Freedom of Information

How to make a Freedom of Information request to Cheviot Learning Trust

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides a right of access to a wide range of information held by public authorities, including the Trust. The purpose is to promote greater openness and accountability. 

Our duty to you

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 requires us to:

Before you request information from the Cheviot Learning Trust

Check whether the information you seek is already available. The Trust publishes information on this website and you may well find the answer to your question is already here. We have a publication scheme setting out what information we currently release or expect to release.

If you request information from Cheviot Learning Trust that is already published, we will simply refer you to the published source.

Who can request information?

Anyone, anywhere in the world, can make a FOI request to The Cheviot Learning Trust.

What can I request?

You can seek any recorded information that you think the Trust may hold.

If the information is environmental, we will respond according to the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR)  2004. You do not have to know whether the information you want is covered by the EIR or the FOI Act. When you make a request, we will decide which law applies.

If the information is your own personal data,  then you should make a subject access request under the General Data Protection Regulation, May 2018, and not under the FOI Act. See below for how to make these requests. 

How do I request information?

Your request must be in writing and can be either posted or emailed to The Cheviot Learning Trust.

For postal requests, please send to the following address:

The Cheviot Learning Trust
Cottingwood Lane
Morpeth
NE61 1DN

Email requests should be sent to cheviot@learningtrust.com

Please write “Freedom of Information” in the subject line. If you would have difficulty making a written request, please call 01670 515415.

What information must I include in my request?

The FOI Act requires certain information to be supplied before the Trust can respond to your request:

 

What you do not need to do

 

How should I word my request?

Comprehensive guidance on submitting effective requests for information is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office. However, to frame an effective request for the information you need:

 

Do:

 

Don’t:

 

What happens when my request is received?

Cheviot Learning Trust has a legal obligation to reply to your FOI request and must do so within 20 working days of receipt. We will do one of the following:

 

What can I do if I am unhappy with the reply I receive or the way my request was handled?

You can ask the Trust for an internal review of your FOI request. When you write to us requesting an internal review, we will acknowledge your letter and tell you how long we think the review will take. We aim to complete internal reviews within 20 working days, although more cases that are complex may take longer. Where internal reviews go over 20 working days, we will keep you informed of progress.

If, after an internal review, you are still not satisfied you can then complain to the Information Commissioner (ICO).  Details of how to do this are available at the ICO website.

Full details of how to ask the Trust for an internal review will be included in our initial reply to your FOI request. Details of how to complain further to the Information Commissioner will be included in our response to your internal review request.

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