Privacy notice information for schools and parents
Information for parents
We use information about children we provide services to. This allows us to carry out specific functions we are responsible for, such as the assessment of any special educational needs a child may have. The information is also used to get statistics to assist decisions to fund schools, assess their performance, and set targets.
The statistics are used so that individual children cannot be identified from them and we use information about our school workforce for research and statistical purposes, as well as evaluating and developing education policy and strategies.
The statistics are also used in a way that individual staff cannot be identified from them. We may use this to support and monitor schools for sickness and recruitment of staff.
For more information, see how the DFE and LA use school census data (PDF, 48.73 KB).
Information for schools
‘Privacy notice’ has replaced the term 'fair processing notice'. The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DFE) has reviewed the process of issuing privacy notices. In the past, the suggested text has included the use of school information made available by the LA or the DFE. However, the new process will mean much simpler privacy notices, where details of any organisations with which the LA and DFE share data, are on the LA and DFE websites, with links from the privacy notices.
Privacy notices do not need reissuing on an annual basis, although they may need to be changed periodically. Our new approach is that a single, short and easily understandable privacy notice can be provided to pupils and staff by the school at the same time as other communications. This might include a school brochure or induction pack for students, or something posted on the notice board for staff.
It is anticipated that staff, and young people aged 13 and over and who are deemed as competent, should be able to request to see their personal information under the Subject Access Provisions (S.7) of the Data Protection Act.
Parents will act on the behalf of young people under 12, and the school, as a data controller, will assess whether the child is capable of understanding the personal information, and decide whether the parent needs to make the request on the child's behalf.
For more information, see: