attached. It is your responsibility to scan this email and any attachments for computer viruses or other defects.

Any email including its content may be monitored and used by the Council for reasons of security and form monitoring internal compliance with the policy on staff use. Email monitoring or blocking software may also be used.

Any email message sent or received by the Council may require to be disclosed by the Council under the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. For further information and to view the Council’s privacy statement please go to https://www.dumgal.gov.uk/privacy