COVID-19 impact on Attainment Scotland Fund and school closures: FOI release

Information requested

Any analysis carried out (and any briefing material produced in relation to this analysis) regarding the impact of the Attainment Scotland Fund. I would like this information from 01 January 2020 to 15 September 2020.

Any analysis carried out (and any briefing material produced in relation to this analysis) regarding the impact that school closures due to COVID-19 has had on the attainment gap in Scotland. I would like this information from 30 April 2020 to 30 August 2020.

Any analysis carried out (and any briefing material produced in relation to this analysis) on the attainment gap in Scottish education more generally. I would like this information from 01 October 2019 to 30 March 2020.

Response

I enclose 3 documents containing various briefing documents, reports, and excel spreadsheets relating to your request. 

Exemption(s) under section(s) 25(1), 27(1), and 38(1) of FOISA applies to some of the information you have requested.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Some of the information you have requested is available from:
Chapter 4 https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-attainment-initial-leaverdestinations-no-2-2020-edition/pages/6/
Chapter 4 https://www.gov.scot/publications/achievement-curriculum-excellence-cfe-levels-2018-19/pages/5/
https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202000017750/
https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202000017734/
https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202000017666/

An exemption under section 27(1) of FOISA applies to some of the information requested because we intend to publish that information in December 2020, which is within 12 weeks of the date of your request. We consider that it is reasonable to withhold the information until that date rather than release some of this information before the planned publication date.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is some public interest in release because of the impact of school closures on attainment and this will be met by our planned publication. In the meantime, there is a greater public interest in taking the time necessary to ensure the information has been properly collated and checked before it is published as planned.

Also, we see no public interest in disrupting our programme of work to release the information ahead of the intended publication date.

An exemption under Section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) applies to personal data of a third party.

Due to the size of the files we are unable to upload the documents referred to above.
If you wish to consider, please contact us at the address below and we will be happy to provide.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.