Flexible working in primary and secondary schools (FOI)

Request

I would like to know about flexible working in Primary and secondary schools in Jersey and within Children, Young People, Education and Skills (CYPES): 

A

For each of Primary, Secondary schools and CYPES how many requests for flexible working were made to line managers in the last three years? what is the trend over the past 10 years?

B

For each of Primary, Secondary schools and CYPES how many requests for flexible working were approved in the last three years? what is the trend over the past 10 years?

C

For each of Primary Secondary and CYPES how many requests for flexible working needs were referred to the Director General for a determinant in the last three years? what is the trend over the past 10 years?

D

For each of Primary, Secondary schools and CYPES how many requests for flexible working were approved by the Director General in the last three years? what is the trend over the past 10 years?

In Primary and secondary schools 

E

How many teaching staff are in flexible roles in Primary schools in 2021 and how does this compare in the last three years? What is the trend over the past 10 years?

F

How many teaching staff are in flexible roles in secondary schools in 2021 and how does this compare in the last three years? What is the trend over the past 10 years?

G

How many teaching staff are in flexible roles in Primary schools who are in senior positions in 2021 and how does this compare in the last three years? (senior posts refers to assistant headteacher, deputy headteacher, headteacher). What is the trend over the past 10 years?

H

How many teaching staff are in flexible roles in secondary schools who are in senior positions in 2021 and how does this compare in the last three years? (senior posts refers to assistant headteacher, deputy headteacher, headteacher). What is the trend over the past 10 years?

CYPES

I

How many senior staff are in flexible roles in CYPES (grade 11 and above?) Who are in senior positions in last three years?

J

How does this compare in the last three years?

How does this to compare to other roles grade 11 and above in other government departments? 

K

What is the trend over the past 10 years?

L

What particular actions are CYPES undertaking to support the workforce to promote the new governments flexible working policy?

Response

A

The Government of Jersey does not hold data on working patterns as requested. A central register that records any requests for flexible working that have been made, or any aspects of any approval processes, does not currently exist. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies. Line managers respond to individual requests for flexible working on a case-by-case basis. Information regarding the application of the flexible working policy within schools is not held centrally in recorded form. To provide an answer to the request would require the collation, extraction and manipulation of data across departments. A Scheduled Public Authority is not required to manipulate and create new data sets. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

In reference to this, and all questions that request a trend analysis: 

A Scheduled Public Authority is not required to manipulate and create new data sets, a trend analysis cannot be provided. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied. 

Due to previous record management processes, data prior to 2016 is not held in an easily accessible format. To collect and collate the data would involve searching through a large number of individual files. It is estimated that to conduct such a review would exceed the timescales prescribed in the Freedom of Information (Costs) (Jersey) Regulations 2014. Article 16 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied. 

Please see attached document which shows raw data for the years 2017 – 2022 in relation to each request. Tables A to E. Please note: the data provided relates to all Government of Jersey run schools The Government of Jersey does not hold data related to teaching staff in the island's private schools. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Tables A to E.pdf

B

Please see response to question A.

C and D

Please see response to question A. 

Please note, the title of Director General is no longer in use within the Government of Jersey. The title of this position is now Chief Officer.  

E

Please see the table below for the total number of teaching staff employed in primary schools in flexible roles in the years 2020 to 2022.

Table 1

While “Flexible Working” can cover a number of different working arrangements such as those working from home, working compressed hours or on term time working the Government of Jersey only centrally holds data on those working part time or with a compressed working week.

A Scheduled Public Authority is not required to manipulate and create new data sets; therefore, a comparative analysis cannot be provided. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

F

Please see the table below for the number of teaching staff employed in secondary schools in flexible roles in the years 2020 to 2022.

Table 2

While “Flexible Working” can cover a number of different working arrangements such as those working from home, working compressed hours or on term time working the Government of Jersey only centrally holds data on those working part time or with a compressed working week.

A Scheduled Public Authority is not required to manipulate and create new data sets; therefore, a comparative analysis cannot be provided. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

G

Please see the table below for the number of senior staff employed in primary schools in flexible roles in the years 2020 to 2022.

Table 3

While “Flexible Working” can cover a number of different working arrangements such as those working from home, working compressed hours or on term time working the Government of Jersey only holds centrally data on those working part time or with a compressed working week.

Where numbers are fewer than five, disclosure control has been applied to protect the privacy of individuals. Numbers fewer than five are represented as ‘<5’. Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

A Scheduled Public Authority is not required to manipulate and create new data sets; therefore, a comparative analysis cannot be provided. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied. 

H

Please see the table below for the number of senior staff employed in secondary schools in flexible roles in the years 2020 to 2022.

Table 4

While “Flexible Working” can cover a number of different working arrangements such as those working from home, working compressed hours or on term time working the Government of Jersey only holds centrally data on those working part time or with a compressed working week.

Where numbers are fewer than five, disclosure control has been applied to protect the privacy of individuals. Numbers fewer than five are represented as ‘<5’. Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied. 

A Scheduled Public Authority is not required to manipulate and create new data sets; therefore, a comparative analysis cannot be provided. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

I

Please see the table below for the number of CYPES staff at grade 11 and above in flexible roles in in the years 2020 - 2022:

Table 5

While “Flexible Working” can cover a number of different working arrangements such as those working from home, working compressed hours or on term time working the Government of Jersey only holds centrally data on those working part time or with a compressed working week.

J

A Scheduled Public Authority is not required to manipulate and create new data sets; therefore, a comparative analysis cannot be provided. Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

K

Please see the response to question A as to why it is not possible to provide a trend analysis as requested. 

L

Work is underway to enhance policies and processes around flexible working across government. The department is exploring options for flexible working in school alongside the relaunch of the new policy arrangement.  Work will be carried out to determine how the policy enhancements apply to schools and additional guidance will be provided.  

Articles applied

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 16 - A scheduled public authority may refuse to supply information if cost excessive

(1) A scheduled public authority that has been requested to supply information may refuse to supply the information if it estimates that the cost of doing so would exceed an amount determined in the manner prescribed by Regulations. 

(2) Despite paragraph (1), a scheduled public authority may still supply the information requested on payment to it of a fee determined by the authority in the manner prescribed by Regulations for the purposes of this Article.

(3) Regulations may provide that, in such circumstances as the Regulations prescribe, if two or more requests for information are made to a scheduled public authority –

(a) by one person; or

(b) by different persons who appear to the scheduled public authority to be acting in concert or in pursuance of a campaign, the estimated cost of complying with any of the requests is to be taken to be the estimated total cost of complying with all of them.

Article 25 - Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.

3)      In determining for the purposes of this Article whether the lawfulness principle in Article 8(1)(a) of the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 would be contravened by the disclosure of information, paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 2 to that Law (legitimate interests) is to be read as if sub-paragraph (b) (which disapplies the provision where the controller is a public authority) were omitted.