Scottish LAs Discretionary Deferral Funding Stats for 2020-2021

Patricia Anderson made this Freedom of Information request to Argyll and Bute Council This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

The request was successful.

Patricia Anderson

Dear Argyll and Bute 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

Administrator,


Dear Patricia Anderson

Request for information: Scottish LAs Discretionary Deferral Funding Stats
for 2020-2021

Thank you for your information request which we have logged as reference
argyllbuteir:11910.

It has been passed to the relevant service(s) for attention and you should
receive a response under either the Freedom of Information (Scot) Act 2002
or the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 by 2020-09-21
00:00:00. We hope to respond within this timescale but, due to the
staffing/capacity issues with COVID-19, some requests may take little
longer.

Please quote the reference number above in any correspondence you may have
with the Council in regard to this request.

Regards

FOI Officer

Privacy information: Any personal information you have provided in
relation to this request will be used only for the intended purpose -
please read the full privacy notice to find out more about how your
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protection legislation.

Sinclair, David (Risk Management Assistant), Argyll and Bute Council

2 Attachments

Classification: OFFICIAL

Dear Ms Anderson

 

Request for information: Scottish LAs Discretionary Deferral Funding Stats
for 2020-2021

Reference: argyllbuteir:11910.

 

I refer to your request for information, which was dealt with in terms of
the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

 

I have attached the following information in fulfilment of your request:

                                                                                                                                                  

1 The total number 24
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)    11
 
 
a)    continued
funding in b)    10
private/voluntary
settings  

  c)    3

b)    continued  
funding in council
run settings

 

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 a)    11
for in
 
 
b)    10
a)   
private/voluntary  
settings
c)    3
 

b)    council run
settings

 

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

 
4 How many of the 10
children applying
have a December
birthday?
5 a)    How many a)    1
appeals
(challenges if  
there is no
official appeals  
process) did the
Council receive b)    1
against the
Council’s decision
not to grant
funding?

 

b)    How many of
these
appeals/challenges
resulted in the
initial decision
being overturned?

 
6 How many official 0
complaints has the
Council received
regarding
discretionary
deferral funding
decisions between
Nov 2019 and the
date of your
response to this
FoI request?
7 a)    How many a)    0
applications did
the Council  
receive for
children to be  
permitted early
entry to primary  
school to start in
Aug 2020 instead b)    N/A
of Aug 2021 (for
children who will
turn five on or
after 1st March
2021)?

 

b)    How many of
these early entry
applications were
approved?
8 Is the Council’s Yes, under review
discretionary to extend to
deferral funding September-November
policy currently birthdays. This
under review or policy was already
are there any extended to
plans to update it November-December
in the near birthdays last
future? session.
9 How many 0
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 3
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).

 

 

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which your request for information
has been dealt with you are entitled to request a review by writing to the
Executive Director Customer Services, Argyll and Bute Council, Kilmory,
Lochgilphead, Argyll PA31 8RT, or by email to [1][Argyll and Bute Council request email].

 

Your request for review must state your name and address for
correspondence, specify the request for information to which your request
for review relates and why you are dissatisfied with the response. 

 

You must make your request for review not later than 40 working days after
the expiry of the 20 working day period for response to your initial
request by the Council, or not later than 40 working days after the
receipt by you of the information provided, any fees notice issued or any
notification of refusal or partial refusal.

 

If you make an application for review and remain dissatisfied with the way
in which the review has been dealt with you are entitled to make an
application to the Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle,
Doubledykes Road, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9DS (Tel: 01334 464610) for a
further review.  You can now do this online here -  
[2]www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal. 

 

You must make representation to the Scottish Information Commissioner no
later than 6 months after the date of receipt by you of the notice or
decision you are dissatisfied with or within 6 months of the expiry of the
period of 20 working days from receipt by the Council of your request for
review.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

David Sinclair

Compliance and Regulatory Assistant

Legal and Regulatory Support/Compliance

Argyll & Bute Council

Kilmory

PA31 8RT

Tel:01546604352

 

[3]roundel_fc_cmyk_with_initials_signature_0_0[4]cid:image002.jpg@01D5F307.F33AB810

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Dear Mr Sinclair,

Thank you for your response to my recent FoI request, however, the answers to my questions are difficult to interpret due to the way the information is presented on the WDTK website (you can view this yourself here: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/s...). Could you possibly copy and paste the response into a document and resend it as an attachment?

Yours sincerely,

Patricia Anderson

Sinclair, David (Risk Management Assistant), Argyll and Bute Council

1 Attachment

Classification: OFFICIAL

Dear Ms Anderson

 

Request for information: Scottish LAs Discretionary Deferral Funding Stats
for 2020-2021

Reference: argyllbuteir:11910.

 

Thank you for your e-mail, yes I can see that some of the formatting has
gone and it makes it difficult to understand, please find attached a word
document which I hope it of assistance.

 

Please let me know if you have any difficulties

 

Regards,

 

David Sinclair

Compliance and Regulatory Assistant

Legal and Regulatory Support/Compliance

Argyll & Bute Council

Kilmory

PA31 8RT

Tel:01546604352

 

 

 

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