General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

Parent/Carer Information

We need to hold personal information about your child on our computer system and in paper records to help us with their educational needs. The Principal and Office Manager are responsible for their accuracy and safe-keeping; Mrs Baskeyfield (available through Painsley Catholic College) will act as the Data Protection Officer for our school . Please help to keep your child's records up-to-date by informing us of any change of circumstances.

School staff have access to your child's records to enable them to do their jobs. From time to time, information may be shared with others involved in your child's care if it is necessary. Anyone with access to your child's records is properly trained in confidentiality issues and is governed by legal duty to keep their details secure, accurate and up-to-date.

All information about your child is held securely and appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent accidental loss.

In some circumstances, we may be required by law to release your child's details to statutory or other official bodies, for example if a court order is presented, or in the case of public educational issues. In other circumstances, you may be required to give written consent before information is released - such as the educational reports for insurance, solicitors etc.

To ensure your child's privacy, we will not disclose information over the telephone or fax unless we are sure that we are talking to you - the parent/carer. Information will not be disclosed to family and friends unless we have prior written consent and we do not leave messages with others.

You have the right to see your child's records if you wish. Please ask at the school's office if you would like further details. An appointment will be required. There is usually no fee payable.

What does GDPR mean for schools?

A great deal of the processing of personal data undertaken by schools will fall under a specific legal basis, ‘in the public interest’. As it is in the public interest to operate schools successfully, it will mean that specific consent will not be needed in the majority of cases in schools.

GDPR will ensure data is protected and will give individuals more control over their data, however this means schools will have greater accountability for the data:

• Under GDPR, consent must be explicitly given to anything that isn’t within the normal business of the school, especially if it involves a third party managing the data. Parents (or the pupil themselves depending on their age) must express consent for their child’s data to be used outside of the normal business of the school.
• Schools must appoint a Data Protection Officer and be able to prove that they are GDPR compliant.
• Schools must ensure that their third party suppliers who may process any of their data is GDPR compliant and must have legally binding contracts with any company that processes any personal data. These contracts must cover what data is being processed, who it is being processed by, who has access to it and how it is protected.
• It will be compulsory that all data breaches which are likely to have a detrimental effect on the data subject are reported to the ICO within 72 hours

The documents below contain all of the relevant GDPR information for parents/carers.

Guide to GDPR from ICO

General Data Protection Rules: Guidance for Schools from ICO

GDPR Mind Map for Parents

The law is changing and the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) comes into effect on 25th May 2018. It will bring higher standards for handling data and greater expectations for improved transparency, enhanced data security and increased accountability for processing personal data. Schools will have a legal duty to comply with the GDPR.

Please take the opportunity to watch the short video clip below: