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Privacy Policy

Privacy Notice - How we use pupil information

The Chiltern School is the data controller. We collect and use your data and that of your child. This notice explains what we collect, why and how we use it.
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)
  • Assessment and attainment information, including special educational needs information, if relevant
  • Safeguarding information, where necessary
  • Assessment information
  • Relevant medical information
  • Special educational needs information
  • Exclusions / behavioural information
  • Post 16 learning information
Why we collect and use this information

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 safeguarding obligations
The lawful basis on which we use this information

We collect and use pupil information under the lawful basis of public interest and for special category data (such as religion, ethnicity and medical information) because it is necessary for a reason of substantial public interest.

Some of the information we collect and use is provided with your consent and that is the lawful basis for us processing it. For example, your permission to process your child’s data for school trips and for access to online providers of educational materials. We will make it clear where we are asking for your consent and why, and provide you with the opportunity to refuse to provide us with that information, explaining what the consequence of that will be.

Storing pupil data
We hold pupil data until they are 25 years of age.
Who we share pupil information with
We routinely share pupil information with:
  • schools that the pupil’s attend after leaving us
  • our local authority
  • the Department for Education (DfE)
  • online education providers
  • support staff
  • NHS
  • School nurse
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 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.

We share other pupil data to ensure that they receive the most appropriate educational and pastoral support for their needs.

We do not share information about our pupils with anyone without consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so.

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.

Youth support services

Pupils aged 13+

Once our pupils reach the age of 13, we also pass pupil information to our local authority and / or provider of youth support services as they have responsibilities in relation to the education or training of 13-19 year olds under section 507B of the Education Act 1996.

This enables them to provide services as follows:

  • youth support services
  • careers advisers
A parent or guardian can request that only their child’s name, address and date of birth is passed to their local authority or provider of youth support services by informing us. This right is transferred to the child / pupil once he/she reaches the age 16.

Pupils aged 16+

We will also share certain information about pupils aged 16+ with our local authority and / or provider of youth support services as they have responsibilities in relation to the education or training of 13-19 year olds under section 507B of the Education Act 1996.

This enables them to provide services as follows:

  • post-16 education and training providers
  • youth support services
  • careers advisers
For more information about services for young people, please visit our local authority website.
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 NPD, please see the link below:
NPD User Guide

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:
DfE Data Sharing

For information about which organisations the department has provided pupil information, (and for which project), please visit the following website:
NPD Requests

To contact DfE:
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. 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

To make a request for your personal information, be given access to your child’s educational record, or request any of the rights associated with your or your child’s data contact [insert school contact details]. Please note we cannot always agree to the request. We will consider all requests and explain the reason for the decision.

If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, we request that you raise your concern with us in the first instance. Alternatively, you can contact 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:

Jen Matthews, School Business Manager
jmatthews@chiltern.beds.sch.uk

The school’s Data Protection Officer is Yvonne Salvin who can be contacted at feedback@luton.gov.uk

“The school’s culture to protect children and keep staff and pupils safe is well developed. Procedures to ensure pupils’ safety on educational outings and visits in the community are strong.”.

Ofsted, 2017