Transparency Update (v2 Audit): Owning Our Revision & Why the "48% Weight" Is Worse Than We Thought
Throughout this campaign, we have called out Derby City Council for a lack of transparency - from withholding spreadsheet formulas under Section 36 of the Freedom of Information Act to altering official documents without telling families.
Because we believe the public deserves total honesty, we are practicing what we preach. Today, we have updated our Forensic Breakdown PDF to Version 2.0 to correct an important methodological point from our initial release, and we are publishing both the new v2.0 report and the original v1.0 report side-by-side so anyone can verify every single number.
WHAT WE UPDATED (AND WHY IT MATTERS):
1. Cumulative Row Stacking vs. Single-Row Scoring:
In Version 1.0, our individual row formula (Row Base × Category Weight × FIDS 1–4) was 100% accurate, but we calculated the totals for Columns 4–10 assuming panels only scored a single row (B, C, D, or E) per column.
After cross-checking Slide 12 of the Council's internal SENCO training presentation alongside the spreadsheet's calibration rows (Tabs 2 & 3, Rows 8–11), we confirmed that while Physical, Hearing, and Vision (Columns 1–3) score on a single row, Columns 4–10 are designed to stack cumulatively down the column (Row B + Row C + Row D).
2. How This Exposes the "48% Weight" Threshold-Shaving:
Correcting our model to stack rows cumulatively actually solved the biggest mystery in the spreadsheet: why did the Council assign an odd 48% weight (instead of 50%) to Autism, Speech & Language, and Learning Readiness?
• Under cumulative scoring (Row B + Row C + Row D at maximum FIDS 4+4+4), a 50% weight gives a child 320.0 points—which qualifies for Band 5 (£5,000).
• By shaving the weight from 50% down to 48%, the maximum cumulative score drops to 307.2 points - leaving a child with maximum Severe (Level D) Autism or Speech needs at 307.2 points, just 1.8 points short of the 309-point cutoff for Band 5, and dropping their funding by £3,000 (down to Band 4, £2,000).
• Meanwhile, a child with a single Severe (Level D) Physical, Hearing, or Vision need (100% weight) automatically scores 400.0 points (Band 5 = £5,000) from one box alone.
3. Exact Excel Cell References:
We also updated our cell and row citations from computer-indexed numbering (0-based) to standard Excel numbering (1-based) - such as Cells T9 and T11 for the blank Dyslexia/Brain Injury rows and Rows 8–11 for the internal calibration rows—so anyone opening the Council's Excel file can match every coordinate immediately.
COMPARE BOTH VERSIONS FOR YOURSELF:
We have updated our main Google Drive link so anyone downloading the briefing gets the fully verified v2.0 audit, and we have archived v1.0 at a separate link so the full history remains on the public record:
• Download Forensic Breakdown v2.0 (Updated): https://drive.google.com/file/d/15kHuHUTbN8HAPjfiw291Ou7DgFlXyC4s/view?usp=drive_link
• Download Forensic Breakdown v1.0 (Original Archive): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V5-Nw0xVMNWYAhLCnoPPzauazG3ZyAqW/view?usp=drive_link
Thank you to everyone who has shared, scrutinized, and supported this campaign. Truth and transparency are our strongest weapons!