Information Commissioner's Office

Office for Standards in Education

16 July 2014, Education (College)

The complainant has requested information relating to OFSTED’s inspection of Walton High School in September 2013. Regarding the application of section 33 of the FOIA, the Commissioner has decided that this exemption does not apply to the information specified by OFSTED. In respect of the application of section 40 of the FOIA, the Commissioner has decided that this has been correctly applied to the information specified by OFSTED except for some information. Concerning the application of section 41(2) of the FOIA, the Commissioner has decided that OFSTED has acted appropriately in this case by refusing to confirm or deny whether any complaint is held about the inspection of Walton High School. As the Commissioner has decided that some of the information is not exempt from disclosure under the FOIA, he requires OFSTED to disclose the following information to the complainant: the Evidence Base Review completed by Tribal; details of discussions between the inspection team prior to the inspection with the personal data of the inspectors concerned and any pupils redacted; the joining instructions for the inspection team; and OFSTED’s Risk Assessment of Walton High (as no exemption was applied to this information as paragraph 14 further explains). This decision notice is currently under appeal to the Tribunal. Information Tribunal appeal EA/2014/0207 disposed of by consent.  Information Tribunal appeal EA/2014/0208 withdrawn.

FOI 33: Upheld FOI 40: Partly upheld