High school student suspensions
| Authority | Department of Education, Sport and Culture |
|---|---|
| Date received | 2020-12-17 |
| Outcome | Some information sent but not all held |
| Outcome date | 2021-01-14 |
| Case ID | 1609781 |
Summary
The request sought a detailed breakdown of high school student suspensions for physical assault over three years, including gender and police involvement. The Department of Education provided total suspension counts and durations per school but withheld gender breakdowns and police investigation data as this information was not held.
Key Facts
- The request covered the period from 2017 to 2019 for all Isle of Man high schools.
- Data was provided for five schools: Ballakermeen, Castle Rushen, Queen Elizabeth, Ramsey Grammar, and St Ninian's.
- The Department does not hold data on the gender of students suspended for physical assault.
- Information regarding whether assaults were investigated by the IOM Constabulary is not held by the Department or schools.
- The response cites Section 8(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 to refuse creating or deriving information.
Data Disclosed
- Ballakermeen High School: 48 suspensions in 2017, 43 in 2018, 38 in 2019
- Castle Rushen High School: 6 suspensions in 2017, 6 in 2018, 6 in 2019
- Queen Elizabeth High School: 19 suspensions in 2017, 8 in 2018, 13 in 2019
- Ramsey Grammar School: 16 suspensions in 2017, 7 in 2018, 7 in 2019
- St Ninian's High School: 53 suspensions in 2017, 25 in 2018, 16 in 2019
- Case reference: 1609781
- Request received: 2020-12-17
- Response date: 2021-01-14
Exemptions Cited
- Section 8(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Information not held/creation of information)
Original Request
In the last 3 years, please provide a list of how many students in the Islands high schools have been suspended for a Physical assault on another student. Please break this down to how many in each high school including the school name. Of this number per school how many were boys and how many girls that committed the assault and on each occasion how long they were they suspended for (school days not weekends) For each occasion please state if the assault was also investigated by the IOM Constabulary
Data Tables (1)
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days | Quantity | Days | Quantity | Days | Quantity | |
| Ballakermeen High School | 1 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 19 |
| 2 | 25 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 | 13 | |
| 2.5 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 2 | |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 4 | |
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 10 | 2 | 4.5 | 1 | |||
| 5 | 8 | |||||
| 8 | 1 | |||||
| TOTAL | 48 | 43 | 38 | |||
| Castle Rushen High School | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | |
| TOTAL | 6 | 6 | 6 | |||
| Queen Elizabeth High School | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 1 | 11 | 1.5 | 2 | 1.5 | 6 | |
| 1.5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |||
| 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | |||
| 6 | 1 | |||||
| TOTAL | 19 | 8 | 13 | |||
| Ramsey Grammar School | 1 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | |
| 5 | 1 | |||||
| TOTAL | 16 | 7 | 7 | |||
| St Ninian's High School | 0.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 1 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 1.5 | 1 | |
| 1.5 | 16 | 1.5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
| 2 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2.5 | 3 | 2.5 | 1 | |||
| 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | |||
| TOTAL | 53 | 25 | 16 |
Full Response Text
Corporate Services Division Department of Education, Sport and Culture Hamilton House Peel Road, Douglas IM1 5EZ Telephone: (01624) 685808 Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im Our ref: 1609781 14 January 2020
Dear ###
We write further to your request which was received on 17 December 2020 and which states:
"In the last 3 years, please provide a list of how many students in the Islands high schools have been suspended for a Physical assault on another student. Please break this down to how many in each high school including the school name. Of this number per school how many were boys and how many girls that committed the assault and on each occasion how long they were they suspended for (school days not weekends) For each occasion please state if the assault was also investigated by the IOM Constabulary"
Our response to your request is as follows: Number of suspension for a physical assault on another student I have enclosed copies of the information that is held. Breakdown of suspensions for a physical assault on another student I have enclosed copies of the information that is held. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested. This is because the information of the number of boys and girls suspended is not currently held by the Department. Where the data is not held in the format that has been requested section 8 (3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 states; Nothing in this Act requires a public authority to – (a) Create or derive information from information that it holds
(b) Undertake research into, or analysis of, information that it holds. Physical assaults investigated by the IOM Constabulary While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested. This is because the information about physical assaults investigated by the IOM Constabulary is not currently held by the Department or the schools. Please quote the reference number 1609781 in any future communications.
Your right to request a review
If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.
An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.
If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal
to the Information Commissioner for a decision on;
1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with
Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or
2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any
time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another
form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in
making any subsequent decision.
More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information
Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im.
Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact
me.
Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at
www.gov.im/foi.
I will now close your request as of this date.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Coordinator
Freedom of Information request 1609781 The number of high school students who have been suspended for a physical assault on another student in the last 3 years Days Quantity Days Quantity Days Quantity Ballakermeen High School 1 10 1 11 1 19 2 25 1.5 1 2 13 2.5 1 2 13 5 2 3 5 3 6 10 4 5 5 4 2 10 2 4.5 1 5 8 8 1 TOTAL 48 43 38 Castle Rushen High School 1 5 1 5 1 5 2 1 2 1 5 1 TOTAL 6 6 6 Queen Elizabeth High School 0.5 1 1 2 1 3 1 11 1.5 2 1.5 6 1.5 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 3 1 3 2 5 1 6 1 TOTAL 19 8 13 Ramsey Grammar School 1 9 2 5 1 2 2 6 3 2 2 5 5 1 TOTAL 16 7 7 St Ninian's High School 0.5 10 0.5 1 1 9 1 13 1 10 1.5 1 1.5 16 1.5 3 2 5 2 8 2 6 3 1 2.5 3 2.5 1 3 3 3 4 TOTAL 53 25 16 Physical assault also includes fighting, punching, kicking, causing an injury to another student, etc. 2017 2018 2019