Department of Education, Sport and Culture
617 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 38.1%
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 (617)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-06-22 | Free school meals | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture for the number of children receiving free school meals in primary and secondary schools. The authority disclosed a complete breakdown of student counts for each school for the 2017/18 academic year. | ||
| 2018-06-21 | Religious visits in schools | Some information sent but not all held |
| A request was made for data on religious group visits to schools and parental exclusions over three years, but the authority only provided information for the 2017/18 academic year due to record retention policies. | ||
| 2018-06-13 | Child mental health | Information not held |
| A request was made for the percentage of children aged 11-18 attending CAMHS or on its waiting list who are enrolled in specific secondary schools and the Isle of Man College. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture refused the request because they do not hold or have access to CAMHS data. | ||
| 2018-06-11 | Attainment data for the 3 strands making up overall English results | Upheld - partial |
| The requester sought detailed Year 6 English attainment percentages for Speaking and Listening, Reading, and Writing for 2013-2016, but the Department of Education refused to provide retrospective data for 2013-2015 as it would require creating new analysis, while providing links to available 2016 and 2017 reports. | ||
| 2018-06-08 | A-Level results for each subject and for each secondary school | Upheld - partial |
| The requester asked for detailed A-Level grade breakdowns by subject for five secondary schools and University College Isle of Man for the years 2015 to 2017. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture partially upheld the request, providing the data via attachments for most institutions while noting that one school's results were already publicly available. | ||
| 2018-05-30 | Nursery Places | Some information sent but not all held |
| The requester asked for the total number of nursery places and their occupancy rates for the 2017-2018 academic year. The Department of Education disclosed the total number of available places but stated it does not hold data on specific vacancies as nurseries are privately operated and regulated by the Department of Health and Social Care. | ||
| 2018-05-14 | Sale St Thomas school building | Information not held |
| The requester asked for details on meetings regarding the sale of the St Thomas school building, but the Department of Education, Sport and Culture stated it does not hold this information as the matter is the responsibility of the Church and Trustees. However, the authority provided extracts from internal meetings discussing the potential 50% contribution from the sale proceeds to fund the new Scooil Vallajeelt site. | ||
| 2018-05-14 | Return of St Thomas' school keys | Information not held |
| A request was made to determine the date the Department of Education, Sport and Culture would return keys to the St Thomas school building. The authority responded that the information is not held because the exact date has not yet been agreed upon with Church Representatives. | ||
| 2018-05-14 | Rental paid at St Thomas school | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture regarding rental payments for the St Thomas school site, including the building, parking, and playgrounds, over the last three years. The authority confirmed that no rent has been paid for any of the specified areas during that period. | ||
| 2018-05-14 | Use of Santon school monies for new Diocesan C of E school | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought confirmation of discussions regarding relocating St Thomas' school to the Santon site or using Diocesan funds for Scooil Vallajeelt. The Department confirmed meetings took place but withheld minutes and correspondence due to practical refusal, legal privilege, and public business exemptions. | ||
| 2018-05-08 | KS2-4 Value Added Data - Academic Years 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 | All information sent |
| The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided KS2-4 value-added data for Isle of Man secondary schools covering English and Maths progress for academic years 2013-2017, excluding 2015 due to a data system switch. | ||
| 2018-05-02 | Works And Cost Castletown Youth Club | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought details on internal works and costs at Castletown Youth Club between June 2017 and May 2018. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture disclosed that the Department of Infrastructure performed the works but refused to provide specific details or costs as they do not hold that information. | ||
| 2018-04-30 | Characteristics of KS4 pupils taking GCSEs | Upheld - partial |
| The requester asked for detailed breakdowns of KS4 GCSE results by pupil characteristics (EAL, FSM, SEN) across five years, but the Department of Education only held and released aggregated FSM data for Summer 2017. | ||
| 2018-04-27 | Expenditure on single use plastics within the department | Information not held |
| A request for expenditure figures on single-use plastics within the Department of Education, Sport and Culture was refused because the information is not held in the required detail. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2018-04-17 | Student Award System | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request for data on the Isle of Man Student Award System was partially fulfilled, disclosing statistics on student numbers, costs, and rejections for the 2017/18 year, while withholding a policy review document led by Mr L Hooper. | ||
