Introduction

Under UK data protection law, individuals have a right to be informed about how our school uses any personal data that we hold about them. We comply with this right by providing ‘privacy notices’ (sometimes called ‘fair processing notices’) to individuals where we are processing their personal data.

This privacy notice explains how we collect, store and use personal data about students, workforce and governance at our school.

Our trust, Wildern Trust, is the ‘data controller’ for the purposes of UK data protection law.

Our data protection officer is Mr M.Knight (see ‘Contact us’ below).

Please be aware that usually students are considered to have the mental capacity to understand their own data protection rights (generally considered to be age 12, but this has to be considered on a case-by-case basis) The school may therefore consult with a pupil over this age if it receives a request to exercise a data protection right from a parent.  Once your child is able to understand their rights over their own data, you should instead refer to our privacy notice for students to see what rights they have over their own personal data.

The personal data we hold

Personal data that we may collect, use, store and share (when appropriate) about your child/you includes, but is not restricted to:

• Contact details, contact preferences, date of birth, identification documents

• Results of internal assessments and externally set tests

• Pupil and curricular records

• Exclusion information

• Attendance information

• Safeguarding information

• Details of any support received, including care packages, plans and support providers

We may also collect, use, store and share (when appropriate) information about your child/you that falls into ‘special categories’ of more sensitive personal data. This includes, but is not restricted to:

• Information about any medical conditions we need to be aware of, including physical and mental health

• Information about your child’s use of our information and communications systems, equipment and facilities (e.g. school computers)

• Photographs and CCTV images captured in school

• Information about characteristics, such as ethnic background or special educational needs

• We may also hold data about your child that we have received from other organisations, including other schools and social services.

By using CCTV systems the school collects, stores, and uses static or moving images of individuals located in the surveillance area.

The school may be able to identify those individuals by using other existing information.

The school operates CCTV for the following purposes:

• Maintain a safe environment;

• Ensure the welfare, safety and security of students (including safeguarding), staff and visitors;

• Deter criminal acts and violent behaviour against persons and property;

• Assist the police/law enforcement agencies in identifying persons who have committed an offence;

• Use in disciplinary proceedings.

Privacy Notice (How we use Student Information)

Why do we collect and use student information? We collect and use student information under the Education Act 1996. The EU general data protection regulation 2016/679 (GDPR) will take effect in May 25 2018 including Article 6 ‘lawfulness of processing’ and Article 9 ‘Processing of special categories of personal data’

If you have any concerns about the way we have handled your personal data or would like any further information, then please contact our DPO using the details provided above.

https://www.gov.uk/education/data-collection-and-censuses-for-schools

Why we collect and use pupil information

We collect and use pupil information, for the following purposes:

• to support pupil learning

• to monitor and report on pupil attainment progress

• to provide appropriate pastoral care

• to assess the quality of our services

• to keep children safe (food allergies, or emergency contact details)

• to meet the statutory duties placed upon us for the Department for Education (DfE) data collections

The categories of pupil information that we collect, hold and share include: 

• personal identifiers and contacts (such as name, unique pupil number, contact details and address)

• characteristics (such as ethnicity, language, and free school meal eligibility)

• safeguarding information (such as court orders and professional involvement)

• special educational needs (including the needs and ranking)

• medical and administration (such as doctors information, child health, dental health, allergies, medication and dietary requirements)

• attendance (such as sessions attended, number of absences, absence reasons and any previous schools attended)

• assessment and attainment (such as key stage 1 and phonics results, post 16 courses enrolled for and any relevant results)

• behavioural information (such as exclusions and any relevant alternative provision put in place)

• internet history (from school devices using school provided internet access)

Collecting student information

Whilst the majority of student information you provide to us is mandatory, some of it is provided to us on a voluntary basis. In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, we will inform you whether you are required to provide certain student information to us or if you have a choice in this. 

Storing student data

We hold pupil data for a minimum of 6 years following a student’s last entry.

Who do we share student information with?

