Privacy Notice (How we use pupil information)
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)
- special educational needs and disabilities, medical conditions exclusions
- attainment (statutory tests and teacher assessments)
- attendance information (such as sessions attended, number of absences and absence reasons)
- behavioural and safeguarding information
Why we collect and use this information
- to comply with the law regarding data sharing
- to support pupil learning
- to monitor and report on pupil progress
- to provide appropriate pastoral care
- to assess the quality of our services
The lawful basis on which we use this information
We collect and use pupil information in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 and under The Education Act 1996. We are required to share information about our pupils with our local authority (LA) and the Department for Education (DfE) under section 3 of The Education (Information About Individual Pupils) (England) Regulations 2013.
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 2018, 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 until the pupil moves to secondary school at the end of year 6, when the data is transferred to the receiving school by secure electronic CTF file and paper file as required.
Who we share pupil information with
We routinely share pupil information with:
- the Department for Education (DfE)
- schools that the pupils attend after leaving us
- our local authority
We also share information with:
- Educators and examining bodies
- Our regulator, Ofsted
- Suppliers and service providers – to enable them to provide the service we have contracted them for
- Local Health authority and health professionals
- Health and social welfare organisations
- Charities and voluntary organisations
- Police forces, courts, tribunals
Why we share pupil information
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 do not share information about our pupils with anyone without consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so.
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
- 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, please contact the Data Protection Officer.
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
*All schools can refuse to disclose information under certain circumstances, for example when disclosing an educational record where the information might cause serious harm to the physical or mental health of the pupil or another individual.
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 Colin Bowpitt, Data Protection Officer.
Other Privacy notices can be downloaded here:
Privacy Notice Greenfield Parents and carers
Privacy Notice Greenfield School workforce
Privacy Notice Greenfield Visitors
Privacy Notice Greenfield Suppliers used by the school