Secondary School Admissions - Priority 2. Compelling medical or other exceptional reasons to attend the school
Dear Brighton and Hove City Council,
I am writing to formally request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the consideration of secondary school cases under Priority 2 (Compelling medical or other exceptional reasons) in Brighton and Hove for the past three academic years. Specifically, I would like to request the following:
(1) Number of Cases Considered: The total number of secondary school cases that were considered under Priority 2 for each school in Brighton and Hove during the past three academic years (from September 2022 to September 2024).
(2) Breakdown by School: A breakdown of the number of Priority 2 cases considered for each individual school in Brighton and Hove, for each of the past three academic years.
(3) Reasons for Decline: A breakdown of the reasons for any Priority 2 cases that were declined, for each school and each of the past three academic years. This should include specific reasons given for the decision to decline each case.
Please provide this information electronically where possible. If any of the requested information is withheld under an exemption, I kindly request a detailed explanation of the exemption applied and, where applicable, the public interest test reasoning.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.
Yours faithfully,
Ms G Davidson
Thank you for your email.
This is an automated email receipt acknowledgement from the Freedom of
Information mailbox ([email address]). This mailbox is managed by the
Information Rights Team at Brighton & Hove City Council.
Should your email be in relation to a new Freedom of Information Act 2000
(FOI) or a new Environmental Information Regulation 2004 (EIR) request,
we will aim to formally acknowledge this within five working days.
For all non-request related queries, we will aim to respond to you within
10 working days.
How we process new FOI and EIR requests
When you submit a new FOI or EIR request, we will do the following:
• We will log your request and send an acknowledgement email
to you stating the request reference number. This number is specific to
your request, please include it in all future correspondence. We aim to do
this within five working days of receiving your request. We may also
contact you to clarify or provide additional information to assist us in
processing your request.
• Please note that future email correspondence regarding your
request will then be sent to you from [email address]
• We will allocate your request to the appropriate Council
team(s) for them to collate the information you have requested, should it
be held by us.
• Once we have received an approved response back from the
relevant Council team(s), we will send this to you.
o Please note that your response will be sent to you in letter
form, as an email attachment.
o An anonymized version of the your response may be published
on the Council’s Disclosure Log.
When you can expect to receive a response to your FOI request
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental
Information Regulations 2004, the Council has a legal obligation to
respond to a valid request no later than 20 working days following the
date of receipt. In certain circumstances, this 20 working day limit can
be extended.
Further Information
You can find more information about the FOI process and how to make a
request on the Council website through the link below:
Freedom of Information – Brighton & Hove City Council
Thank you
Information Rights Team
Brighton & Hove City Council
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Thank you for your email. This is an automated acknowledgement from the
Information Rights Team at Brighton & Hove City Council.
The Freedom of Information (FOI) mailbox is monitored during the working
hours of 9:00am to 5:00pm on Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).
We aim to respond to your email within 5 working days.
If you are looking to make a new FOI, you can find the form here:
[1]Make a Freedom of Information request (brighton-hove.gov.uk)
Please note that future email correspondence regarding your request will
then be sent to you from [2][email address]
You can also find more information by visiting the Brighton & Hove City
Councils [3]Freedom of information page
For information on how we use your data please visit our [4]privacy
notice.
Notice to recipient:
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and may contain information which is privileged and confidential, the
disclosure of which is prohibited by law.
If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please note
that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this
communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
communication in error please notify the sender immediately.
Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.
You can visit our website at [5]http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk
Please consider the environment, only print out this email if absolutely
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Freedom of Information request
Our reference: 17761258
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Dear Ms Davidson
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Thank you for your request for information to Brighton & Hove City Council
('the council') that was received on 27 January 2025. Your Information
Request has been logged as;
I am writing to formally request information under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 regarding the consideration of secondary school cases
under Priority 2 (Compelling medical or other exceptional reasons) in
Brighton and Hove for the past three academic years. Specifically, I would
like to request the following:
(1) Number of Cases Considered: The total number of secondary school cases
that were considered under Priority 2 for each school in Brighton and Hove
during the past three academic years (from September 2022 to September
2024).
(2) Breakdown by School: A breakdown of the number of Priority 2 cases
considered for each individual school in Brighton and Hove, for each of
the past three academic years.
(3) Reasons for Decline: A breakdown of the reasons for any Priority 2
cases that were declined, for each school and each of the past three
academic years. This should include specific reasons given for the
decision to decline each case.
