Data Protection Act 1998: How we use pupil information

General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 

Who do we share pupils information with?

We routinely share pupil information with:

• Schools or colleges that the pupils attend after leaving us
• Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust
• Our local authority and their commissioned providers of local authortity services
• The Department of Education (DfE)

Storing pupil Information

At Woodlands CE Primary School we keep information about you on our computer systems and also sometimes on paper.

We hold your education records securely until you change school.  Your records will then be transferred to your new school, where they will be retained until you reach the age of 25, after which they are safely destroyed. 

There are strict controls on who can see your information.  We will not share your data if you have advised us that you do not want it shared unless it is the only way we can make sure you stay safe and healthy or we are legally required to do so.

The National Pupil Database (NPD)

The NDP 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 stores 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 department, for the purpose of data collections, 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

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 the school office or the Headteacher.  The school will, on an annual basis, share individual Data Collection Sheets with you in order to ensure that our records are accurate and up to date.

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 should 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