Department of Education, Sport and Culture
235 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 100.0%
The Freedom of Information requests to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture reveal an authority deeply entangled in the controversy of the St Thomas' Primary School co-location proposal. A significant portion of the casework (over 14 related cases) focuses on this issue, where the Department frequently employed a 'practical refusal' or 'already public' defense to withhold decision-making correspondence (e.g., 354839, 354847), while simultaneously disclosing granular data on pupil catchments (354959) and the fact that the school paid no rent (467435). This pattern suggests a strategy of transparency on operational metrics but obstruction on political and strategic deliberations. The data also exposes a complex relationship between the state and religious groups; while the Department confirmed regular visits by the Child Evangelism Fellowship (354861), it actively blocked access for the abortion reform group HEAR (354831), highlighting a selective gatekeeping of external influences in schools.
Key Cases
Case 354861 — Reveals the systematic presence of the Child Evangelism Fellowship in Isle of Man schools, providing a detailed breakdown of visit frequencies, which raises questions about the separation of church and state in public education.
Case 354831 — Discloses a specific incident where the abortion reform group HEAR attempted to access pupils at St Mary's School and was declined, offering a rare glimpse into the Department's vetting of controversial external groups.
Case 361143 — Highlights a significant administrative error and subsequent correction regarding public objections to the St Thomas' co-location (initially 403 signatures, corrected to 413), demonstrating the volatility of the consultation process.
Case 467435 — Confirms that St Thomas' School paid zero rent to the Department for the building, parking, and playgrounds over three years, a crucial financial fact in the debate over the school's viability and the co-location proposal.
Case 354883 — Discloses that eight unqualified teachers were employed in training roles across four secondary schools, raising concerns about the quality of education and staffing standards during the 2016/17 academic year.
Related FOI Stories
The St Thomas' Co-location Saga — #354839, #354847, #354849, #358135, #354867
Home Education and Legal Enforcement — #354833, #354857, #354875, #358137, #354911
School Performance Data and Statistical Gaps — #354791, #354801, #354809, #354815, #354925
Religious Influence and External Visits — #354851, #354831, #354861, #354877, #512133
Staffing, Employment, and Discipline — #354805, #354813, #354883, #354945, #354947
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-09-11 | Pupil Achievement KS3 | All information sent |
| A request was made for details on KS3 pupil assessment and setting policies across Isle of Man secondary schools, to which the Department of Education responded with specific data for Ballakermeen High School and Castle Rushen High School. | ||
| 2017-08-18 | Declined applications for pupils with physical disablilites because St Thomas could not facilitate their needs | All information sent |
| 2017-08-16 | No. of children receiving home education | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request was made to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture regarding the number of children receiving home education. The authority disclosed the total count, broken down by primary and secondary school levels, confirming all requested information was sent. | ||
| 2017-08-14 | Selected Primary School Improvement Plans #2 | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request sought School Improvement Plans and related governance details for five specific primary schools on the Isle of Man. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided the requested plans and confirmed that no recommendations were submitted by the governing bodies, though minor redactions were applied to protect personal data. | ||
| 2017-08-06 | Pupil breakdown in SVJ & Douglas/Braddan areas per FoI ref. IM93918I | All information sent |
| The request sought a breakdown of correspondence regarding the proposed co-location of St Thomas' and Scoill Vallajeelt schools sent to various officials between 29 July and 4 August 2017. The Department of Education disclosed data for its own members and officers but refused the request for elected representatives outside the department, citing a practical refusal reason. | ||
| 2017-08-03 | Selected Primary School Improvement Plans | All information sent |
| The requester asked for School Improvement Plans and related governance details for seven specific primary schools under the Articles of Government. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture responded by disclosing all requested information, including copies of the plans for the seven schools. | ||
| 2017-08-03 | How many Manx residents written to MHK's, Education Council Members, Senior Leaders re St Thomas/Vallajeelt | All information sent |
| 2017-07-31 | Entries of minutes correspondence St Thomas and Vallajeelt (Review request) | All information sent |
| 2017-07-30 | Amount of letters received regarding co-location of st.thomas'/Vallajeelt between 14/6 and 28/7 | All information sent |
| 2017-07-28 | Which stakeholders took part in the wide ranging consultation in regards to st.thomas'/scoill vallajeelt | All information sent |
| The requester asked which stakeholders participated in consultations regarding the St Thomas' school move and whether a planned visit to a faith school occurred. The Department of Education confirmed that only parents met with senior officials, no other stakeholder consultation has taken place, and the proposed faith school visit did not happen. | ||
| 2017-07-28 | Details of extension/redevelopment of Onchan, Scoill yn Jubilee and Willaston schools | All information sent |
| 2017-07-27 | What properties do the Department currently hold on its portfolio | All information sent |
| The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided a comprehensive list of its current property portfolio, including schools, sports facilities, and land, in response to a Freedom of Information request. The response also detailed specific disposals made over the last five years and confirmed that no properties were marked for disposal in the following 12 months. | ||
| 2017-07-22 | What is the adjusted total number of students attending St Thomas school in Sept 2017. | All information sent |
