The Freedom of Information Act 2000 applies to all “public authorities” as defined in the Act, including the Trust. It gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by us, sets out exemptions from that right and places a number of obligations on us. Under the Act a public authority has two main responsibilities:
- production of a guide to the information it makes publicly available; and
- dealing with individual written requests for information and providing the information if it is not already published, or exempt from release.
Publication Scheme
The Act requires the Trust to adopt a Publication Scheme. This details the categories of information we make available on a routine basis. The Trust has adopted the latest Model Publication Scheme produced by the Information Commissioner, the independent authority responsible for compliance with the Act. A Guide to Information has been produced in accordance with the Information Commissioner’s Definition Document for Universities and other Higher Education Institutions and this is available below.
Individual requests
Requests and enquiries should be submitted by email to admin@tpacademytrust.org or by post to:
Truro and Penwith Academy Trust
Academy House
Threemilestone Business Park
Truro
TR4 9LD
We will write to you to acknowledge your request and let you know the legal deadline by which we will respond. Within 20 working days, we will write again with our response. This will let you know whether we hold the information, and, if we do, we will either supply a copy or set out the reasons why we believe an exemption applies.
If your request is for information about yourself, this falls under data protection legislation rather than freedom of information legislation. Such requests, known as ‘subject access requests’, are handled under separate procedures; details on how to submit a subject access request to the Trust are published at https://www.tedwraggtrust.co.uk/governance/freedom-of-information/
Complaints and internal reviews
If you are unhappy about the way in which your request has been handled (usually if your request for information has been denied, in whole or in part), you should complain to the Trust in the first instance. Such a complaint is known as a request for an internal review and will be handled by clerk to the Chair of the Trust by emailing admin@tpacademytrust.org
Right of appeal to the Information Commissioner
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint or internal review, you may apply to the Information Commissioner’s Office who will investigate the case and determine whether your request for information has been dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the Act.