Placements and funding at Online School i-Sgoil: FOI release

Information requested

1. The number of funded places available in Scotland for the online school i-Sgoil in academic year 2022-23 and 2023-24 at primary level.
2. The number of funded places available in Scotland for the online school i-Sgoil in academic year 2022-23 and 2023-24 at secondary level.
3. The average waiting time for a placement request to be given a place in i-Sgoil in academic year 2022-23.
4. The number of primary school children on the waiting list for an i-Sgoil place.
5. The number of secondary school children on the waiting list for an i-Sgoil place.
6. A breakdown of the number of referrals made for an i-Sgoil place by each Scottish local education authority in 2022-23 and 2021-22.

Response

Question 1 – The number of funded places is determined and changes to meet the level of funding and the capacity of the teachers and management on the programme at any given time.
This is because:

• Over the course of session 2022-23, i-Sgoil supported over 170 learners from P2 to S6. During March 2023 the school roll was 23 in primary.
• Over the course of session 2023-24, i-Sgoil has to date supported over 26 learners from P2 to S6. During March 2024 the school roll was 20 in primary.

Question 2 – The number of funded places is determined and changes to meet the level of funding and the capacity of the teachers and management on the programme at any given time.

This is because:

• Over the course of session 2022-23, i-Sgoil supported over 170 learners from P2 to S6. During March 2023 the school roll was 111 in Secondary.
• Over the course of session 2023-24, i-Sgoil has to date supported over 158 learners from P2 to S6. During March 2023 the school roll was 139 in Secondary.

Question 3 –The average waiting time for i-Sgoil varies between 2 and 7 months with occasional waits when engagement is delayed. Average waiting times can vary from year group to year group due to differing factors.

Question 4 – The number of primary school children on the current waiting list is 13 (includes 6 in process).

There are currently 7 referrals on the waiting list which have not been taken forward yet.

Question 5 – The number of secondary school children on the current waiting list is 114 (includes 26 in process).

There are currently 88 referrals on the waiting list which have not been taken forward yet.

Question 6 – The number of referrals made for an i-Sgoil place by each Scottish local education authority in 2022-23 and 2021-22 was:

2021/22 Referrals

Row Labels	Count of Local Authority
Aberdeen City Council	19
Aberdeenshire Council	50
Angus Council	1
Argyll and Bute Council	8
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar	15
East Ayrshire Council	1
East Dunbartonshire Council	1
East Lothian Council	1
East Renfrewshire Council	2
Fife Council	12
North Ayrshire Council	1
North Lanarkshire Council	10
Orkney Islands Council	16
Perth and Kinross Council	2
Renfrewshire Council	14
Scottish Borders Council	1
Shetland Islands Council	18
The Highland Council	1
The Moray Council	29
Grand Total	202

2022/23 Referrals

Row Labels	Count of Local Authority
Aberdeen City Council	12
Aberdeenshire Council	31
Angus Council	9
Argyll and Bute Council	3
City of Edinburgh Council	13
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar	10
Dumfries and Galloway Council	9
Dundee City Council	11
East Ayrshire Council	8
East Dunbartonshire Council	3
East Lothian Council	4
East Renfrewshire Council	1
Falkirk Council	2
Fife Council	18
Glasgow City Council	3
North Ayrshire Council	6
North Lanarkshire Council	27
Orkney Islands Council	2
Perth and Kinross Council	3
Renfrewshire Council	1
Scottish Borders Council	2
Shetland Islands Council	1
South Ayrshire Council	1
South Lanarkshire Council	6
Stirling Council	4
The Moray Council	10
West Lothian Council	19
Grand Total	219

About FOI

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