Privacy Notices: Pupils and Workforce

Privacy Notice - Pupils

What is the purpose of this Notice?

This is our school’s Privacy Notice which is intended to provide you with information about how and why we process pupil information. It is also intended to provide you with other information which is required under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR is a piece of legislation which contains the key laws relating to data protection.

It is important to the school, and a legal requirement, that we are transparent about how we process pupil information. As a school that processes pupil information, we are known as a “data controller”. This means that we collect and use personal information for specified purposes which this Privacy Notice has been designed to tell you about.

 

The Data Protection Officer

The school has an appointed Data Protection Officer (DPO), HY Professional Services, who can be contacted by telephone on 0161 8041144. The DPO is responsible for dealing with data protection issues within the school and you can contact the DPO should you wish to discuss any issues or concerns that you have about data protection.   

 

What pupil information do we collect?

The types of pupil information that we collect include:

• pupil names, unique pupil numbers, contact details (including parent(s)/guardian(s) details)
• characteristics such as ethnicity, language, nationality, country of birth and free school meal eligibility
• attendance information (such as sessions attended, number of absences and absence reasons)
• information relating to pupil exclusion
• attainment records including national curriculum assessment results
• records of where pupils go after they leave us
• safeguarding information
• special educational needs information
• medical information
• behavioural information

 

What is the purpose of us collecting and using pupil information?

The purposes for which the school collects personal information are as follows:

• to support our pupils’ learning
• to monitor and report on their progress
• to provide appropriate pastoral care
• to assess the quality of our services
• to comply with the law regarding data sharing
• for safeguarding purposes
• for health, safety and insurance purposes

 

Why is it lawful to collect this pupil information?

As a school, we are subject to a wide range of laws which we must comply with to further pupil education and to safeguard their well-being.  To comply with these laws, we only process personal information as far as is necessary to meet those obligations. We also process some of the information described in this privacy notice to carry out the public tasks vested in us as a school to effectively run the school

Whilst the majority of pupil information provided to us is mandatory, some of it is provided on a voluntary basis. In order to comply with the GDPR, when we request information we will make it clear whether this is required or if there is a choice. If it is a choice, then we will obtain consent first. Even if consent is given to us to collect and use this information, there is the right to withdraw consent at any time.

Some types of pupil information are regarded as more sensitive under the GDPR and referred to as being a ‘special category’ of personal information. Where we collect this type of information, it will often be processed as a matter of public interest. In other circumstances, explicit consent will be obtained first.

 

 

Who will we share pupil information with?

• schools that pupils attend after leaving us
• our local authority
• the Department for Education (DfE)

 

Why we share pupil information

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

We share pupils’ 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 pupils with our local authority (LA) and the Department for Education (DfE) under section 5 of The Education (Information About Individual Pupils) (England) Regulations 2013.

 

Data collection requirements:

To find out more about the data collection requirements placed on us by the Department for Education (for example; via the school census) go to https://www.gov.uk/education/data-collection-and-censuses-for-schools.

 

National Pupil Database (NPD)

The NPD is owned and managed by the Department for Education and contains information about pupils 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 pupils 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 NPD, go to:      https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-pupil-database-user-guide-and-supporting-information.

 

The department may share information about our pupils 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
• the arrangements in place to store and handle the data

 

To be granted access to pupil 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 to, 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

 

How long will we hold pupil information for?

We will hold pupil information for a period of time specified by law and as detailed within our retention policy. The length of time will depend on the nature of the information held. For more information, please contact the DPO.

 

Requesting access to your personal data

Under data protection legislation, parents and pupils have the right to request access to information about them that we hold. To make a request for personal information held about themselves or to be given access to their child’s educational record, parents should contact the Data Protection Officer.

 

There is also 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 
• 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 personal data, you should raise your concern with the Data Protection Officer in the first instance or directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/

Privacy Notice - Workforce

 

What is the purpose of this Notice?

This is our school’s Privacy Notice which is intended to provide you with information about how and why we process your personal information. It is also intended to provide you with other information which is required under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR contains the key laws relating to data protection.