We routinely share student information with: 

• Schools that the student’s attend after leaving us

• Our local authority

• The Department for Education (DfE)

• School First Aider 

• Youth support services students aged 13+)

Why we share student information

We do not share information about our students with anyone without consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so.

We share students’ data with the Department for Education (DfE) on a statutory basis. This data sharing underpins school funding and educational attainment policy and monitoring. 

We are required to share information about our students with the (DfE) under regulation 5 of The Education (Information About Individual Studentss) (England) Regulations 2013. 

• Youth support services

• Students aged 13+ 

Once our studentss reach the age of 13, we also pass student information to our local authority and / or provider of youth support services as they have responsibilities in relation to the education or training of 13-19 year olds under section 507B of the Education Act 1996.

This enables them to provide services as follows:

• youth support services

• careers advisers

The information shared is limited to the child’s name, address and date of birth. However where a parent or guardian provides their consent, other information relevant to the provision of youth support services will be shared. This right is transferred to the child / pupil once they reach the age 16.

Students aged 16+ 

We will also share certain information about students aged 16+ with our local authority and / or provider of youth support services as they have responsibilities in relation to the education or training of 13-19 year olds under section 507B of the Education Act 1996.

This enables them to provide services as follows:

• post-16 education and training providers

• youth support services

• careers advisers

The National Pupil Database (NPD)

The NPD is owned and managed by the Department for Education and contains information about students in schools in England. It provides invaluable evidence on educational performance to inform independent research, as well as studies commissioned by the Department. It is held in electronic format for statistical purposes. This information is securely collected from a range of sources including schools, local authorities and awarding bodies. 

We are required by law, to provide information about our students to the DfE as part of statutory data collections such as the school census and early years’ census. Some of this information is then stored in the NPD. The law that allows this is the Education (Information About Individual Pupils) (England) Regulations 2013. 

To find out more about the student information we share with the department, for the purpose of data collections, go to https://www.gov.uk/education/data-collection-and-censuses-for-schools. 

To find out more about the NPD, go to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-pupil-database-user-guide-and-supporting-information. 

The department may share information about our students from the NPD with third parties who promote the education or well-being of children in England by: 

• conducting research or analysis

• producing statistics

• providing information, advice or guidance 

The Department has robust processes in place to ensure the confidentiality of our data is maintained and there are stringent controls in place regarding access and use of the data. Decisions on whether DfE releases data to third parties are subject to a strict approval process and based on a detailed assessment of: 

• who is requesting the data

• the purpose for which it is required

• the level and sensitivity of data requested: and

• the arrangements in place to store and handle the data 

To be granted access to student information, organisations must comply with strict terms and conditions covering the confidentiality and handling of the data, security arrangements and retention and use of the data. 

For more information about the department’s data sharing process, please visit:

https://www.gov.uk/data-protection-how-we-collect-and-share-research-data 

For information about which organisations the department has provided pupil information, (and for which project), please visit the following website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-pupil-database-requests-received 

To contact DfE: https://www.gov.uk/contact-dfe 

Why we collect and use workforce information

We use workforce data to:

• enable the development of a comprehensive picture of the workforce and how it is deployed

• inform the development of recruitment and retention policies

• enable individuals to be paid

Collecting workforce information

Workforce data is essential for the school’s / local authority’s operational use. Whilst the majority of personal information you provide to us is mandatory, some of it is requested on a voluntary basis. In order to comply with UK GDPR, we will inform you at the point of collection, whether you are required to provide certain information to us or if you have a choice in this.

Storing workforce information

We hold data securely for the set amount of time shown in our data retention schedule. For more information on our data retention schedule and how we keep your data safe. 

Who we share workforce information with

We routinely share this information with:

• Our local authority 

• The Department for Education (DfE)

Why we share school workforce information

We do not share information about our workforce members with anyone without consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so.

Department for Education (DfE)

The Department for Education (DfE) collects personal data from educational settings and local authorities via various statutory data collections. We are required to share information about our children and young people with the Department for Education (DfE) for the purpose of those data collections, under:

We are required to share information about our school employees with the Department for Education (DfE) under section 5 of the Education (Supply of Information about the School Workforce) (England) Regulations 2007 and amendments.

