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Privacy Notice (How we use student information)

Under data protection law, individuals have a right to be informed about how the 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 pupils. We, Sidestrand Hall School, are the ‘data controller’ for the purposes of data protection law.

Our Data Protection Officer is The DPO Centre.

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

  • Personal information (such as name, unique pupil number, address and parental contact 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)
  • Assessment information
  • Relevant medical information
  • Special educational needs information
  • Exclusions/behaviour information
  • Post 16 learning information
  • Records required by National Minimum Standards for Residential Special Schools

Why we collect and use this information

Sidestrand Hall School and Sixth Form holds the legal right to collect and use personal data relating to students and their families. We may also receive information regarding them from their previous schools, Local Authority and/or the Department for Education. The personal data collected is essential for the school to fulfil their official functions and meet legal requirements.

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

  1. to support student learning
  2. to monitor and report on student progress
  3. to provide appropriate pastoral care
  4. to assess the quality of our services
  5. to keep children safe (food allergies, or emergency contact details)
  6. to meet the statutory duties placed upon us

 

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), Data Protection Act 2018, and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing pupil information are:

  • for the purposes of (a), (b), (c) & (d) in accordance with the legal basis of Public task: collecting the data is necessary to perform tasks that schools are required to perform as part of their statutory function
  • for the purposes of (e) in accordance with the legal basis of Vital interests: to keep children safe (food allergies, or medical conditions)
  • for the purposes of (f) in accordance with the legal basis of Legal obligation: data collected for DfE census information

o Section 537A of the Education Act 1996

o the Education Act 1996 s29(3)

o the Education (School Performance Information)(England) Regulations 2007

o regulations 5 and 8 School Information (England) Regulations 2008

o the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013

 

Collecting pupil information

We obtain pupil information via registration forms at the point of entry into the school. In addition, when a child joins us from another school, we are sent a secure file containing relevant information.

Pupil data is essential for the schools’ operational use. Whilst most of the pupil information you provide to us is mandatory, some of it is provided to us on a voluntary basis. In order to comply with the UK GDPR, we will inform you at the point of collection whether you are required to provide certain pupil information to us or if you have a choice in this.

 

Storing pupil data

We hold student data until it is passed onto a new educational setting the student attends, or if it is achieved, until the end of the academic school year in which they reach their 25th birthday. For boarding students only, a register recording details of admission and departure of each student, where they were living prior to and on leaving the school and any legal status, is retained for a minimum of 5 years from last entry.

Who we share pupil information with

We routinely share student information with:

  • Schools, colleges and training providers that the student’s attend after leaving us
  • our local authority (including Passenger Transport Unit, Evolve, Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub, Attendance Team, Virtual School for Looked after Children)
  • the Department for Education (DfE)
  • Examination boards
  • Software providers used by the school (such as Solar. Sleuth, ScholarPack)
  • Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust (School Nursing)
  • Norfolk NHS Trust
  • Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Trust
  • Police Constabulary
  • Youth Offending Team
  • Voluntary Organisations (providing safeguarding/child protection services)
  • Social activity providers (supporting Short Break applications)
  • Volunteering organisations (for post 16 work experience)

Why we share pupil 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 student’s 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 our local authority (LA) and the Department for Education (DfE) under section 3 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.

Post 16 Students

We will share certain information about pupils aged 16+ with our local authority (including Education and Inclusion, Participation Team) 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
  • Special Educational Needs transport

For more information about services for young people, please visit our local authority website

The National Audit 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 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:

  1. conducting research or analysis
  2. producing statistics
  3. 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:

  1. who is requesting the data
  2. the purpose for which it is required
  3. the level and sensitivity of data requested: and
  4. 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

 

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. This is sometimes termed ‘Subject Access Request’. If we agree that we are obliged to provide personal information to you (or someone else on your behalf), we will provide it to you or them free of charge and aim to do so within 30 days from when your identity has been confirmed.

We would ask for proof of identity and sufficient information about your interactions with us so that we can locate your personal information.

To make a request for your personal information, or be given access to your child’s educational record, contact the schools Data Protection Officer.

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

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/concerns/

·         Call 0303 123 1113

·         Or write to: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK95AF

Contact:

Please email dpo@sidestrandhall.norfolk.sch.uk

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