Characteristics of KS4 pupils taking GCSEs

Summary

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.

Key Facts

• The Department does not centrally hold or aggregate detailed analyses of pupil characteristics like EAL and SEN for the requested period.
• Schools conduct their own detailed data analyses which are not collated centrally.
• The request was deemed to require the creation of over 22 data sets, placing a considerable burden on the Department.
• Only one specific data set regarding Free School Meals (FSM) attainment for Summer 2017 was available and released.
• The response was delayed due to a heavy workload including GDPR preparations and other FOI requests.

Data Disclosed

• 2018-04-30
• 2018-06-01
• 2018-07-19
• 22
• 11
• 63.8
• 23.1
• 62.5
• 44.4
• 23.5
• 34.6
• Summer 2017

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held (practical refusal reason)
• Excessive cost/burden to create or derive data sets not routinely held

Original Request

The DESC has published an analysis of the KS4 GCSE results for the last 5 years in respect of each of the Island's Secondary Schools ' https://www.gov.im/media/1359887/attainment-ks4-2017.pdf. This document appears to include all pupils completing KS4 during the last 5 academic years. In respect of each of the academic years covered by this document, please provide a list of what analysis of the figures has been carried out by the department in terms of characteristics of pupil (eg gender, ethnicity etc). I also seek, by reference to each of the tables in this document, a breakdown as to what number/percentage of each bar in the graph is attributed to pupils: a) for whom English is not their first language (EAL) b) in receipt of free school meals (FSM) c) who were recorded as having special educational needs (SEN).

Data Tables (1)

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: 449048 1 June 2018

Dear ###

This request is being handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (the Act).

We write further to your request which was received on 30 April 2018 and which states:

"The DESC has published an analysis of the KS4 GCSE results for the last 5 years in respect of each of the Island's Secondary Schools ' https://www.gov.im/media/1359887/attainment-ks4-2017.pdf. This document appears to include all pupils completing KS4 during the last 5 academic years. In respect of each of the academic years covered by this document, please provide a list of what analysis of the figures has been carried out by the department in terms of characteristics of pupil (eg gender, ethnicity etc). I also seek, by reference to each of the tables in this document, a breakdown as to what number/percentage of each bar in the graph is attributed to pupils: a) for whom English is not their first language (EAL) b) in receipt of free school meals (FSM) c) who were recorded as having special educational needs (SEN). To illustrate by way of example what is sought, let's say Table 1, Average number of GCSE entries per student - the information I seek is, in tabular or graph form, or both if held, the average number of GCSE entries per student with characteristic a above, the average number of GCSE entries per student with characteristic b, and the average number of GCSE entries per student with characteristic c, for each of the 5 secondary schools, for each of the 5 years represented on this document, and so on up to and including Table 7."

Some information not 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 Schools will undertake more detailed analyses of their own data at different points during the year to support tracking of individual pupils and to inform their own school self-evaluation and improvement planning processes. The nature of these analyses would be individual to the schools and are therefore not collated and aggregated centrally. To do so would require the Department to do something it is not required to do under sections 8(3)(a - c) and section 11(3)(a - b) of the Act. Your request for this information is therefore subject to a practical refusal reason under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. In addition, I would point out that your request seeks in excess of 22 data sets from the Department:- • List of pupil characteristics used in analysis = 1 • 3 set data analysis (EAL, FSM & SEN breakdown) across all 7 of the tables in the document you have referenced = 21.
(In fact this would appear to equate to an even greater number of data sets as you were seeking a detailed breakdown of the number/percentage of each bar in each graph within the KS4 results document). You will no doubt appreciate that work to specifically create/derive, undertake research/analysis or compilation of such data sets (which are not routinely held or ordinarily needed by the Department) would place a considerable burden on the Department. Information that is available The Department is able to provide the information in the following table, which is the only aggregated data held centrally of the type requested. This data was collected centrally from schools recently for a specific purpose (the Department’s contribution to a cross Government work-stream). FSM Data Analysis School % of Year 11 on FSM attaining 5+ A*-C incl. English and Maths – Summer 2017 BHS 63.8 CRHS 23.1 QEII 62.5 RGS 44.4 SNHS 23.5 Island 34.6 Delay in response Please accept our apologies for the delay in our response to your request which was not intended. The delay was due to a heavy workload upon the Corporate Services Team which deal with Freedom of Information (FOI) and other corporate matters on behalf of the Department. This included 11 different FOI requests within the same

time period, as well as coinciding with a number of essential preparatory duties for GDPR, the forthcoming Student Awards period and a busy day to day operational workload supporting Schools and other areas of the Department. Nonetheless I do apologise that we were unable to respond until now. Advice for future requests In future, any requests should cover only one, clearly defined topic, and not consist of many parts. I would draw your attention to published guidance in relation to multi-part FOI requests which is available at:- www.inforights.im/information-centre/freedom-of- information/your-right-to-ask/how-do-i-make-a-request/make-the-most-of-your- request/. In Decision Notice 003/13, the Information Commissioner provided the following good practice recommendations which you might find useful in formulating any future FOI requests:- “98. Public authorities should consider discouraging multi-question requests as this can create confusion for the public authority when dealing with the requests, or any subsequent review requests, and can impact on the time taken for compliance. In addition, the requester may also become confused with the responses provided. 99. Requesters are, of course, entitled to make more than one request at a time, but should be encouraged, through advice and assistance, to make separate requests.”

Following this guidance will help to ensure that any future requests are clearly understood, can be responded to and that they do not meet the frequent, overlapping, burdensome, frivolous or unreasonably persistent criteria outlined in the Code of Practice on Freedom of Information Act 2015 (the Code) issued by Council of Ministers. The Code also sets out the indicators when considering whether a request is vexatious, malicious, frivolous, misconceived or lacking in substance (section 2.4). Your FoI reference number Please quote the reference number 449048 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.