Department of Education, Sport and Culture
48 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 489.6%
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
All (48)
All information sent (235) ·
Some information sent but part exempt (116) ·
Some information sent but not all held (110) ·
Information not held (56) ·
No information sent - all held but exempt (48) ·
Upheld - partial (17) ·
Not upheld (15) ·
Upheld - full (8) ·
Not required to fulfill request (8) ·
Request lapsed - requested information not provided (1) ·
Repeated request (1) ·
Neither confirm or deny information held (1) ·
Information Notice (1) ·
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-16 | Manor Park Primary school external validation report | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for the summary of Manor Park Primary school's external validation report, but no information was disclosed because the data is already reasonably accessible to the public. | ||
| 2025-12-11 | SEX ED CURRICULUM | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for the most recent sex education curriculum for all age groups under PSHE. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture refused to send the documents, stating the information is already reasonably accessible online and that schools must publish their own policies. | ||
| 2025-05-20 | Etio Reports | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for the total spending and expense breakdown for Etio reports by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture, but all information was withheld. | ||
| 2025-04-02 | Kewaigue Primary School | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for current and projected student numbers and capacity data for Kewaigue Primary School. The Department of Education refused to provide the information, citing that it is already reasonably accessible via a previous Freedom of Information response. | ||
| 2025-02-19 | Growth | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for details on growth areas identified in external validations of Isle of Man high schools and the support provided, but the Department of Education, Sport and Culture withheld all information citing exemptions related to audit functions, policy formulation, and the conduct of public business. | ||
| 2025-02-04 | University College Isle of Man Monitoring Documents | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for investigation reports and action plans regarding University College Isle of Man's compliance with union monitoring document obligations between June 2022 and February 2025. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture withheld all information, citing exemptions related to the conduct of public business and confidential information. | ||
| 2024-11-20 | Inclusive Education Guidance Documents | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for a copy of inclusive education policy guidance documents. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture did not send the documents directly, citing that the information is already reasonably accessible via a public website link. | ||
| 2024-09-19 | School validation report | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for the external validation report for Rushen Primary School and an explanation for its absence from the school website. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture refused to disclose the information, citing that it is held for future publication and that the public interest in withholding it outweighs the interest in disclosure. | ||
| 2024-09-16 | BHS Suspensions | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for the number and reasons of 10-day student suspensions at Ballakermeen since a specific headteacher's appointment. The Department of Education disclosed data for the 2023/24 academic year but withheld information for 2022/23 and 2024/25 due to privacy exemptions. | ||
| 2024-09-05 | Unauthorised Absences from Schools | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request for unauthorised school absence data since 2018 was partially fulfilled, with historical data deemed reasonably accessible via a Tynwald link, while specific 2023/24 statistics for primary and secondary schools were provided. | ||
| 2024-04-23 | Dyslexia | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for data on dyslexia training for teachers, diagnosis rates, funding, and literacy outcomes in Isle of Man primary schools between November 2019 and May 2024. The Department of Education disclosed limited statistics on teacher training but refused to provide diagnosis numbers citing a practical refusal under the Freedom of Information Act. | ||
| 2024-04-19 | Contents of Appendix 1 of Isle of Man Schools Wellbeing Survey 2022 | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2024-03-19 | Sex and Relationships | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2024-03-18 | FOI curriculum framework | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2024-02-22 | draft literacy framework | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2024-01-18 | Halle Orchestra Costs | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-12-13 | Education Council Minutes | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-12-06 | Castletown | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-12-04 | Villa Gaiety Income from productions | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-07-03 | A list of learning institutions in the Isle of Man | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-04-06 | Regional Sports Hub Terms of Reference | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-03-21 | QE2 Investigation | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-03-14 | Details of RSE Investigation: Terms of Reference & ID of Investigator | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2023-01-10 | Surveys | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2022-12-19 | Swimming Pool Report | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2022-09-15 | Results | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for a breakdown of GCSE and A-Level results by school, and the Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided a detailed table of performance statistics for five schools despite stating the outcome as 'all held but exempt'. | ||
| 2020-02-17 | Pay increase teachers | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for correspondence regarding teacher pay offers and union demands, but the Department of Education, Sport and Culture withheld all information. | ||
| 2020-02-10 | Education Improvement Service Moderation Reports - primary | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester sought recent Education Improvement Service moderation reports for reading, writing, and mathematics for eleven specific primary schools. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture withheld all information under section 41 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015, citing that the reports are held for future publication after redaction. | ||