| 2018-04-09 | NSC - Grounds Maintenance Contract | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made for the NSC Grounds Maintenance Contract details, including costs and the awarded company. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture disclosed the contract agreement identifying Douglas Borough Council as the contractor, though some information was withheld under exemptions. | ||
| 2018-03-28 | Out-of-catchment pupil numbers | Information not held |
| A request was made for out-of-catchment pupil numbers and percentages for all primary and secondary schools for 2015/16 and 2016/17, but the Department of Education refused to provide the information. | ||
| 2018-03-27 | Unpublished FOI requests | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The request sought statistics on Freedom of Information requests received, refused, answered, and published by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture over the previous 12 months. The department disclosed that 93 requests were received and 88 were answered, while refusing to provide data on published requests. | ||
| 2018-03-26 | Yearly Heating costs for Cronk -Y-Berry Primary School | All information sent |
| 2018-03-19 | Arts Council Funding Awards | Some information sent but part exempt |
| The requester asked for a list of Arts Council funding awards and board members from the last 10 years. The Department provided full financial amounts and board tenure details but redacted individual recipient names due to data protection exemptions. | ||
| 2018-03-15 | Children in the Buchan and King William's College that the government is paying for | All information sent |
| The request sought details on government-funded students at the Buchan and King William's College, specifically regarding exclusions from other schools. The Department of Education disclosed that only one student at King William's College receives a historical scholarship, which is not linked to any exclusions. | ||
| 2018-03-01 | Total amount spent on fire extinguishers and blankets | Information not held |
| 2018-02-28 | Results of the Autumn 2017 Have Your Say Survey for all schools on the Isle of Man | Some information sent but not all held |
| The request sought the Autumn 2017 'Have Your Say' survey results for all Isle of Man schools, which were partially disclosed via the Department's website. Individual reports were withheld for nine primary schools because their survey response groups contained fewer than 10 people, violating external market research codes. | ||
| 2018-02-26 | Service Delivery Plan 2016-2021 details | All information sent |
| The requester asked for details on Key Stage 2-4 value-added performance measures in Isle of Man secondary schools following a missed target in the 2016-2021 Service Delivery Plan. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture responded that schools evaluate performance against developed IOM benchmarks and provided attached guidance on achievement against prior attainment. | ||
| 2018-02-21 | Examination boards for Island secondary schools 2015-16 and 2016-17 | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request was made to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture for details on which examination boards were selected by Isle of Man secondary schools for GCSE subjects in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years. The authority responded by providing the complete requested data in attached tables for schools including Ballakermeen, Castle Rushen, Queen Elizabeth II, and Ramsey Grammar School. | ||
| 2018-02-20 | Annual rent of land adjacent to Nobles Hospital | All information sent |
| The requester inquired about the annual lease cost of land adjacent to Nobles Hospital leased to the Ballafletcher Sports Council to compare subletting rates. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture disclosed that the annual rent is £4.00, assigned in 2012 to support sports participation. | ||
| 2018-02-14 | Public Notice regarding co location of St Thomas with Scoill Vallajeelt. | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request sought details on objections to the co-location of St Thomas and Scoill Vallajeelt schools. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture initially reported three letters and 403 signatures, but later corrected this to four letters and 413 signatures, noting that two letters were rejected for having insufficient signatures. | ||
| 2018-02-12 | 7 responses DESC received by post and email re the new Education Bill | All information sent |
| The request sought copies of seven public consultation responses regarding the new Education Bill, specifically those where consent to publish was given. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture disclosed three responses that had consent, while withholding four due to lack of permission, though one referenced document was made available via an external link. | ||
| 2018-01-22 | Free School Meals | All information sent |
| A request was made for annual cost data regarding free school dinners, milk/orange juice, and pre-school nursery payments from 2012 to the present. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture confirmed that all requested information was sent to the applicant. | ||
| 2018-01-21 | Key Stage 4 | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture for the number of pupils completing Key Stage 4 in 2017 across state secondary schools. The authority confirmed that all requested information was sent to the applicant. | ||
