Secondary School Pupil Absence Data & Analysis

Summary

The request sought detailed secondary school pupil absence data for Years 7-11 across three academic years, including breakdowns by category and persistent absence rates. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture partially fulfilled the request by providing specific data for QEII High School and Approved Educational Activities for other schools, while citing Section 20 to withhold general attendance metrics already available via public links.

Key Facts

• The request covered pupil attendance data for Island Secondary schools for academic years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24.
• General attendance metrics for 2021-22 and 2022-23 were deemed reasonably accessible via a Tynwald Hansard link.
• General attendance metrics for 2023-24 were deemed reasonably accessible via a separate FOI case (4105461).
• Specific data was provided for QEII High School showing the number of pupils with less than 80% attendance per year group.
• Data on Approved Educational Activities was provided for Ballakermeen High School and Castle Rushen High School.

Data Disclosed

• 2021-22
• 2022-23
• 2023-24
• Years 7-11
• 12
• 23
• 36
• 30
• 19
• 14
• 27
• 20
• 18
• 15
• 90
• 239
• 482
• 187
• 1202
• 1065
• Section 20
• Case ID: 4105461
• Case ID: 4133273
• 2024-09-18
• 2024-10-15

Exemptions Cited

• Section 20 of the Act (Information already reasonably accessible)

Original Request

For each Island Secondary school I request the following information in respect of pupil attendance for Years 7-11 inclusive in the academic years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24: Numbers of: Presents; Approved Educational Activity; Authorised Absences; Unauthorised Absences; Number of Possible Sessions and % Attendance and such other Year Group attendance metrics as may have been recorded; and For each Year group the percentage/number of pupils defined as being persistently absent (or such other term as may be used with respective policy definition of persistently absent e.g. 10% or more of possible sessions missed); and For each Year group the percentage/number of pupils defined as being severely absent (or such other term as may be utilised with respective School or DESC policy definition of severely absent (e.g. 50% or more of possible sessions missed); and Such quantitative attendance data (e.g. percentage absent rates) as recorded by the respective schools broken down by pupil category (e.g. FSM, AEN pupils); and Such information held to show reason for recorded absences; and Such reports and analysis on pupil absence raised by the schools for their respective Governing Bodies and/or the Department and; Such analysis as has been conducted by the DESC on Secondary School pupil attendance in the last 3 full academic years and any comparative analysis with Secondary school absence rates pre and post Covid. .

Data Tables (7)

Full Response Text

Appendix One QEII 2023/24

2023-24 Number of pupils with less than 80% attendance Year 7 12 Year 8 23 Year 9 36 Year 10 30 Year 11 19

2022/23

2022-23 Number of pupils with less than 80% attendance Year 7 14 Year 8 23 Year 9 27 Year 10 27 Year 11 14

2021/22

2021-22 Number of pupils with less than 80% attendance Year 7 20 Year 8 18 Year 9 27 Year 10 19 Year 11 15

Policy, Strategy and Governance Division Department of Education, Sport and Culture Thie Slieau Whallian Foxdale Road St Johns IM4 3AS

Telephone: (01624) 685808 Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im

Our ref: 4133273 15 October 2024

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 18 September 2024, which states:

"For each Island Secondary school I request the following information in respect of pupil attendance for Years 7-11 inclusive in the academic years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24:

Numbers of: Presents; Approved Educational Activity; Authorised Absences; Unauthorised Absences; Number of Possible Sessions and % Attendance and such other Year Group attendance metrics as may have been recorded; and

For each Year group the percentage/number of pupils defined as being persistently absent (or such other term as may be used with respective policy definition of persistently absent e.g. 10% or more of possible sessions missed); and

For each Year group the percentage/number of pupils defined as being severely absent (or such other term as may be utilised with respective School or DESC policy definition of severely absent (e.g. 50% or more of possible sessions missed); and

Such quantitative attendance data (e.g. percentage absent rates) as recorded by the respective schools broken down by pupil category (e.g. FSM, AEN pupils); and

Such information held to show reason for recorded absences; and

Such reports and analysis on pupil absence raised by the schools for their respective Governing Bodies and/or the Department and;

Such analysis as has been conducted by the DESC on Secondary School pupil attendance in the last 3 full academic years and any comparative analysis with Secondary school absence rates pre and post Covid."

Our response to your request is as follows:

"For each Island Secondary school I request the following information in respect of pupil attendance for Years 7-11 inclusive in the academic years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24:

Numbers of: Presents; Approved Educational Activity; Authorised Absences; Unauthorised Absences; Number of Possible Sessions and % Attendance and such other Year Group attendance metrics as may have been recorded”

Academic Years 2021-22 and 2022-23 While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under section 20 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you, whether free of charge or on payment of a fee. Most of the information that you have requested is available from:
https://tynwald.org.im/spfile?file=/business/BusinessHansardIndex2126/W-202401- 1090.pdf

Academic Year 2023 -24 While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under section 20 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you, whether free of charge or on payment of a fee. Most of the information that you have requested is available from:
https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/search Case ID: 4105461

For each Year group the percentage/number of pupils defined as being persistently absent (or such other term as may be used with respective policy definition of persistently absent e.g. 10% or more of possible sessions missed)

Ballakermeen High School

Castle Rushen High School

Approved Educational Activities:

2021/2022 2022/2023 2023/2024 Year 7 90 239 482 Year 8 187 1202 1065 Year 9 203 1333 1348 Year 10 439 1376 1609 Year 11 837 593 827

80% or below attendance

2021/2022 2022/2023 2023/2024 Year 7 16 19 17 Year 8 47 23 29 Year 9 41 38 40 Year 10 38 39 46 Year 11 58 31 48

Ramsey Grammar School

Number of students with 80% and under attendance for academic year stated Year Group 21/22 22/23 23/24 Y7 13 14 15 Y8 23 24 21 Y9 21 32 31 Y10 27 27 40 Y11 13 29 23

St Ninians High School

Number of SNHS students <80% attendance

21/22 22/23 23/24 Year 7 19 16 17 Year 8 38 40 33 Year 9 27 45 47 Year 10 58 38 55 Year 11 28 55 33 Year 12 14 1 7 Year 13 12 10 7

QEII
Please see attached: Appendix One – QEII

In relation to your below requests for information:
“For each Year group the percentage/number of pupils defined as being severely absent (or such other term as may be utilised with respective School or DESC policy definition of severely absent (e.g. 50% or more of possible sessions missed); and

Such quantitative attendance data (e.g. percentage absent rates) as recorded by the respective schools broken down by pupil category (e.g. FSM, AEN pupils); and
Such information held to show reason for recorded absences; and

Such reports and analysis on pupil absence raised by the schools for their respective Governing Bodies and/or the Department and;

Such analysis as has been conducted by the DESC on Secondary School pupil attendance in the last 3 full academic years and any comparative analysis with Secondary school absence rates pre and post Covid."

The Department advised on the 25th September 2024 that upon receipt of the first part of your request that you submit a new Freedom of Information request for the remaining information (Parts 3 & 4 or 5, 6 &7).

Please quote the reference number 4133273 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 Information Governance Officer