| 2020-01-06 | Government Funded Private Education | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for annual data on the number of privately educated individuals and associated taxpayer costs over the last five years. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture refused to provide the information directly, citing that it is already reasonably accessible via a Tynwald written answer. | ||
| 2019-11-14 | Issues with NSC water slides | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for details regarding delays, responsibility, costs, and contractor experience for the NSC water slides, but all information was withheld under a commercial interest exemption. | ||
| 2019-08-27 | Primary Headteachers salary | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for the salary and pension scales of primary headteachers, but no information was sent as the data was deemed reasonably accessible via public web links. | ||
| 2018-07-24 | Privacy Notice | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for a copy of the Department of Education, Sport and Culture's privacy policy, but no information was sent because the document is already reasonably accessible online. | ||
| 2018-04-24 | Development targets | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made for full development target results for all primary schools on the Isle of Man, but no information was sent because the data was already reasonably accessible to the public. | ||
| 2017-12-04 | Registers of employment - Empl. Children Regs | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture for registers of employment concerning children. The authority confirmed holding the information but refused to disclose it, citing exemptions. | ||
| 2017-12-02 | Primary school running costs | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for 2016/17 expenditure and pupil numbers for all Isle of Man primary schools, but the Department of Education refused to send the data directly. | ||
| 2017-10-19 | Pupils expelled but managed move | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for the number of pupils expelled from schools island-wide over the past 10 years, specifically those who moved to other schools. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture refused to disclose the data, citing that the FOI Act only covers information from 2011 onwards and that the small number of cases constitutes exempt personal data. | ||
| 2017-09-12 | Pupil Achievement KS2 | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request for Key Stage 2 pupil achievement data for 2017 was submitted to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture, but the authority withheld all information citing exemptions despite holding the data. | ||
| 2017-08-22 | Permanent and updated pupil numbers at all schools | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for permanent school capacity figures and updated projected pupil rolls for the 2017/2018 academic year on the Isle of Man. The Department of Education refused to provide the 2017/2018 data as exempt because it was incomplete and intended for future publication, while directing the requester to an existing website for capacity figures. | ||
| 2017-07-31 | School attendence orders issued to home educators | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for statistics on school attendance orders issued to home educators since 2009 and instances where departmental powers were found lacking. The Department of Education refused to provide new information, citing an absolute exemption because the data was already publicly available via a previous FOI response and Tynwald Hansard. | ||
| 2017-07-30 | Will the education bill inc sections on co-location specific to sharing of secular and faith schools | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request was made to determine if the draft Education Bill would include sections on co-location of secular and faith schools, but the Department of Education, Sport and Culture withheld the information as the bill was still in the drafting phase. | ||
| 2017-07-06 | A list of speakers as representitives of a religious organisation in the last 2 years | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2017-06-25 | Information on the proposal to co-locate St Thomas and Vallajeelt within last 24 months | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester sought correspondence, meeting minutes, and consultation details regarding the proposal to co-locate St Thomas and Vallajeelt schools within the last 24 months. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture refused to release the information, citing that it was already publicly available via a previous Freedom of Information response. | ||
| 2017-06-25 | Information as presented to Headteachers for co-location of St Thomas and Vallajeelt over past 24 months | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| 2017-06-25 | When and whom took decision to co-locate St Thomas and Vallajeelt | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for details regarding the decision-making process and correspondence about co-locating St Thomas and Vallajeelt schools. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture refused to release the information, citing that it was already publicly available via a previous Freedom of Information response. | ||
| 2017-06-25 | Has any consultation been carried out re proposed co-location with public, parents or other body of St Thomas | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for correspondence, meeting minutes, and consultation details regarding the proposed co-location of St Thomas and Vallajeelt schools. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture refused to send the information, citing that it was already publicly available via a previous Freedom of Information response. | ||
| 2017-06-25 | Copies of law documents Harrison & Harrison V Stevenson | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request for copies of two specific legal documents regarding home education was refused by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture. The authority cited exemptions stating the information is already accessible to the public via other means and is held for policy development purposes. | ||
| 2017-06-25 | What meetings have taken place in last 24 months re co-location of St Thomas and Vallajeelt | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| The requester asked for details regarding meetings, correspondence, and decisions about the co-location of St Thomas and Vallajeelt schools over the last 24 months. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture refused to release the information, citing that it was already publicly available via a previous Freedom of Information response. | ||
| 2017-01-31 | Primary and Secondary school SSRE reports | No information sent - all held but exempt |
| A request for full external validation reports (SSRE) for all Isle of Man primary and secondary schools was refused because the information is already accessible by contacting the schools directly. The authority provided a list of school contact details instead of the requested reports. | ||