Scottish LAs Discretionary Deferral Funding Stats for 2020-2021

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Patricia Anderson

Dear Highland Council,

Please accept this email as a Freedom of Information request. I am sending this request to all 32 Scottish local authorities.

Please could the Council provide:

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 (nursery) for children whose fifth birthdays will fall between the day after the school start date in August 2020 and 31st Dec 2020.

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 and
c) continued funding for split placements where a child attends both a private/voluntary and a council run setting.

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 and
c) split placements where a child attends both a private/voluntary and a council run setting.

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 2019 and the date of your response to this FoI request?

7a. How many applications did the Council receive for children to be permitted early entry to primary school to start in Aug 2020 instead of Aug 2021 (for children who will turn five on or after 1st March 2021)?

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?

9. How many parents/carers are currently financing a further year of nursery for their child's deferral year themselves in a council run nursery after the Council refused to fund their request for this?

10. How many older children* has the Council permitted to defer their primary one start till 2021?
*(by "older children" I mean those who had already reached the age of five by the school commencement date in August 2020).

Yours faithfully,

Patricia Anderson

Highland Council

Case Ref: HC0226-7576  
Dear Ms Anderson, 
We acknowledge receipt of your request for information under the
FOI legislation received on 24/08/2020.
Subject: 
Discretionary Deferral Funding Stats for 2020-2021
Request Detail:
Please accept this email as a Freedom of Information request. I am sending
this request to all 32 Scottish local authorities. Please could the
Council provide: 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 (nursery) for children whose fifth birthdays will
fall between the day after the school start date in August 2020 and 31st
Dec 2020. 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 and c) continued funding for split
placements where a child attends both a private/voluntary and a council
run setting. 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 and c) split
placements where a child attends both a private/voluntary and a council
run setting. 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 2019 and the date of your response to this FoI request? 7a.
How many applications did the Council receive for children to be permitted
early entry to primary school to start in Aug 2020 instead of Aug 2021
(for children who will turn five on or after 1st March 2021)? 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? 9. How many parents/carers are
currently financing a further year of nursery for their child's deferral
year themselves in a council run nursery after the Council refused to fund
their request for this? 10. How many older children* has the Council
permitted to defer their primary one start till 2021? *(by "older
children" I mean those who had already reached the age of five by the
school commencement date in August 2020).
The Highland Council will endeavour to respond within the legislative time
scale of 20 working days from date of receipt unless further clarification
of your request is required.
Further information on response times can be found at:
[1]http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourR...
Yours Sincerely,
The Highland Council
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Unless related to the business of The Highland Council, the views or
opinions expressed within this e-mail are those of the sender and do not
necessarily reflect those of The Highland Council, or associated bodies,
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Mura h-eil na beachdan a tha air an cur an cèill sa phost-d seo a'
buntainn ri gnothachas Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd, 's ann leis an neach
fhèin a chuir air falbh e a tha iad, is chan eil iad an-còmhnaidh a'
riochdachadh beachdan na Comhairle, no buidhnean buntainneach, agus chan
eil am post-d seo na phàirt de chunnradh sam bith mura h-eil sin air
innse.

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CAL CRM, Highland Council

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    HC0226 7576 Response Discretionary Deferral Funding Stats 2020 2021.pdf

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Dear Ms Anderson,

 

Please find attached the response to your request for information under
the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

 

Regards

 

Care and Learning

The Highland Council

 

 

 

Unless related to the business of The Highland Council, the views or
opinions expressed within this e-mail are those of the sender and do not
necessarily reflect those of The Highland Council, or associated bodies,
nor does this e-mail form part of any contract unless so stated.
Mura h-eil na beachdan a tha air an cur an cèill sa phost-d seo a'
buntainn ri gnothachas Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd, 's ann leis an neach
fhèin a chuir air falbh e a tha iad, is chan eil iad an-còmhnaidh a'
riochdachadh beachdan na Comhairle, no buidhnean buntainneach, agus chan
eil am post-d seo na phàirt de chunnradh sam bith mura h-eil sin air
innse.

Dear Highland Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Highland Council's handling of my FOI request 'Scottish LAs Discretionary Deferral Funding Stats for 2020-2021'.

Thank you for your response to my FoI request but no answer has been provided to question 7a. Could this be double-checked please?

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/s...

Yours faithfully,

Patricia Anderson

Miles Watters, Highland Council

Dear Ms Anderson,
I refer to your request for a review below.

I'm sorry that the answer to 7a appears not to have been provided. We have now looked at the base data for both parts of question 7 and realise that a wrong assumption was made in relation to the answer provided.

Having investigated further, we have confirmed that only 2 applications were received and 2 were approved. The figure four provided previously was incorrect because 2 of the children qualified automatically on the basis of their date of birth.

I hope that this now provides the information you require and I'm sorry the correct information was not provided initially. If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of this review, you have the right to appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner. His contact details are:

Scottish Information Commissioner,
Kinburn Castle,
Doubledykes Road,
St Andrews, Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Fax: 01334 464611
e-mail: [email address]

Your request should contain details of the aspects of the Council's response with which you are dissatisfied and should be made within 6 months of receipt of this review response. If you are subsequently dissatisfied with the outcome of your appeal to the Commissioner you then have the right of appeal to the Court of Session regarding a point of law.

Yours sincerely,

Miles Watters

Miles Watters | Freedom of Information & Data Protection Manager |
Chief Executive's Office | The Highland Council | Glenurquhart Road | Inverness IV3 5NX |
Tel. 01463 702029 | www.highland.gov.uk |

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