| 2018-01-12 | Meetings between DESC and MHEA | All information sent |
| A request was made for details regarding a meeting between the Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) and the Manx Home Education Association (MHEA), including attendees, documents, minutes, and future dates. The authority disclosed the names of DESC representatives, links to some discussed documents, and a future meeting date, but withheld MHEA attendee names, specific draft documents, and minutes due to data protection and policy formulation exemptions. | ||
| 2018-01-11 | Employees disciplined for unauthorised access to PC records | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request asked the Department of Education, Sport and Culture for the number of employees disciplined for unauthorized access to computer records since 2011. The department responded that no such disciplinary proceedings have taken place. | ||
| 2018-01-03 | 2018 Commonwealth games - DESC attendees | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture for information regarding attendees at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The authority confirmed that all requested information was sent to the applicant within one day of receipt. | ||
| 2018-01-02 | KS4 data - Yr11 entries & A-C results | All information sent |
| 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. | ||
| 2017-12-02 | St Thomas/SVJ catchment area | All information sent |
| The request sought an update on the number of St Thomas' Primary School pupils residing in various catchment areas as of December 2017. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture disclosed full data showing the breakdown of pupil residence across multiple school catchment areas. | ||
| 2017-11-30 | Level 3-5 KS2 data | All information sent |
| The requester sought Isle of Man KS2 attainment data for academic years 2012-13 to 2016-17 across five disciplines with gender breakdowns. The Department of Education provided an overview table for the requested years, explaining the calculation method for 'English' data and directing the requester to school-specific websites for detailed individual school statistics. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 2017-10-19 | Bullying and Harassment in Island's schools 2012/2017 | All information sent |
| The requester asked for a breakdown of formal bullying and harassment complaints in Isle of Man schools from 2012 to 2017, but the Department of Education refused the request citing practical refusal grounds due to the lack of central logs and the substantial effort required to compile the data. | ||
| 2017-10-19 | Suspensions | All information sent |
| The requester asked for a 10-year breakdown of school suspensions by student count and total instances, but the Department of Education refused the 10-year scope due to the FOI Act's 2011 start date and denied the student count data on practical grounds. | ||
| 2017-10-17 | Working hours of DEC staff | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request sought data on flexible working hours and work-from-home permissions for Department of Education, Sport and Culture staff across schools and services for the 2016/17 and 2017/18 academic years. The authority disclosed that zero staff in listed schools and the Youth Service held these contractual arrangements, while information for the Music Service was not held. | ||
| 2017-10-15 | Age 16/18 school leavers data | Some information sent but not all held |
| The Department of Education, Sport and Culture responded to a request for 2017 school leaver data by age 16 and 18, stating that most information was not held or required substantial compilation to retrieve. | ||
| 2017-10-11 | Pupil information primary schools academic year 16/17 | All information sent |
| The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided pupil roll numbers, absence data, and free school meal percentages for Isle of Man primary schools for the 2016/17 academic year, while citing absolute exemptions for SEN and first language data as it was already publicly available. | ||
| 2017-10-11 | St Thomas' School Options Presentation | Not required to fulfill request |
| The requester asked for full minutes and clarification regarding feasibility studies and relocation options for St Thomas' Primary School, citing previous partial disclosures. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture responded that they were not required to fulfill the request, providing only a letter referencing existing partial extracts rather than the full documents sought. | ||
| 2017-10-05 | Rushen school - incidents of bullying & exclusions/meaures | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request for bullying statistics and exclusion data at Rushen Primary School was partially fulfilled, with specific incident counts withheld to protect personal data, while general figures and internal procedures were disclosed. | ||
| 2017-10-05 | Survey monkey results - St Thomas' | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request was made to the Department of Education, Sport and Culture for the results of a parent survey regarding the proposed co-location of St Thomas' Primary School. The authority disclosed the full statistical breakdown of responses for three specific questions and confirmed the total number of participants. | ||
| 2017-10-05 | Marown primary roll & OoC enrolments | All information sent |
| The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided the total pupil enrollment numbers by year group for Marown Primary School but refused to disclose the number of 'out of catchment' pupils. | ||
| 2017-09-29 | Secondary school SIPs | All information sent |
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