Privacy Notice
Privacy Notice (How we use pupil information)
Why do we collect and use pupil information?
We collect and use pupil information under the General Data Protection Regulations 2018. Particularly under Article 6, where the information is collected and used because it is required to carry out the task of educating and ensuring the welfare of our pupils and students.
We also collect and use pupil information in order to help pupils with additional special needs and requirements, so that we can ensure we offer the best possible support and resources to them (and their parents and carers) during their time at Bucklebury.
We use the pupil data:
to support pupil learning
to monitor and report on pupil progress
to provide appropriate pastoral care
to assess the quality of our services
to comply with the law regarding data sharing
The categories of pupil information that we collect, hold and share include:
Personal information (such as name, unique pupil number and address)
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)
Relevant medical information
Assessment information
Special educational needs information
Exclusions/behavioural information
Collecting pupil information
Whilst the majority of 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 General Data Protection Regulation, we will inform you whether you are required to provide certain pupil information to us or if you have a choice in this.
Storing pupil data
We hold pupil data for Primary pupils until they leave Bucklebury for Secondary School.
Who do we share pupil information with?
We routinely share pupil information with:
Schools that the pupil’s attend after leaving us
Your family and representatives
Local Authority
Department for Education (DfE)
Ofsted
NHS
Examination boards
Suppliers and service providers –so that they can provide the services we have contracted them for
Residential and educational visit providers
Professional advisers and consultants
Charities and voluntary organisations
Police forces, courts, tribunals
Professional bodies
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 the (DfE) under regulation 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.
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.
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 pupil 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 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: and
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, (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. To make a request for your personal information, or be given access to your child’s educational record, contact in writing the Headteacher/Principal of your academy outlining your request.
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/
Contact:
If you would like to discuss anything in this privacy notice, please contact:
West Berkshire Data Protection Officer
Thomas Ng
West Berkshire Council
Council Offices
Newbury
Berkshire
RG14 5LD
Email: Thomas.ng@westberks.gov.uk
Telephone: 01635 551111
Concerns / Complaints
If you would like to raise a concern or complaint in relation to the school's management of personal data, please follow the procedures outlined in the school's complaints policy.