The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30th September. The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board.
The Appeals Board considered staffing appeals from 178 schools in respect of the 2021/22 school year. Of these, 40 were upheld and 69 were provisionally upheld pending confirmation of enrolments on 30th September 2021. Of the 69 provisionally upheld, 60 schools achieved the required enrolment to retain the post for the remainder of the year while 9 schools did not. 47 appeals did not meet the published appeal criteria and so were deemed ineligible, while 22 appeals were refused as the Appeals Board did not consider that a departure from the staffing schedule was warranted.