We are considering your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
. Our external website has information relating to this that you may find
useful. The link is below
[1]Freedom of Information
We aim to send a response to all requests for information within 20
working days of receipt. We plan to respond to your request by 24 February
2025. If we need more time, we'll let you know the extended due date.
We'll also contact you should we require any additional information in
relation to your request.
Please include your case reference 17761258 on all correspondence in
relation to this request.
IMPORTANT: Please do not edit the existing subject line text when replying
to this email. If you change this it will take us longer to identify the
request that you are corresponding about and will delay us in responding
to you.
Yours sincerely
Information Rights Team
Notice to recipient: The information contained in this electronic mail
message is intended only for the use of the individual to whom it is
addressed and may contain information which is privileged and
confidential, the disclosure of which is prohibited by law. If the
reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please note that any
dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this communication in error please notify
the sender immediately. Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.
You can visit our website at http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk Please
consider the environment, only print out this email if absolutely
necessary. Please Note: Both incoming and outgoing Emails may be
monitored and/or recorded in line with current legislation
References
Visible links
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Freedom of Information request
Our reference: 17761258
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Dear Ms Davidson
Thank you for your request for information received on 27 January 2025.
Please find attached our response to your request.
Important: Should you wish to contact us again regarding this request,
please do not edit the existing subject line text when replying to this
email. If you change this it will take us longer to identify the request
that you are corresponding about and will delay us in responding to you.
Yours sincerely
Information Rights Team
Notice to recipient: The information contained in this electronic mail
message is intended only for the use of the individual to whom it is
addressed and may contain information which is privileged and
confidential, the disclosure of which is prohibited by law. If the
reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please note that any
dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this communication in error please notify
the sender immediately. Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.
You can visit our website at http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk Please
consider the environment, only print out this email if absolutely
necessary. Please Note: Both incoming and outgoing Emails may be
monitored and/or recorded in line with current legislation
Dear Brighton and Hove City Council,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to formally request an internal review of the Council’s response to my FOI request regarding the consideration of secondary school cases under Priority 2 (Compelling medical or other exceptional reasons) in Brighton and Hove for the past three academic years (reference number 17761258)
This is on the basis that in the response I received, data was provided for 2022 and 2024, but no records were retained for 2023, aside from confirmation that four applications were granted priority. Specifically, I was informed that:
"No details of the number of requests considered have been retained"
"No meeting minutes or details of the requests considered have been retained"
Given the nature of this information, I would like the internal review to consider:
(1) Whether the Council’s data retention policies have been adhered to in this case, particularly regarding the absence of any records for 2023.
(2) Whether the failure to retain this data is compliant with the Council’s broader GDPR obligations, including principles of accountability and transparency.
(3) A full explanation as to why the requested data for 2023 is not available and how this aligns with the Council’s internal policies and legal requirements.
(4) A reconsideration of my original request, including whether any further relevant information can now be provided.
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,
Ms G Davidson
Thank you for your email. This is an automated acknowledgement from the
Information Rights Team at Brighton & Hove City Council.
The Freedom of Information (FOI) mailbox is monitored during the working
hours of 9:00am to 5:00pm on Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).
We aim to respond to your email within 5 working days.
If you are looking to make a new FOI, you can find the form here:
[1]Make a Freedom of Information request (brighton-hove.gov.uk)
Please note that future email correspondence regarding your request will
then be sent to you from [2][email address]
You can also find more information by visiting the Brighton & Hove City
Councils [3]Freedom of information page
For information on how we use your data please visit our [4]privacy
notice.
Notice to recipient:
The information contained in this electronic mail message is intended only
for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed
and may contain information which is privileged and confidential, the
disclosure of which is prohibited by law.
If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please note
that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this
communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
communication in error please notify the sender immediately.
Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.
You can visit our website at [5]http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk
Please consider the environment, only print out this email if absolutely
necessary.
Please Note: Both incoming and outgoing Emails may be monitored and/or
recorded in line with current legislation
References
Visible links
1. https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council...
2. mailto:[email%20address]
3. https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council...
4. https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/about-w...
5. http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/
Thank you for your email.
This is an automated email receipt acknowledgement from the Freedom of
Information mailbox ([email address]). This mailbox is managed by the
Information Rights Team at Brighton & Hove City Council.
Should your email be in relation to a new Freedom of Information Act 2000
(FOI) or a new Environmental Information Regulation 2004 (EIR) request,
we will aim to formally acknowledge this within five working days.
For all non-request related queries, we will aim to respond to you within
10 working days.
