Privacy Notice - How we use student information - For GDPR

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

  • Personal information (such as name, unique student number and address, DoB, ULN, UPN, PEP)
  • Characteristics (such as ethnicity, language, nationality, country of birth and free school meal eligibility)
  • Relevant Medical Information (such as, Sensory impairment, dietary restrictions, prescribed medication, diagnosed medical conditions)
  • Special Educational Needs Information (such as, Educational psychology reports, Occupational therapy reports, Statement of Educational Need, Speech and Language therapy reports, EHC Plan)
  • Social, Emotional and Behavioural information (such as, behaviour monitoring reports, CAMHS reports, Social Care reports, Police reports, Social Development reports)
  • Attendance information (such as, sessions attended, number of absences and absence reasons, Exclusions)
  • Assessment information (such as, Initial Academic Assessments, formative and summative assessment, Annual Review reports, Examination entries, UCI)
  • Post 16 Learning information (such as, Academic performance, Academic and personal reference, FE destinations)  
  • Child in need information (such as referral information, assessment information, Section 47 information, Initial Child Protection information and Child Protection Plan information)
  • Looked after children information (such as episodes of being looked after, 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)
  • Care leavers (such as their activity and what type of accommodation they have)

Why we collect and use this information

We use the student data:

  • to support student learning
  • to monitor and report on student progress
  • to provide appropriate pastoral care
  • to assess the quality of our services
  • to comply with the law regarding data sharing
  • to compile anonymised student data reports
  • to effectively communicate with parents/carers

The lawful basis on which we collect and use this information

Data collection is covered by the Education Act 1996 and further details can be found in the census guideline documents on the following website: https://www.gov.uk/education/data-collection-and-censuses-for-schools] We use student information under Article 6 Points: 1a, 1c, 1d, 1e,  for general purposes and Article 9 Point 2a from the GDPR- from  25th May 2018 for special category data processing. Further details can be found on the website: https://www.itgovernance.co.uk/data-protection-dpa-and-eu-data-protection-regulation

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.

Storing student data

We hold student data in accordance with our Data Retention Policy.

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.

Who we share student information with

We routinely share student information with:

  • schools that the students’s attend after leaving us
  • our local authority
  • the Department for Education (DfE)
  • Attwood Academy Trust
  • Medical Professionals
  • Funding Agencies (only in anonymised form)

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 Pupils) (England) Regulations 2013. For further details go to: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/2094/made

Students aged 13+

Once our students 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

A parent or guardian can request that only their child’s name, address and date of birth is passed to their local authority or provider of youth support services by informing us. This right is transferred to the child / student once he/she reaches 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

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

The 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.
Law requires us, 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:

  • 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

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 Aaron Mulhern, Head Teacher, aaron.mulhern@ianmikardo.com

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, we request that you raise your concern with us in the first instance. Alternatively, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/

Contact

If you would like to discuss anything in this privacy notice, please contact:

Asad Muzammal
Data Protection Officer
60 William Guy Gardens
Talwin Street
London
E3 3LF
E-Mail: Info@EduAction.org.uk
Telephone: 020 8981 2413