How Government uses your data

The workforce data that we lawfully share with the Department for Education (DfE) through data collections:

• informs the Department for Education (DfE) policy on pay and the monitoring of the effectiveness and diversity of the school workforce

• links to school funding and expenditure

• supports ‘longer term’ research and monitoring of educational policy

The categories of governance information that we process include:

• Personal identifiers, contacts and characteristics (such as name, date of birth, contact details and postcode)

• Governance details (such as role, start and end dates and governor id)

• Why we collect and use governance information

The personal data collected is essential, in order for the school, academy or academy trust to fulfil their official functions and meet legal requirements.

We collect and use governance information, for the following purposes:

• to meet the statutory duties placed upon us

Collecting governance information

Governance roles data is essential for the school, academy or academy trust’s operational use. Whilst the majority of personal information you provide to us is mandatory, some of it may be requested on a voluntary basis. In order to comply with UK-GDPR, we will inform you at the point of collection, whether you are required to provide certain information to us or if you have a choice in this.

Storing governance information

We hold data securely for the set amount of time shown in our data retention schedule. For more information on our data retention schedule and how we keep your data safe, please visit the trust website.

Who we share governance information with

We routinely share this information with:

• Our local authority

• The Department for Education (DfE)

Why we share governance information

We do not share information about individuals in governance roles with anyone without consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so.

How we use children in need and children looked after information

The categories of personal information that we process include:

• personal information (such as name, date of birth and address)

• characteristics (such as gender, ethnicity and disability)

• episodes of being a child in need (such as referral information, assessment information, Section 47 information, Initial Child Protection information and Child Protection Plan information)

• episodes of being looked after (such as important dates, information on placements)

• outcomes for looked after children (such as whether health and dental assessments are up to date, strengths and difficulties questionnaire scores and offending)

• adoptions (such as dates of key court orders and decisions)

• care leavers (such as their activity and what type of accommodation they have)

Why we collect and use this children in need and children looked after information

We use this personal data to:

• support these children and monitor their progress

• provide them with pastoral care

• assess the quality of our services

• evaluate and improve our policies on children’s social care

International transfers of data

Although we are based in the UK, some of the digital information we hold may be stored on computer servers located outside the UK. Some of the IT applications we use may also transfer data outside the UK.

Normally your information will not be transferred outside the European Economic Area, which is deemed to have adequate data protection standards by the UK government. In the event that your information is transferred outside the EEA, we will take reasonable steps to ensure your data is protected and appropriate safeguards are in place.

Requesting access to your personal data

Under data protection legislation, parents and students have the right to request access to information about them that we hold. To make a request for your personal information, or be given access to your child’s educational record, contact Mr M.Knight dataprotection@wildern.org

You also have the right to:

• object to processing of personal data that is likely to cause, or is causing, damage or distress

• prevent processing for the purpose of direct marketing

• object to decisions being taken by automated means

• in certain circumstances, have inaccurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed; and

• claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the Data Protection regulations 

If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, you should raise your concern with us in the first instance or directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/ 

Withdrawal of consent and the right to lodge a complaint

Where we are processing your personal data with your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent. If you change your mind, or you are unhappy with our use of your personal data, please let us know by contacting The Data Protection Officer for the Trust Mr M.Knight dataprotection@wildern.org

Complaints

We take any complaints about our collection and use of personal information very seriously.

If you think that our collection or use of personal information is unfair, misleading or inappropriate, or have any other concern about our data processing, please raise this with us in the first instance.

Alternatively, you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office:

• Report a concern online at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

• Call 0303 123 1113

• Or write to: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Last updated

We may need to update this privacy notice periodically so we recommend that you revisit this information from time to time. This version was last updated on 3rd April 2024

Contact Details:

If you would like to discuss anything in this privacy notice, please contact: The Data Protection Officer for the Trust Mr M.Knight via dataprotection@wildern.org