Department of Education, Sport and Culture
110 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 213.6%
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 (110)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-12 | NSC pool tiles | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for details regarding the unresolved broken tiles at the National Sports Centre swimming pool, including repair timelines and insurance status. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture responded that the request consisted of questions rather than a request for held information, resulting in a partial disclosure where some information was not held. | ||
| 2025-11-19 | Secondary School Deployment of Cover Supervisors (KS4: 2024-25) | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought detailed statistics on Cover Supervisor deployment and policies for Isle of Man secondary schools for the 2024-25 academic year. The Department of Education provided partial data for Castle Rushen and Ramsey Grammar schools, while other schools cited lack of data or excessive workload to withhold information, and confirmed no central policy exists. | ||
| 2025-10-23 | Secondary Employment | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for policies and records regarding secondary school teachers' private business activities and conflicts of interest. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided general statutory frameworks and the Government Code of Conduct but confirmed it does not hold specific procedures on soliciting former pupils or dedicated conflict of interest frameworks. | ||
| 2025-10-22 | Request for information regarding the use of supply teachers | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for the number of lessons delivered by supply teachers in Isle of Man secondary schools for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic years, offering to accept raw data if compilation was too substantial. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture responded that some information was sent but not all was held, citing the substantial effort required to collate the data. | ||
| 2025-10-20 | IOM Secondary Schools' Teacher Sickness Absence 2024-25 Academic Year | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for 2024-25 teacher sickness absence data across Isle of Man secondary schools was partially fulfilled, with statistical metrics provided for five schools but specific evaluation reports withheld. | ||
| 2025-10-06 | Primary schools - Teaching assistant to class size rules | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for Isle of Man government policy on primary school class sizes and teaching assistant support, along with specific Year 2 teacher and teaching assistant to pupil ratios for all schools. The Department of Education disclosed that staffing is managed by individual head teachers under the Education Act 2001 and provided a detailed breakdown of ratios for each school, noting that some classes have no teaching assistants. | ||
| 2025-09-30 | Email correspondence regarding school fire alarm activations | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for email correspondence regarding school fire alarm activations during the 2024/25 academic year, to which the Department of Education, Sport and Culture responded that some information was held and disclosed while other requested data was not available. | ||
| 2025-09-16 | Recreational Schemes | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for capacity and attendance data for recreational schemes during term-time holidays for 2023, 2024, and 2025. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided detailed records for Kensington Arts events in 2023 and 2024 but noted that not all requested information was held. | ||
| 2025-09-08 | Fire Alarm Activations in Schools - Jan 2024 - September 2025 | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2025-07-31 | UCM Degree Courses - Viability Metrics etc | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester sought viability metrics, ministerial correspondence, and qualitative reports regarding UCM degree courses for 2023-26 following the withdrawal of the History and Heritage course. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided application statistics and conversion data but confirmed it does not hold the requested ministerial correspondence or qualitative reports. | ||
| 2025-06-24 | Apprenticeship Scheme 2024 Eligibility and Economic Impact | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester sought clarification on the rationale for excluding employers with 10+ FTEs from apprenticeship incentive payments and requested economic impact studies for the construction sector. The authority disclosed that the policy change resulted from a strategic review to target funding for economic impact within existing budgets, noting that 85% of local employers are small businesses, but did not provide specific economic impact studies or risk assessments as requested. | ||
| 2025-03-19 | Cronk Y Berry School- numbers of EAL and SEN pupils | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought detailed statistics on EAL and SEN pupils, class sizes, staffing, and budgets for Cronk Y Berry School. The Department of Education provided pupil counts and class sizes but withheld specific nationality data and new joiner figures due to lack of records or privacy exemptions. | ||
| 2024-12-31 | Access Arrangements - External Examinations 2023-24 Part 2 | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought detailed statistics on approved access arrangements and modified examination papers for Level 2 and 3 exams across Isle of Man schools. The Department of Education provided partial data for specific schools like Ramsey Grammar and Queen Elizabeth II High School, while withholding information for others due to the requirement to create new data or to protect pupil anonymity. | ||
| 2024-11-12 | Student loans | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought detailed statistics on student loan debt, awards, and repayment rates for Manx students since 2014. The Department of Education provided comprehensive data on outstanding debt and full repayments for the years 2021 to 2024 but did not disclose information regarding student awards or debts registered with credit reference agencies. | ||
| 2024-11-04 | Secondary school teacher sickness absence | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought detailed sickness absence data for secondary school teachers in the Isle of Man for the last three academic years. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided aggregate statistics on absence days, percentages, and averages but withheld specific reports and data by reason of absence due to privacy exemptions. | ||
| 2024-10-01 | SPCs Quality and Inclusion | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for information regarding the management structure, quality assurance, and inclusion policies of Specialist Provision Centres (SPCs). The Department of Education disclosed details on reporting lines and responsibilities but withheld the quality assurance framework citing a policy formulation exemption. | ||
| 2024-07-23 | University Graduate Leaving Statistics | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought statistics on higher education enrollment, graduation, and graduate emigration from the Isle of Man between 2018 and 2023. The Department of Education provided enrollment and graduation data for UCM but confirmed it does not hold information regarding the number of graduates who have left the island. | ||
| 2024-06-19 | Home schooling numbers | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request for 10 years of home schooling statistics and assessment details was partially fulfilled, with data provided for 2022-2024 and a link to Hansard for 2018-2022, while older records and specific proportions were withheld due to retention limits or lack of holding. | ||
