Data Protection

Data Protection and Freedom of Information

Schools handle and store personal information about pupils, parents or carers, staff, and governors. Under the Data Protection Act 1998, schools are legally obliged to protect this information.

As a school we must:

  • only collect personal information you need for specific purposes
  • keep the information secure
  • ensure the information is relevant and up to date
  • only hold as much information as you need and only for as long as you need it
  • let people know what information is held about them and what it is used for
  • allow these people to see the information that is held about them
  • notify the Information Commissioner’s Office that you process personal information.

Informing parents and carers

As a school we must inform all parents and carers that we hold personal information about each pupil and explain how you intend to use this information.

Data Protection Policy

Designated Protection Officer

Helen Quinn

Schools handle and store personal information about pupils, parents or carers, staff, and governors. Under the Data Protection Act 1998, schools are legally obliged to protect this information. Your school must:

  • only collect personal information you need for specific purposes
  • keep the information secure
  • ensure the information is relevant and up to date
  • only hold as much information as you need and only for as long as you need it
  • let people know what information is held about them and what it is used for
  • allow these people to see the information that is held about them
  • notify the Information Commissioner’s Office that you process personal information.

Find out more about complying with the Data Protection Act from the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Informing parents and carers

Your school must inform all parents and carers that you hold personal information about each pupil and explain how you intend to use this information. Your school needs to send the parent or carer of every pupil a Privacy Notice, also called a Fair Processing Notice. The notice is renewed every year, so you have to send it to parents in the autumn of every school year. Find out more on our page Privacy Notices.

Allowing individuals to see their information

Pupils, their parents or carers, staff and governors have the right to see the personal information schools hold about them and to correct the information if it is wrong. Under the Data Protection Act, they can send a subject access request to the school. Find out what your legal obligations are on our page Requests for access to personal information.

Notifying the Information Commissioner’s Office

All schools have to notify the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) that they handle personal information. Notification is statutory and failure to do so is a criminal offence.