Dear Sir/madam

I acknowledge receipt of your request which is receiving attention.

I shall contact you again when I am in a position to respond more fully to your request.

Yours sincerely

Angelene Kirkpatrick
For Freedom of Information Co-ordinator
North Lanarkshire Council
Civic Centre
Windmillhill Street
Motherwell
ML1 1AB

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Dear
Sir/Madam,

Request for Information

I refer again to your e‑mail of 18 June 2019 seeking information in
relation to SNSA assessments in Primary 1.

Your request is being processed.  However, in order to take this forward,
with regards to question 2 please could you specify what you mean by
“assessment” and what is to be included in this term.

If you can provide me with more detail, this will enable me to conduct a
more focused search.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Angelene Kirkpatrick

For Freedom of Information Co-ordinator

North Lanarkshire Council

Civic Centre

Windmillhill Street

Motherwell

ML1 1AB

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I am currently out of the office. Your email will be forwarded to another
member of the FOI Team.

Dear Sir / Madam

I refer to your email and note that my colleague emailed you on 4 July to seek clarification of your request which you provided, also on 4 July.

Where clarification has been sought for a FOI request the 20 working day time frame starts from when clarification has been received. As clarification for your request was sought and received on 4 July, the statutory deadline for the response to your request is therefore 1 August.

I can advise that your request is being actively progressed and I hope to be in a position to respond by 1 August, if not sooner.

Kind Regards

Neil McKay
Freedom of Information Co-ordinator
Democratic and Legal Services
North Lanarkshire Council
Civic Centre
Windmillhill Street
Motherwell
ML1 1 AB
Tel : 01698 302 484

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Dear Sir/Madam,

Request for Information

I refer again to your e mail dated 18 June 2019 seeking information in
relation to SNSA assessments in Primary 1 and your e mail dated 4 July
2019 providing clarification of your request.

Having investigated, my response to your questions is as follows:-

(1)       

I regret to advise that there is no central dataset that records the
number of children who have been withdrawn by parents from the Scottish
Government’s SNSA Assessments in primary 1 and, in terms of Section 17 of
the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, I must advise you of
this.  That said and to be of some assistance, from the recollection of
officers it is thought that only a few children (not thought to be more
than 5) were withdrawn.

(2)       

There are no set numbers of assessments primary one children have to
complete in their first year of school.  Assessments are an ongoing
process throughout Primary 1.  These are formative, summative,
standardised and at times diagnostic assessments.  These will be
personalised by establishments and may differ for children within the same
establishment.

(3)       

No complaints have been received.

(4)       

I can advise that the information requested is not held and in terms of
Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, I must
advise you of this.

By way of explanation there is no strict definition.  Children may well
complete assessments often at school, but these are not a formal testing.

I can advise that North Lanarkshire Council, having regard to the
provisions of Section 21 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act
2002, has established a procedure whereby any person who has requested
information and is in any way dissatisfied with the decision on that
request, can within forty working days require a review of that decision
by writing to the Head of Legal and Democratic Solutions, Civic Centre,
Windmillhill Street, Motherwell ML1 1AB.  Accordingly, if you are
dissatisfied with this decision and seek such review please write to the
Head of Legal and Democratic Solutions.

I would advise, also, that in terms of Section 47 of the Act a person who
is dissatisfied with a notice given by the local authority under Section
21 of the Act - ie. a notice following a review of a decision by a local
authority, or by the failure of a local authority to give such a notice -
may make application to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a
decision as to whether, in any respect specified in that application, the
request for information to which the requirement relates has been dealt
with in accordance with the Act.  Such an application must be made within
six months of the review decision and be in writing or in another form
which, by reason of it having some permanency is capable of being used for
subsequent reference. The application must state the name of the
applicant, and provide an address for correspondence. The application must
also specify the request for information to which the requirement for
review relates, the matter which gave rise to the applicant’s
dissatisfaction with the original decision of the local authority and the
matter which gives rise to the applicant’s dissatisfaction with the
decision on review by the local authority or the failure of the local
authority to issue such a decision.  The Scottish Information Commissioner
can be contacted as follows:-

Scottish Information Commissioner

Kinburn Castle

Doubledykes Road

St. Andrews

KY16  9DS

email: [email address]

Appeals to the Scottish Information Commissioner can also be made online
via the following link: -

www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal

I hope this information is sufficient for your purpose.  If, however, you
require further information – or I can assist in any other way – please
let me know.

Yours faithfully

Neil McKay

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator

Democratic and Legal Services

North Lanarkshire Council

Civic Centre

Windmillhill Street

Motherwell

ML1 1 AB

Tel : 01698 302 484

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