| 2024-05-23 | dyslexia training | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester sought details on formal dyslexia training for 11 teachers, but the Department of Education clarified that only 6 teachers received such training and could not provide CPD points for any course. The authority disclosed course names, lengths, providers, and modes of delivery for the six confirmed cases while noting the original count of 11 was an error. | ||
| 2024-05-07 | NSC non-transferable non-refundable bookings policy | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester sought the start date, meeting records, and no-show statistics for the National Sports Centre's non-transferable, non-refundable booking policy. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture disclosed the current policy document but stated that historical meeting records and specific no-show statistics are not held due to the policy's age and system limitations. | ||
| 2024-03-27 | Relocation benefits awarded | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for 10-year spending data on various relocation and recruitment benefits for the Department of Education, Sport and Culture. The authority responded that it does not hold information prior to the 2014-2017 period and could not provide specific figures for interview travel costs, limiting the response to the 2017-2024 fiscal years. | ||
| 2024-03-19 | Number Of Toilet Breaks Allowed | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-12-29 | The Citing of 3 Containors at the Douglas Bowl Car Park. | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-12-13 | Budget | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-11-07 | University Applications 2023 & 2024 - Contextual Data & Information | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-10-18 | Behaviour Points Given at Ballakermeen High School | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-10-09 | Secondary schools & UCM staffing budgets, numbers and enrolments | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-09-18 | Specialist Provision Centres & PSAC | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-09-04 | Drag Queens at Ballakermeen High School in July 2022 | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-07-25 | Headteacher job adverts | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-06-30 | Broadway Cinema attendance | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-06-29 | QE2 shoe policy | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-06-13 | Provision of PE Kits for High Schools | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-05-15 | Primary & Secondary School Pupil Data 2022-23 | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-04-13 | Scoill Phurt le Moirrey - admissions 2023/24 | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2023-01-31 | List of all Dept of Education bids to Treasury | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2022-10-18 | Current Status and Future Plans of FairField Junior School Building | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2022-10-06 | School access for children with additional needs. | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2022-10-04 | Learning aids and material related to Black History Month | Some information sent but not all held |
| 2022-07-18 | Union action | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought data on school days lost to union action and staff absences in 2021-2022, to which the Department of Education responded with partial data covering specific periods while clarifying that no classes were sent home after the school day commenced. | ||
| 2022-05-31 | UCM (University College Isle of Man) 300 hrs, remission & hourly pay | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought details on University College Isle of Man lecturer contract changes based on exceeding 300 hours, remission allocation policies, and hourly pay practices. The authority disclosed the 2021 Terms and Conditions of Service, a Sessional Lecturer Worker Request Form, and an amendment record, but noted that not all requested information was held. | ||
| 2022-04-25 | Information accompanying primary school reports 2021 | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester sought letters accompanying 2021 primary school reports for Years R, 2, and 6, including contextual attainment data, but the authority disclosed only sample letters from specific schools while noting that not all requested information was held. | ||
| 2022-03-30 | NSC Running costs and budget 2014-2022 | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought annual running costs, budgets, and capital expenditure for the National Sports Centre (NSC) from 2014 to 2022, along with funding sources. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided budget and actual expenditure tables but confirmed it does not hold specific maintenance and refurbishment figures for 2014/15 and 2015/16 funded by the Department of Infrastructure. | ||
| 2022-03-09 | Funding | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought a comparison of funding for students studying overseas versus those on the Isle of Man, specifically for 2018 and 2019. The authority disclosed figures for UK tuition fees, maintenance grants, and Open University refunds, but could not provide specific tuition fee data for University College Isle of Man (UCM) as it is covered by internal budgets. | ||
| 2022-02-16 | School Funding | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought per-pupil funding figures for primary and secondary schools and for home-educated children on the Isle of Man. The authority disclosed 2021/22 funding data for 36 schools but confirmed that no funding is provided for home-educated children. | ||
| 2022-01-31 | Number of students in HE studying off island | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for the number of higher education students studying off-island over the past 10 years, specifically distinguishing between UK and international locations. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture disclosed figures for the last six years only, noting that data could not be broken down by location and excluded unfunded students. | ||
| 2021-11-15 | CO2 Levels | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for CO2 monitor counts, record frequencies, and a full breakdown of CO2 levels in Isle of Man schools from September to November 2021. The Department of Education provided the number of monitors and one week of data (15-19 November 2021) but could not supply the full historical breakdown or record counts due to a one-week data retention policy. | ||
| 2021-11-09 | IOM Primary Schools' Attainment 2020-21 - EYFS, Key Stages 1, 2 | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for 2020-21 primary school attainment data across EYFS, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2 for all Isle of Man schools, including cohort sizes and subject-specific percentages. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture responded with partial data, providing detailed statistics for EYFS and Key Stage 1 but noting that not all requested information was held. | ||
| 2021-10-14 | University College Isle of Man | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture for University College Isle of Man's print spending with specific suppliers from January 2019 to November 2021. The authority disclosed spending figures for five named suppliers but could not provide data for 'off island printers' due to a lack of specific supplier names. | ||
| 2021-09-29 | Arts Council Funding Promenade Sculpture £47,000 | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for details on the Arts Council's funding status, the source of funds for a £47,000 promenade sculpture, and related correspondence. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture disclosed that the sculpture was funded by lottery grants rather than the Department, provided a budget breakdown for 2019-2021, but stated it did not hold records explaining the 'sponsored body' definition or the specific emails regarding the sculpture's selection. | ||
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