How we process new FOI and EIR requests
When you submit a new FOI or EIR request, we will do the following:
• We will log your request and send an acknowledgement email
to you stating the request reference number. This number is specific to
your request, please include it in all future correspondence. We aim to do
this within five working days of receiving your request. We may also
contact you to clarify or provide additional information to assist us in
processing your request.
• Please note that future email correspondence regarding your
request will then be sent to you from [email address]
• We will allocate your request to the appropriate Council
team(s) for them to collate the information you have requested, should it
be held by us.
• Once we have received an approved response back from the
relevant Council team(s), we will send this to you.
o Please note that your response will be sent to you in letter
form, as an email attachment.
o An anonymized version of the your response may be published
on the Council’s Disclosure Log.
When you can expect to receive a response to your FOI request
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental
Information Regulations 2004, the Council has a legal obligation to
respond to a valid request no later than 20 working days following the
date of receipt. In certain circumstances, this 20 working day limit can
be extended.
Further Information
You can find more information about the FOI process and how to make a
request on the Council website through the link below:
Freedom of Information – Brighton & Hove City Council
Thank you
Information Rights Team
Brighton & Hove City Council
Notice to recipient:
The information contained in this electronic mail message is intended only
for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed
and may contain information which is privileged and confidential, the
disclosure of which is prohibited by law.
If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please note
that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this
communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
communication in error please notify the sender immediately.
Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.
You can visit our website at [1]http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk
Please consider the environment, only print out this email if absolutely
necessary.
Please Note: Both incoming and outgoing Emails may be monitored and/or
recorded in line with current legislation
References
Visible links
1. http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/
Freedom of Information request
Our reference: 17761258
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Dear Ms Davidson
Thank you for your request for an Internal Review received on 28 February
2025. We are sorry that you are dissatisfied with our attempts to handle
your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
We can confirm that we are considering your concerns and we will aim to
provide you with a response by 28 March 2025.
IMPORTANT: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this
email. If you change this it will take us longer to identify the request
that you are corresponding about and will delay us in responding to you.
Yours sincerely
Information Rights Team
Notice to recipient: The information contained in this electronic mail
message is intended only for the use of the individual to whom it is
addressed and may contain information which is privileged and
confidential, the disclosure of which is prohibited by law. If the
reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please note that any
dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this communication in error please notify
the sender immediately. Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.
You can visit our website at http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk Please
consider the environment, only print out this email if absolutely
necessary. Please Note: Both incoming and outgoing Emails may be
monitored and/or recorded in line with current legislation
Information requested by: Ms G Davidson
Review carried out by:
Freedom of Information request
Our reference: 17761258
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Dear Ms Davidson
Thank you for your email of the 24 February 2025 requesting an internal
review.
The final decision of this review is that it partially upholds your
complaint.
If you are not content with the outcome of this Internal Review you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner's Office for a
further decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
0303 123 1113
[1]FOI and EIR complaints | ICO
Helpline on 0303 123 1113
Important: Should you wish to contact us again regarding this request,
please do not edit the existing subject line text when replying to this
email. If you change this it will take us longer to identify the request
that you are corresponding about and will delay us in responding to you.
Yours sincerely
Louise Haithwaite
Information Rights Lead
Information Rights Team
01273295959
Notice to recipient: The information contained in this electronic mail
message is intended only for the use of the individual to whom it is
addressed and may contain information which is privileged and
confidential, the disclosure of which is prohibited by law. If the
reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please note that any
dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly
prohibited. If you have received this communication in error please notify
the sender immediately. Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.
You can visit our website at http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk Please
consider the environment, only print out this email if absolutely
necessary. Please Note: Both incoming and outgoing Emails may be
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Dear Brighton and Hove City Council,
I am writing in relation to your recent internal review response concerning my Freedom of Information request regarding secondary school admissions under Priority 2.
I note with concern that your response contains a clear inconsistency: it opens by stating that the Council does not uphold my complaint, yet concludes that the internal review has been partially upheld. I would be grateful if you could clarify this contradiction and confirm which elements of the original handling of the FOI request were deemed appropriate, and which were found to be flawed or have since been remedied.
In addition, I remain extremely concerned by the acknowledgement that relevant information was deleted prior to responding to my request. I would appreciate clarification on the following:
- Was this deletion the result of human error by a single individual, or was it reflective of a broader systemic issue?
- Were there any checks and balances in place that should have prevented the deletion of relevant information, particularly given the Council’s obligations under the Freedom of Information Act?
- Does this incident indicate a failure to follow the Council’s own data retention and FOI handling procedures?
