Pupil Privacy Notice

Hope School, College and Post 19 Provision is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information. This privacy notice explains how we collect and use personal information about pupils in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), Section 537A of the Education Act 1996, and Section 83 of the Children Act 1989.

Following Brexit, Regulation (EU) 2016/679, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), is retained EU law and known as UK GDPR. The UK GDPR sits alongside an amended version of the Data Protection Act 2018 relating to general personal data processing, powers of the Information Commissioner, sanctions, and enforcement.

Who Collects and Controls This Information?

Hope School, College and Post 19 Provision is the Data Controller. This means we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use personal information about pupils.

The Information We Collect

We may collect, store and use the following categories of personal information:

• Personal information such as name, pupil number, date of birth, gender and contact details.
• Emergency contact and family information, including names, relationships, telephone numbers and email addresses.
• Characteristics such as ethnicity, language, nationality, country of birth and free school meal eligibility.
• Attendance records, including sessions attended, absences and reasons for absence.
• Performance and assessment information.
• Behaviour information, including exclusions.
• Special Educational Needs (SEN) information.
• Relevant medical information.
• Special category personal data, including health and SEN information.
• Photographs and images of pupils participating in school activities.
• Images captured by the school’s CCTV systems.
• Information relating to the use of school IT, communications and monitoring systems.

Collecting This Information

While most information is required by law, some information is provided voluntarily.

In line with UK GDPR requirements, we will make it clear whether you are required to provide specific information or whether you have a choice.

It is important that the information we hold is accurate and up to date. Please inform us of any changes to personal information as soon as possible.

How We Use Personal Information

We use pupil information to:

• Select and enrol pupils and verify identities.
• Provide education services and extra-curricular activities.
• Monitor educational progress and support learning.
• Assess performance and set targets.
• Inform decisions regarding school funding.
• Safeguard pupils and provide appropriate pastoral and medical care.
• Provide information and references relating to current and former pupils.
• Manage internal policies and procedures.
• Enable pupils to take assessments and examinations.
• Record achievements and examination results.
• Carry out statistical and diversity analysis.
• Meet legal, regulatory and safeguarding obligations.
• Allow relevant authorities to monitor school performance and provide support where necessary.
• Monitor use of school IT and communication systems in accordance with school policies.
• Use photographs in school publications, websites and social media where consent has been provided.
• Obtain professional advice and insurance where required.

Legal Basis for Processing Information

We only process personal information where there is a lawful basis to do so. These include:

Consent

The individual has given clear consent for a specific purpose.

Contract

Processing is necessary to fulfil a contract.

Legal Obligation

Processing is required to comply with legal requirements.

Vital Interests

Processing is necessary to protect someone’s life.

Public Task

Processing is necessary to perform a task carried out in the public interest or as part of official functions.

Education Act 1996

Information is collected for Department for Education censuses conducted three times each year.

Further information is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/education/data-collection-and-censuses-for-schools

Sharing Information

We may share pupil information where necessary and lawful to do so.

Organisations we may share information with include:

• Department for Education (DfE)
• Ofsted
• Previous or future schools attended
• NHS services
• Social care and welfare services
• Police and law enforcement agencies
• HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
• Local Authority Designated Officers (LADO)
• Professional advisers, including solicitors and consultants
• Support providers, including insurance, IT and information security services
• The Local Authority

Information is shared securely and, where possible, anonymised.

We do not share pupil information without consent unless required by law or necessary to protect the health, safety or welfare of a pupil.

Why We Share Information

The school is required by law to share certain pupil information with the Department for Education.

This information helps support:

• School funding arrangements
• Educational attainment monitoring
• National statistics
• Educational research

Further information can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/education/data-collection-and-censuses-for-schools

Storing Information

Hope School, College and Post 19 Provision stores pupil information electronically and, in some cases, on paper records.

Information is retained only for as long as necessary and in accordance with legal requirements and the school’s retention policies.

For further information about retention periods, please contact the School Business Manager.

Retention Periods

Unless otherwise required by law, personal information is retained only for as long as necessary to:

• Fulfil the purpose for which it was collected.
• Meet legal obligations.
• Satisfy accounting and reporting requirements.
• Resolve disputes.

Security

Appropriate technical and organisational measures are in place to protect personal information from:

• Unauthorised access.
• Loss.
• Misuse.
• Disclosure.
• Alteration.
• Destruction.

The National Pupil Database (NPD)

The National Pupil Database (NPD) is owned and managed by the Department for Education.

The NPD contains information about pupils attending schools in England and is used to support educational research, analysis and statistics.

Schools are legally required to provide information to the DfE through statutory collections such as the School Census and Early Years Census.

Further information about the NPD is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-pupil-database-user-guide-and-supporting-information

How the Department for Education Uses NPD Information

The Department for Education may share information from the NPD with approved organisations that support the education and wellbeing of children by:

• Conducting research and analysis.
• Producing statistics.
• Providing information, advice or guidance.

Strict controls are in place to ensure data is handled securely and appropriately.

Information about data sharing can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/data-protection-how-we-collect-and-share-research-data

Information about organisations that have received NPD data is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-pupil-database-requests-received

Contact the Department for Education:

https://www.gov.uk/contact-dfe

Your Rights

Parents and pupils have the right to request access to personal information held by the school.

You also have the right to:

• Object to processing that may cause damage or distress.
• Prevent processing for direct marketing purposes.
• Object to automated decision-making.
• Request correction, restriction, deletion or destruction of inaccurate information where applicable.
• Seek compensation where a breach of data protection law has occurred.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact the School Business Manager in writing.

We may request proof of identity before processing your request.

Right to Withdraw Consent

Where processing is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

To withdraw consent, please contact the School Business Manager.

Once consent has been withdrawn, we will stop processing information for that purpose unless another lawful basis applies.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy notice or concerns regarding how personal information is collected or used, please contact the School Business Manager in the first instance.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

https://ico.org.uk/concerns

Changes to This Privacy Notice

We reserve the right to update this privacy notice at any time.

Where significant changes are made, an updated version will be provided and communicated appropriately.

You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

https://ico.org.uk/concerns