| 2017-07-18 | How many unqualified teachers | All information sent |
| The request sought details on the number, subjects, and roles of unqualified teachers in Isle of Man secondary schools for the 2016/17 academic year. The Department of Education disclosed that eight staff members were employed as unqualified teachers in training roles across four schools, with specific details provided on their teaching responsibilities and the absence of advertised posts at the time. | ||
| 2017-07-13 | Does DEC or Treasury receive any funds from St Thomas School | All information sent |
| The request asked whether the Department of Education or Treasury receives funds from churches for faith schools on the Isle of Man and if future talks are occurring. The response disclosed that St Thomas's School received £1,357 in ad-hoc resources from its church, while St Mary's School received unquantified resources, and confirmed no future funding talks are known. | ||
| 2017-07-04 | Truancy cases recorded this academic year | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture for the number of truancy cases recorded in the current academic year. The authority disclosed that 748 truancy sessions were recorded across all primary and secondary schools between September 2016 and July 2017. | ||
| 2017-06-30 | Child Evangelism Fellowship - have they visited schools to discuss any subject matter | All information sent |
| The Department of Education, Sport and Culture confirmed that representatives of the Child Evangelism Fellowship visit various Isle of Man schools to deliver Bible story assemblies and prayers, providing a detailed breakdown of visit frequencies per school. | ||
| 2017-06-26 | Do members of Living Hope Church hold DBS checks. | All information sent |
| 2017-06-25 | Cost of running by reference to the funding provided by Church of England for St Thomas' past 3 years | All information sent |
| The request sought the running costs of St Thomas' Primary School over three years, specifically distinguishing between funding from the Department of Education and the Church of England. The authority disclosed that the Department covered the vast majority of expenditure, while Church funding was minimal, and confirmed the school does not pay rent. | ||
| 2017-06-25 | Details of works proposed to be carried out in refurb for Fairfield School over next 6-24 months | All information sent |
| 2017-06-24 | Costs/Expenses for Minister and CEO to attend Island Games in Gotland 2017 | All information sent |
| The request sought details on travel costs for the Minister and CEO attending the 2017 Island Games in Gotland. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture disclosed full figures for flights, accommodation, and accreditation fees, along with subsistence allowance rules. | ||
| 2017-06-16 | Have any members or individuals of Humanity and Equality in Abortion Reform visited primary or secondary schools | All information sent |
| The request asked if members of Humanity and Equality in Abortion Reform (HEAR) had visited or requested to visit Department of Education schools in the last six months. The authority confirmed no visits occurred within that timeframe but disclosed an incident where HEAR members presented to staff at St Mary's School in March 2017, which was declined for pupil access. | ||
| 2017-06-14 | Suggested closure/transfer of St Thomas' Primary School | All information sent |
| 2017-06-06 | Pupil Exclusions/Expulsions | All information sent |
| A request for information regarding pupil exclusions and expulsions was submitted to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture on June 6, 2017. The authority confirmed on July 4, 2017, that all requested information was sent, comprising 62 pages across one document. | ||
| 2017-06-01 | Creationism - is it taught or discussed in schools | All information sent |
| 2017-05-08 | Articles of Government (Article 6) Secondary Schools School Improvement Plans | All information sent |
| The Department of Education, Sport and Culture disclosed the 2016-2017 School Improvement Plan for a secondary school, detailing three key focus areas: parent partnerships, creative learning approaches, and distributed leadership. | ||
| 2017-04-19 | Percentage of Pupils completing Year 11 obtaining GCSE/IGCSE passes at Grade A*to C in all other subjects | All information sent |
| 2017-03-17 | Teaching staff - incl posts not filled w/c 20/2/17 rate of pay ph bank teacher total cost of bank teachers | All information sent |
| The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided a list of unfilled teaching posts as of February 2017 and hourly pay rates for supply teachers, while offering an estimated weekly cost for supply teachers based on January 2017 data instead of the requested week. | ||
| 2017-03-12 | How many Out of Catchment Requests made, approved and declined | All information sent |
| 2017-03-07 | Percentage of pupils completing Year 11 grades/Ebaccalaureate | All information sent |
| The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided full data on Year 11 Ebacc subject attainment (entries and A*-C percentages) for five Isle of Man schools between 2012 and 2016. The response includes detailed statistics for subjects including English, Mathematics, Sciences, Languages, and Computer Science. | ||
| 2017-03-01 | Teaching staff - incl absence, bank staff & zero hours contracts | All information sent |
| The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided data on teaching staff numbers, absences, and supply teacher usage and costs for February 2016 and February 2017. The response clarified that no staff are employed on 'zero hours' contracts as supply teachers are not considered employees under employment law. | ||
| 2017-02-13 | Cost to Department for university fees for island residents and all other loans | All information sent |
| 2017-02-02 | Number of primary school children in each school Number of teachers/teaching assistants | All information sent |
| 2017-01-03 | Pupil information - Primary Schools | All information sent |
| The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided a comprehensive dataset on Isle of Man primary schools covering pupil rolls, demographics, attendance, and teacher-assessed scores for academic years 2012-16. The response confirmed that all requested information was sent, with a note that gender breakdown was included within the roll data and that average point scores would not be available for future years due to software changes. | ||
| 2017-01-03 | Key Stage 2 Attainment levels | All information sent |