Number of school aged children in Cottam

FOI Ref: FOI/2022/3586

You asked

Please suuply the following information in relation to the area of Cottam:

1. Number of school aged children (primary and secondary split out) living in the area during 2010/2011.

2. Number of school aged children (primary and secondary split out) living in the area during 2020/2021 (or the closest year you have data for).

We said

​Thank you for your Freedom of Information request for the number of school aged children in Cottam.

Please see attached an extract from 2011 Census table QS103EW for the civil parish of Cottam in Nottinghamshire which provides a total population count of usual residents and counts for ages 4 to 15 years.  

The first release of data from Census 2021 is scheduled for late spring 2022 starting with population counts. More detailed statistics such as age structures will become available in a later phase.

As such, the information you have requested for 2020/2021 is considered exempt under Section 22(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, whereby information is exempt from release if there is a view to publish the information in the future. Furthermore, as a central government department and producer of official statistics, we need to have the freedom to be able to determine our own publication timetables. This is to allow us to deal with the necessary preparation, administration and context of publications. It would be unreasonable to consider disclosure when to do so would undermine our functions.

This exemption is subject to a public interest test. We recognise the desirability of information being freely available and this is considered by ONS when publication schedules are set in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The need for timely data must be balanced against the practicalities of applying statistical skill and judgement to produce the high quality, assured data needed to inform decision-making. If this balance is incorrectly applied, then we run the risk of decisions being based on inaccurate data which is arguably not in the public interest. This will have an impact on public trust in official statistics in a time when accuracy of official statistics is more important to the public than ever before.

If you require any further census statistics or advice, please contact Census Customer Services.