Education Support Service including school admissions

Who are we and what do we do 

The Education Support Service is part of Gateshead Council and consists of six areas of work; admissions, fair access, legal intervention, ethnic minority and achievement service, exclusions and support for elective home education. We are based at the Civic Centre, Gateshead. We provide support to children, young people and their families in school/academies and home education through the following services: 

Admissions 

• first year admissions into school (Reception and Year 7)  

• school transfers 

• support for residents of Gateshead and families that move into the borough 

Fair Access 

• monitoring of schools' placement of young people on alternative education  

• support for children, young people, parents and schools through transferring process via fair access process 

Ethnic Minority and Achievement Service  

• work in schools to support ethnic minority, gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities  

Exclusions  

• management of the exclusions process  

• work with schools/academies children, young people and parents 

• working with permanently excluded pupils and those who due to health reasons are unable to attend school to ensure they are in receipt of appropriate education provision 

Legal Intervention (Non- attendance) team are responsible for: 

• child performance licenses  

• child employment permits 

• children missing from education (CME)  

• education supervision orders in family court 

• penalty notices (non-attendance, unauthorised leave of absence, exclusions) 

• prosecution in magistrate's court  

• school attendance orders (SAO)  

We also have a small team of teachers who support parents who have chosen to home educate and the elective home education multi-agency panel. 

What type of information is collected about you or your child 

This information may be collected directly from you or from other agencies for example, schools or children's social care.  

We collect personal information to understand your needs and provide services. Information may include: 

• address where the child/young person resides 

• date of birth 

• information from current or previous schools: 

attainment 

attendance 

exclusions 

behaviour 

• special educational needs (SEN) 

• name 

• medical information 

• sibling links 

• parent/guardian name and contact details (telephone numbers and email addresses)  

• parents name and date of birth (where applicable)  

Who your information can be shared with  

Your information may be shared internally and externally, where we require your consent, we will ask your permission. Information may also be shared under a lawful basis- your consent is not required. 
This information may include: 

• episodes of being a child in need such as:  

referral information 

assessment information 

Section 47 information 

Initial Child Protection information 

Child Protection Plan information 

• of episodes of being looked after (such as important dates, information on placements) 

• photographic evidence of learning from parent(s)/carers who choose to electively home educate 

How we collect information about you 

We collect information about you from various sources to ensure that we meet your needs, including:  

• paper referrals  

• online referrals via our website 

• cookies  

For more information on how Gateshead council use cookies visit our cookies page 

Why we need your information and how we use it 

Our purpose for collecting personal information is to: 

• complete statistical returns to national organizations for example the Department for Education 

• provide appropriate and effective support to children and young people in the areas highlighted above dependent upon each individual need and the team contacted. 

• monitor and analyse the service provided for individual children and young people 

• help us develop and improve our services 

The lawful basis for our processing is: 

• legal obligation to which the data controller is subject;  

• Education Act 1996 

• Employment of Children Act 1973 

• The Children (Performances and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014 

• Inspections Act 2006 

• School Standards and Framework Act 1998 

• Education Act 2002 

• School Admissions Code 2021 

• task in the public interest with a basis in law. 

Our lawful basis for processing of sensitive personal data is: 

• reasons of substantial public interest (with a basis in law) 

Who your information may be shared with 

Our Corporate Privacy notice explains information sharing the Council carries out. This sharing fulfils statutory obligations, legal requirements and service delivery. Education support service including school admissions can share your information with:   

Internal departments  

• children with disabilities team 

• early help 

• educational psychology 

• Early Years Assessment and Intervention team (EYAIT)  

• Higher Incidents Needs Team (HINT) 

• Lower Incidents Needs Team (LINT) 

• Looked After Children's Team (virtual school) 

• legal department 

• social care 

External 

• benefits and housing  

• other local authorities 

• your child's school/academy staff 

• other schools/academies 

• post 16 transition staff at your child's further education college, sixth form college and university 

• Child and Mental Health Services (CAMHS)/Child and Young Peoples Services (CPYS) the first-tier tribunal (SEN and disability) 

• other third-party organisations, as allowed by law other partner agencies that provide services on our behalf 

• agencies with whom we have a duty to co-operate (such as police) 

Our lawful basis for this sharing is legal obligation or task in the public interest and your consent is not required.  

How long we will keep your information  

We keep your information for as long as we need to provide services to you. We may also need to keep your information in accordance with legal or other obligations. Where we have no need to keep your data it will be securely destroyed. We keep a Record of Processing Activity (a requirement under the GDPR). This sets out the specific retention periods applicable in different circumstances. For more information please contact: educationsupportservice@gateshead.gov.uk 

Where your information is held  

We hold personal information in secure electronic systems on Gateshead council servers.  

How you can update your information  

Our delivery of efficient services depends on the accuracy of your information. 

Please inform us of any changes to the following: 

• email address 

• personal circumstances 

• postal address 

• any of the other information we hold 

Please contact: educationsupportservice@gateshead.gov.uk 

Your information rights  

Please see the relevant section of our Corporate privacy notice.  

Marketing and e-newsletters  

Please see our email marketing privacy notice.  

Business intelligence, profiling and automated-decision making  

Please see the relevant section of our Corporate privacy notice.  

Protecting your information  

Please see the relevant section of our Corporate privacy notice.   

Data Protection Officer  

Data Protection Officer
Civic Centre  
Regent Street  
Gateshead  
NE8 1HH  
DPOcouncil@gateshead.gov.uk  
0191 433 3000  

Information Commissioner's Office  

The Information Commissioner is the UK's independent body for upholding information rights. Visit their website to find out more about your rights under Data Protection law, and what to expect from us. 

For privacy practices or data protection rights concerns, contact the Information Commissioner's Office:  

Information Commissioner's Office 
Wycliffe House 
Water Lane 
Wilmslow 
Cheshire SK9 5AF  
0303 123 1113 or 01625 545 745  
casework@ico.org.uk