Data Protection & GDPR

DBAT Privacy Notice

This privacy notice informs parents and carers on how information about pupils is used in academies within the Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust (DBAT). During your child's/ children's time at a DBAT academy we will gather, hold and use information relating to your child/ren and about you as parents/ carers. Information that we hold in relation to individuals is known as "personal data". This will include data that we obtain from you directly and data about you that we obtain from other people and organisations. Anything that we do with an individual's personal data is known as "processing".

This document sets out what personal data we will hold about you, why we process that data, who we share this information with and your rights in relation to your personal data processed by us.

We, South Marston CE Primary School, Old Vicarage Lane, South Marston SN3 4SH, are the 'data controller' for the purposes of data protection law.

Our data protection officer is i-west (see 'Contact us' below).

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, absence reasons and any previous schools attended)
  • Pupil and curricular records
  • Safeguarding information (such as court orders and professional involvement)
  • Special educational needs (including the needs and ranking)
  • Details of any support received, including care packages, plans and support providers
  • Medical and administration (such as doctors information, child health, dental health, allergies, medication and dietary requirements)
  • Assessment and attainment results of internally and externally set tests
  • Behavioural information (such as exclusions and any relevant alternative provision put in place
  • Photographs
  • CCTV images captured in school

This list is not exhaustive. To access the current list of categories of information we process, please see the Head for further 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 confirm your identity
  • To communicate matters relating to the Academy /Trust to you
  • To safeguard you, our pupils and other individuals
  • To ensure the safety of individuals on the Academy /Trust site
  • To aid the prevention and detection of crime on the Academy /Trust site

 

We collect data when we are required by law, including:

  • To comply with the law regarding data sharing
  • To meet statutory duties placed upon us for DfE data collections
  • To provide reports and other information required by law in relation to the performance of your child
  • To raise or address any concerns about safeguarding
  • To the government agencies including the police
  • To obtain relevant funding for the school
  • To provide or obtain additional services including advice and/or support for your family

The lawful basis on which we use this information

We only collect and use pupils' personal data when the law allows us to.  Most commonly, we process it where:

  • We need to comply with a legal obligation
  • We need it to perform an official task in the public interest
  • It is in the legitimate interest of the individual

Less commonly, we may also process pupils' personal data in situations where:

  • We have obtained consent to use it in a certain way
  • We need to protect the individual's vital interests (or someone else's interests)


Where we have obtained consent to use pupils' personal data, this consent can be withdrawn at any time. We will make this clear when we ask for consent, and explain how consent can be withdrawn.

Some of the reasons listed above for collecting and using pupils' personal data overlap, and there may be several grounds which justify our use of this data.

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, 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 keep personal information about pupils (and parents) while they are attending our school. We may also keep it beyond their attendance at our school if this is necessary in order to comply with our legal obligations. Our Retention Policy sets out how long we keep information about pupils. A copy of this policy is available at the academy office.

Who we share pupil information with

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


Where it is legally required, or necessary (and it complies with data protection law) we may share personal information about pupils with:

  • Our local authority - to meet our legal obligations to share certain information with it, such as safeguarding concerns and exclusions
  • The Department for Education and ESFA
  • Central and local government
  • The pupil's family and representatives
  • Educators and examining bodies
  • Our regulator (e.g. Ofsted)
  • Suppliers and service providers - to enable them to provide the service we have contracted them for
  • Financial organisations
  • Our auditors
  • Survey and research organisations
  • Health authorities
  • Security organisations
  • Health and social welfare organisations
  • Professional advisers and consultants
  • Charities and voluntary organisations
  • Police forces, courts, tribunals
  • Professional bodies

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

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, go to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-access-department-for-education-dfe-data-extracts

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/dfe-external-data-shares

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 Academy Business Manager or Academy Principal.

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
  • have inaccurate personal data rectified
  • in certain circumstances, have inaccurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed
  • claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the Data Protection regulations


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/make-a-complaint/

Contact us

If you would like to discuss anything in this privacy notice, please contact the Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust central office: enquiries@dbat.org.uk


The DBAT Data Protection Officer can be contacted: i-west@bathnes.gov.uk

Contact Us

Happy to answer any questions

Address

  • Old Vicarage Lane
    South Marston, Swindon
    Wiltshire
    SN3 4SH

Telephone Number