- If relevant policies and procedures were in place, please clarify how this error was allowed to occur despite those safeguards.
This is now one of several recent instances where internal reviews have highlighted that information was withheld or not disclosed in full, raising wider concerns about the Council’s compliance with its statutory obligations, and its overall approach to transparency and accountability.
Unless a clear and satisfactory explanation is provided within 10 working days, I will have no option but to escalate this matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for formal investigation.
I look forward to your prompt clarification.
Yours sincerely,
Ms G Davidson
Dear Information Rights Team,
I am writing to request an internal review of the Council’s decision to refuse this FOI request under Section 14(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
I respectfully ask the Council to reconsider its application of Section 14(1) in this case. As I have set out in detail in my recent internal review submissions for FOI Ref: 18085602, FOI Ref: 18357837, and FOI Ref: 18225049, I strongly contest the assertion that my requests are vexatious. My conduct has been reasonable and respectful throughout, and each request has been submitted in good faith, with a clear rationale and public interest purpose.
This request is either clearly distinct or a proportionate follow-up to previous responses and does not meet the statutory threshold for refusal under Section 14(1).
Please confirm receipt of this internal review request and advise when I may expect a full response.
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,
Ms G Davidson
Thank you for your email.
This is an automated email receipt acknowledgement from the Freedom of
Information mailbox ([email address]). This mailbox is managed by the
Information Rights Team at Brighton & Hove City Council.
Should your email be in relation to a new Freedom of Information Act 2000
(FOI) or a new Environmental Information Regulation 2004 (EIR) request,
we will aim to formally acknowledge this within five working days.
For all non-request related queries, we will aim to respond to you within
10 working days.
How we process new FOI and EIR requests
When you submit a new FOI or EIR request, we will do the following:
• We will log your request and send an acknowledgement email
to you stating the request reference number. This number is specific to
your request, please include it in all future correspondence. We aim to do
this within five working days of receiving your request. We may also
contact you to clarify or provide additional information to assist us in
processing your request.
• Please note that future email correspondence regarding your
request will then be sent to you from [email address]
• We will allocate your request to the appropriate Council
team(s) for them to collate the information you have requested, should it
be held by us.
• Once we have received an approved response back from the
relevant Council team(s), we will send this to you.
o Please note that your response will be sent to you in letter
form, as an email attachment.
o An anonymized version of the your response may be published
on the Council’s Disclosure Log.
When you can expect to receive a response to your FOI request
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental
Information Regulations 2004, the Council has a legal obligation to
respond to a valid request no later than 20 working days following the
date of receipt. In certain circumstances, this 20 working day limit can
be extended.
Further Information
You can find more information about the FOI process and how to make a
request on the Council website through the link below:
Freedom of Information – Brighton & Hove City Council
Thank you
Information Rights Team
Brighton & Hove City Council
Notice to recipient:
The information contained in this electronic mail message is intended only
for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed
and may contain information which is privileged and confidential, the
disclosure of which is prohibited by law.
If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please note
that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this
communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
communication in error please notify the sender immediately.
Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.
You can visit our website at [1]http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk
Please consider the environment, only print out this email if absolutely
necessary.
Please Note: Both incoming and outgoing Emails may be monitored and/or
recorded in line with current legislation
References
Visible links
1. http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/
Thank you for your email. This is an automated acknowledgement from the
Information Rights Team at Brighton & Hove City Council.
The Freedom of Information (FOI) mailbox is monitored during the working
hours of 9:00am to 5:00pm on Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).
We aim to respond to your email within 5 working days.
If you are looking to make a new FOI, you can find the form here:
[1]Make a Freedom of Information request (brighton-hove.gov.uk)
Please note that future email correspondence regarding your request will
then be sent to you from [2][email address]
You can also find more information by visiting the Brighton & Hove City
Councils [3]Freedom of information page
For information on how we use your data please visit our [4]privacy
notice.
Notice to recipient:
The information contained in this electronic mail message is intended only
for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed
and may contain information which is privileged and confidential, the
disclosure of which is prohibited by law.
If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please note
that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this
communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
communication in error please notify the sender immediately.
Thank you in anticipation of your co-operation.
You can visit our website at [5]http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk
Please consider the environment, only print out this email if absolutely
necessary.
Please Note: Both incoming and outgoing Emails may be monitored and/or
recorded in line with current legislation
References
Visible links
1. https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council...
2. mailto:[email%20address]
3. https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council...
4. https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/about-w...
5. http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/
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