Request for information regarding the use of supply teachers

Summary

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.

Key Facts

• The request covers supply teacher lesson counts for all secondary schools on the Isle of Man.
• The timeframe requested is the academic years 2023/2024 and 2024/2025.
• The Department previously refused a similar request (Ref. 4995706) due to the substantial compilation required.
• The requester offered to accept raw data to avoid the need for Departmental analysis.
• The final outcome was that some information was provided, but not all held information could be supplied.

Data Disclosed

• 2023/2024
• 2024/2025
• 22 October 2025
• 18 November 2025
• Ref. 4995706
• Ref. 5024161
• 3 pages
• 1 document

Exemptions Cited

• Section 8(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (substantial compilation or collation)
• Section 11 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (practical refusal reason)

Original Request

I recently submitted a request in respect of similar information (Ref. 4995706). The request consisted of two parts and, whilst the response to the second part was adequate, a response to the first part was not provided on the basis that "complying with your request for information would require the Department of Education, Sport and Culture to undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds and undertake research into, or analysis or, information that it holds. Which Department of Education, Sport and Culture is not required to do under the Act". I was disappointed to read that the request was closed on 16 October without further opportunity for discussion or clarification, seemingly contrary to the spirit of Section 15 of the Freedom of information Act 2015. Upon subsequent discussion with one of the Department's Legislation, Policy & Research Managers, it appears that the primary reason for not providing a response relates to the timeframe for the request i.e. the number of years for which the information was requested, and the magnitude of the task of collating this information. Notwithstanding that it is my view that the use of AI tools such as Microsoft CoPilot (available to Government employees) would significantly simplify this task, I acknowledge that there appears to have been a change in the systems used to record such information during the timeframe stipulated within the initial request, which may complicate matters. Whilst I do not wish to request a review of the decision relating to Ref. 4995706 at this point, I do, however, wish to re-submit the first part of my previous request with a revised timeframe, as agreed with the above Officer, noting that it was also agreed that requesting the information for all secondary schools on the Island remains appropriate in order to facilitate comparison. Therefore: Please provide, separately, for each of the Island's secondary schools, and for each of the past two academic years (2023/2024 and 2024/2025), the number of lessons (where a double lesson counts as two lessons etc.) that have been delivered or overseen by a supply or substitute teacher (i.e. an educator who temporarily replaces a teacher who, ordinarily, has responsibility for teaching a particular subject, when they are absent due to illness, leave, or for other reasons). I acknowledge that, as per section 8(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015, the Department is not required to: (a) Create or derive information from information that it holds; (b) Undertake research into, or analysis of information that it holds; or (c) Undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds. Therefore, if the compilation or collation of the data into the information requested is still deemed as being substantial, I would be content to receive the raw data held by the Department, and undertake this aspect myself or, if necessary, submit a further request for the data alone. Furthermore, I recognise that, as per section 11 of the above Act, the Department may refuse to provide the information requested if a practical refusal reason applies. I acknowledge that this request may be construed as relating to information that is identical, or substantially similar, to information previously requested by myself; however, on the basis that no information was supplied to me, as required to satisfy the meaning of "practical refusal reason", defined in the Section 11(3)(e), I do not believe that the criteria provided for in Section 11(2)(b) has been met.

Data Tables (1)

Data Tables (reformatted)

Full Response Text

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: 5024161 18 November 2025

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 22 October 2025, which states:

"I recently submitted a request in respect of similar information (Ref. 4995706).

… Therefore: Please provide, separately, for each of the Island's secondary schools, and for each of the past two academic years (2023/2024 and 2024/2025), the number of lessons (where a double lesson counts as two lessons etc.) that have been delivered or overseen by a supply or substitute teacher (i.e. an educator who temporarily replaces a teacher who, ordinarily, has responsibility for teaching a particular subject, when they are absent due to illness, leave, or for other reasons).

I acknowledge that, as per section 8(3) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015, the Department is not required to:

(a) Create or derive information from information that it holds;

(b) Undertake research into, or analysis of information that it holds; or

(c) Undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds.

Therefore, if the compilation or collation of the data into the information requested is still deemed as being substantial, I would be content to receive the raw data held by the Department, and undertake this aspect myself or, if necessary, submit a further request for the data alone.

Furthermore, I recognise that, as per section 11 of the above Act, the Department may refuse to provide the information requested if a practical refusal reason applies. I acknowledge that this request may be construed as relating to information that is identical, or substantially similar, to information previously requested by myself; however, on the basis that no information was supplied to me, as required to satisfy the meaning of "practical refusal reason", defined in the Section 11(3)(e), I do not believe that the criteria provided for in Section 11(2)(b) has been met."

Our response to your request is as follows:

Supply cover is provided in Secondary Schools for a number of reasons including training, special leave, medical appointments and sickness.

Ramsey Grammer School
Academic Year 2023 /2024
1037 lessons were covered for various reasons by supply teachers.

Academic Year 2024/ 2025
24/25 - 2112 lessons were covered. 701 of those lessons were specialist long term supply covering staff absences that the school could not recruit for until the start of September due to teacher resignation dates.

Castle Rushen High School
Academic Year 2023 / 2024
October 2023 – December 2023 there were 647 lessons covered by Supply Teachers
8th January – 30th April 2024 there were 663 lessons covered by Supply Teachers.
May 2024 – July 2024 – Not Held.

Academic Year 2024 / 2025
A total of 4239 lessons had to be covered.

St Ninians High School
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance, complying with your request for information would require St Ninians High School to undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds and undertake research into, or analysis or, information that it holds. Which Department of Education, Sport and Culture is not required to do under the Act. For these reasons Department of Education, Sport and Culture is not obliged to comply with your request.

By way of advice and assistance St Ninians do not ordinarily collect this data as it would create a significant workload to interrogate the now unused management information system to try and collate the information requested. St Ninians has between 2000 and 2300 lessons taking place every week with approximately 15000 lessons taking place every 7 week half term. A small proportion of these will require a substitute teacher.

Ballakermeen High School
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested.

By way of advice and assistance Ballakermeen do not hold the data in the form requested and to collate any held information would require the school to undertake substantial compilation.

Queen Elizabeth II High School

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested.

By way of advice and assistance QEII do not hold the data for the academic years 2023/2024 and 2024/2025.

Please quote the reference number 5024161 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.