Total Agency and Supply Staffing for Internal and External Communications

Date Request Received: 05/01/2026  -  Date Response Sent: 20/01/2026

Details of Request

Request for Information: I request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding temporary and agency worker usage for communications and marketing roles.

Definition of Scope: For the purposes of this request, “communications” refers to any function or team managed, hosted, or funded through the Trust’s structures (including work performed at a central, regional, or individual academy level) that encompasses:

Internal or external communications functions;

Media relations, Public Relations, or the Press Office;

Social media management and digital content;

Marketing, student recruitment, and brand management.

Definition of Personnel: For the purposes of this request, the term “agency” refers to all temporary, non-permanent, or supply staff engaged via an external recruitment agency, a Managed Service Provider (MSP), or a central “Bank/Supply Pool” where such an arrangement exists.

Timing and Cooperation: To ensure the data provided is accurate and aligned with your internal accounting cycles, I am happy to allow the necessary time for your teams to complete the December 2025 month-end close before running these reports. I recognise that the holiday period may impact administrative capacity and I seek a collaborative approach to ensure the provision of a complete and reconciled dataset.

Please provide the following data:

1. 2024/25 Academic Year Actuals and Outturn Forecast:

1a: Provide the total number of days a temporary worker was employed via an agency or supply pool for the communications roles defined above from 1 September 2025 to the end of the December 2025 reporting period. (If data is only held in hours, please provide the total hours and specify the standard working day length to avoid manual conversion).

1b: Provide the current projected outturn for the total number of agency/supply days for these roles for the full 2024/25 academic year (ending 31 August 2026).

1c: Provide a breakdown of these days by Pay Scale/Band or job title.

2. 2025/26 Planned Requirements:

2a: Provide the total number of days currently budgeted or forecasted for agency-provided or supply communications staff for the 2025/26 academic year.

2b. Funding and Management Qualifier: This request explicitly includes all agency and supply requirements managed or funded through the Trust, regardless of whether the staff are deployed to specific academies, regional hubs, or the central executive team.

2c. Financial Qualifier: Note that I am requesting the currently held financial forecasts and draft budget allocations for 2025/26 as they exist at the time of this request.

Public Interest and Statutory Compliance: This information is requested to ensure transparency regarding the use of public funds and the efficiency of Academy Trust staffing. There is a clear and compelling public interest in disclosure regarding how trusts manage workforce budgets and their reliance on non-permanent staffing models.

Requirement for Third-Party Data: If this information is held on your behalf by a Managed Service Provider (MSP) or Master Vendor, note that under Section 3(2)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this information is deemed to be held by the public authority. I respectfully request you immediately retrieve this data from your provider to fulfill this request without delay.

Format of Response: Provide this data in a machine-readable format (Excel or CSV). Please include separate columns for: “Band/Role Title,” “Actual Days (YTD),” “Forecasted Outturn (24/25),” and “Planned Requirement (25/26).”

Data Processing Instruction: To ensure full compliance and avoid data processing delays, provide the requested information in a machine-readable Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) or CSV format, specifically organized into separate columns for Role Title, Actual Days (YTD), Forecasted Outturn (24/25), and Planned Requirement (25/26).

Cost of Compliance: If you estimate the cost of compliance will exceed the statutory limit (£450), please prioritize the data for Section 1 (2024/25). Under Section 16, please advise how I might refine the remainder of the request to bring it within the limit.

Details of Response