Access to information - are we going to have to use FOI

OK so we have not had the initial information meetings yet but SurreyCC, the Governors and the School(s) are being somewhat less than helpful or free with information.  The team doing research for this site are encountering slow or no response to requests for information.

It is proving for example very difficult to get access to the Tomlinscote Governors meeting minutes for the last year - the furthest that anyone has got is that they could come into school and view them.  If we all wish to see them that is going to be a slow process indeed.

This is from  ‘A guide to the law for School Governors’   

http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/doc/g/guide to the law for school governors.doc

MINUTES AND PAPERS

66.       The clerk must ensure that minutes are drawn up, approved by the governing body and are signed by the chair at the next meeting.

67.       Regulation 13 of the Procedures Regulations provides that the governing body must make available for inspection, to any interested person, a copy of the agenda, signed minutes and reports or papers considered at the meeting as soon as is reasonably practical. Information relating to a named person or any other matter that the governing body considers confidential does not have to be made available for inspection. Since January 2005 the governing body is obliged to make this information available upon request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, unless any other of the specific exemptions in that Act apply. Therefore, the governing body will only be able to withhold information that constitutes personal data or confidential information, in each case, within the meaning of the Freedom of Information Act (see guidance available on GovernorNet).

Make available for inspection is what they are doing. Less than helpful though.

Perhaps if there is enough demand we could ask for PDFs or the like to be made available. They must have the material in Word or some electronic format already, so not a huge task.

In any case they (School, LEA, Governors) need to put in place some sort of organisation to facilitate interaction and communication with parents.

After all we have not even got into requesting the real details of the planning / costing etc. all the supporting documentation we would need to analyse their case. How are we going to get to fully understand the workings of their proposals if the relevant documents are hidden away?