It is important to the school, and a legal requirement, that we are transparent about how we process your personal information. As a school that processes personal information, we are known as a “data controller”. This means that we collect and use personal information for specified purposes which this Privacy Notice has been designed to tell you about.

 

The Data Protection Officer

The school has an appointed Data Protection Officer (DPO), HY Professional Services, who can be contacted by telephone on 0161 804 1144. The DPO is responsible for dealing with data protection issues within the school and you can contact the DPO should you wish to discuss any issues or concerns that you have about data protection. 

 

What personal information do we collect?

 The types of personal information that we collect will include:-

• personal information (such as name, employee or teacher number, national insurance number, next of kin and contact details)
• special categories of data including characteristics information such as gender, age, ethnic group
• contract information (such as start dates, hours worked, post, roles and salary information) 
• work absence information (such as number of absences and reasons)
• qualifications (and, where relevant, subjects taught)
• relevant medical information

 

What is the purpose of us collecting your personal information?

 

We process personal data relating to those we employ to work at, or otherwise engage to work at, our school. This is for employment purposes to assist in the running of the school and to enable individuals to be paid. We use workforce data to:

• enable the development of a comprehensive picture of the workforce and how it is deployed
• managing staff
• informing the development of recruitment and retention policies
• enabling individuals to be paid
• monitoring staff attendance
• safeguarding purposes
• dealing with reference requests

 

Legal basis for processing

We may process your personal information, but no more so than is necessary, to comply with a legal obligation which the school is subject to, to undertake public tasks vested in the school or because processing is necessary to comply with the terms and conditions of your contract of employment. In other circumstances, we will usually obtain your consent first. If we require your consent and it is given, you may withdraw this consent at any time.

 

If we are required to process sensitive information (referred to as special category information under the GDPR), then we will either process this information to comply with employment laws, to undertake a task carried out in the public interest or obtain your explicit consent.

 

Who will we share this information with?

 We are required, by law, to pass on some of this personal data to:

• our local authority  
• the Department for Education (DfE)

 

We may also share some information with:-

• IT Providers
• Health and safety
• education support services
• payroll and HR providers
• other employers for providing a reference

 

Why we share school workforce information

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

 

Local authority - We are required by law to share information about our workforce members with our local authority.

 

Department for Education (DfE) - We share personal data with the Department for Education (DfE) on a statutory basis. This data sharing underpins workforce policy monitoring, evaluation, and links to school funding / expenditure and the assessment of educational attainment.

 

How long will we hold your information for?

We will hold personal information for a period specified by law and as detailed within our retention policy. We generally hold employee personal information for the period of your employment until termination and a period of 6 years thereafter. For more information, please ask the DPO for a copy of our retention schedule.

 

Data collection requirements

The DfE collects and processes personal data relating to those employed by schools (including Multi Academy Trusts) and local authorities that work in state funded schools (including all maintained schools, all academies and free schools and all special schools including Pupil Referral Units and Alternative Provision). All state funded schools are required to make a census submission because it is a statutory return under sections 113 and 114 of the Education Act 2005.

 

To find out more about the data collection requirements placed on us by the Department for Education including the data that we share with them, go to https://www.gov.uk/education/data-collection-and-censuses-for-schools.

 

The department may share information about school employees with third parties who promote the education or well-being of children or the effective deployment of school staff in England by:

• conducting research or analysis
• producing statistics
• providing information, advice or guidance

 

The department has robust processes in place to ensure that the confidentiality of personal data is maintained and there are stringent controls in place regarding access to it and its use. Decisions on whether DfE releases personal 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 securely store and handle the data

 

To be granted access to school workforce information, organisations must comply with its 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

 

To contact the department: https://www.gov.uk/contact-dfe

 

Requesting access to your personal data

Under data protection legislation, you have the right to request access to information

that we hold about you. To make a request for your personal information please contact the DPO

 

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

 

 

Complaints and further information

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/

 

If you would like to discuss anything in this privacy notice, please contact the DPO whose contact details are provided above.