Gateshead Local Authority (LA) uses information about children for whom it provides services to carry out specific functions for which it is responsible, such as the assessment of any special educational needs the child may have. It also uses the information to derive statistics to inform decisions on (for example) the funding of schools, and to assess the performance of schools and set targets for them. The statistics are used in such a way that individual children cannot be identified from them. Gateshead LA have a duty under the Childrens Act 2004 to co-operate with their partners in health and youth justice to improve the well being of children in their areas. As part of this duty they will be required to maintain the accuracy of the information held on ContactPoint about children and young people in their area.
Primary Care Trusts (PCT) use information about pupils for research and statistical purposes, to monitor the performance of local health services and to evaluate and develop them. The statistics are used in such a way that individual pupils cannot be identified from them. Information on the height and weight of individual pupils may however be provided to the child and its parents and this will require the PCTs to maintain details of pupils’ names for this purpose for a period designated by the Department of Health following the weighing and measuring process. PCTs may also provide individual schools and LAs with aggregate information on pupils’ height and weight.
For pupils of 13 years and over, the school is legally required to pass on certain information to Connexions services providers on request. Connexions is the government's information and advice service for all young people aged 13 to 19 in England (website: http://www.connexions-direct.com/| ). This information includes the name and address of the pupil and parent, and any further information relevant to the Connexions services’ role.
However parents, or the pupils themselves if aged 16 or over, can ask that no information beyond name and address (for pupil and parent) be passed on to Connexions. If as a parent, or as a pupil aged 16 or over, you wish to opt-out and do not want Connexions to receive from the school information beyond name, address and date of birth then please contact the school.
Privacy Notices
Gateshead LA have to provide individuals with notification explaining the purposes for which they process the personal data, and any other information that is necessary to make the processing of the personal data fair, including any third parties to whom the data may be passed on. This is done by what is referred to as a ‘privacy notice'.
Children have certain rights under the Data Protection Act, including a general right to be given access to personal data held about them. There is a presumption (endorsed by legal guidance issued by the Information Commissioner) that a child of twelve years of age and over has sufficient maturity to exercise their rights themselves, though in practice there will be exceptions to this.
The privacy notice is in the form of a single letter which is sent to parents/pupils who are new to a setting.
For instance;
A pupil might receive the Privacy Notice as part of a school brochure or induction pack, or in a school diary, and it could be posted on the school notice board.
or
For staff, the Privacy Notice might be included as part of a contract, induction pack, and posted on the staff notice board, etc.
Or
A child receiving Social Care Services or a looked after child might receive their Privacy Notice as part of other information about the services that they are being offered
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Privacy Notice 2010 Pupils
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Privacy Notice 2010 School Workforce
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Privacy Notice 2010 Children in Need or Looked After
Freedom of Information – FOI
The Freedom of Information Act, which came into force on 1st January 2005, gives any person the legal right to ask a school for access to information held by that school.
Below you can downloadguidance that explains more about the Freedom of Information Act and also download publication schemes (documents which detail what information is available) for primary and secondary schools.