Mountain Lane School

Policies & Documents

As I am sure you are aware new Data Protection regulations came into force at the end of May.  This information lets you know about what Mountain Lane does with your child’s personal and performance information (data), and any personal information (data) relating to you as parent / guardian.

The Collection of Personal Information

We collect information about pupils and their parents or legal guardians during the school year. Flintshire County Council and Welsh Assembly will receive information on pupils from Mountain Lane normally as part of what is called the Pupil Level Annual Schools Census which takes place in January each year.

Personal information held

The personal information collected includes:

• personal identifiers and contacts (such as name, date of birth, photograph, unique pupil number, contact details and address)
• characteristics (such as ethnicity, national identity, immigration status, language, and free school meal eligibility)
• safeguarding information (such as court orders and professional involvement)
• special educational needs (including the needs and ranking)
• medical and administration (such as doctors information, child health, dental health, allergies, medication and dietary requirements)
• attendance (such as sessions attended, number of absences, absence reasons and any previous schools attended)
• assessment and attainment (such as teacher assessments, National Tests and End of Key Stage results)
• behavioural information (such as exclusions and any relevant alternative provision put in place)
• information about the involvement of social services with individual pupils where this is needed for the care of the pupil.

Mountain Lane will ensure that information is secure.

How we collect pupil information

We collect pupil information via data collection forms completed by yourselves and Common Transfer Files (CTF’s) from previous schools where applicable.

Pupil data is essential for the schools’ operational use. Whilst the majority of pupil information you provide to us is mandatory, some of it requested on a voluntary basis. In order to comply with the data protection legislation, we will inform you at the point of collection, whether you are required to provide certain pupil information to us or if you have a choice in this.

The use made of this personal information

Welsh Government uses the information collected to do research, primarily to inform educational policy changes and funding. The research is done in a way that ensures individual pupils cannot be identified. Flintshire County Council also uses the personal information collected to do research. It uses the results of the research to make decisions on policy and the funding of schools, to calculate the performance of schools and help them to set targets.

Mountain Lane uses personal information to contact parents and guardians by mobile phone or email with regards to: emergencies; school information sharing (e.g. trips); newsletters; communications regarding events in the school; communications from the Parents group associated with Mountain Lane; Governors; NEWydd Catering; Payments/Finances; and information that may be of interest to families e.g. Community events.

Mountain Lane School and Flintshire County Council will use the information collected to administer the education it provides to pupils. For example:

• the provision of educational services to pupils including VLE’s
• monitoring and reporting on pupils’ educational progress
• the provision of welfare, pastoral care, and health services; SEN and transport requirements
• exclusions and attendance
• the giving of support and guidance to pupils their parents and legal guardians
• the organisation of educational events and trips
• planning and management of the school
• recording of monetary payments to and from pupils and parents/guardians.

Digital / Printed Images

During the school year photographs and videos are taken of your child.  Processing of photographs is necessary for the purposes of assessment and sometimes in other printed publications. We also use them on our school website, prospectus, induction booklets, internal displays, your child’s VLE and School Twitter account.  (Article 6:1e -  processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller).

We do not name pupils in the public domain (e.g. newspaper, Twitter) unless parental permission has been sought.

For those pupils with serious medical conditions we will also use your child’s photograph to inform members of staff, which include lunchtime supervisors and NEWydd catering team.  These will be displayed in the School Kitchen, School Office and Staffroom.

Occasionally, our school may be visited by the media who will take photographs or film footage. Children may appear in these images, which will sometimes be published in local or national newspapers, or on approved websites or twitter pages.  Please be aware that children who do not have consent will be asked to step out of the photograph.

Please be aware that images taken by parents at group events e.g. sporting events, school plays etc., are for personal use only and NO image of another child should ever be shared without the express consent of the parent of that child.

Organisations who may share personal information

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

Information held by Mountain Lane School, Flintshire County Council and Welsh Assembly on pupils, their parents or legal guardians may be shared with other organisations, for example with:

• other education and training bodies, including schools, when pupils are applying for courses, training, school transfer or seeking guidance on opportunities
• assessment data control companies
• School communication companies
• bodies doing research for the Welsh Assembly and Flintshire County Council so long as steps are taken to keep the information secure
• central and local government for the planning and provision of educational services
• social services and other health and welfare organisations where there is a need to share information to protect and support individual pupils
• various regulatory bodies, such as ombudsmen, inspection authorities and Government fraud initiatives, where the law requires that information be passed on so that they can do their work.

Your rights as an individual under the Data Protection Act 1998

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, please see the contact details below.

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
• a right to seek redress, either through the ICO, or through the courts

If you have a concern or complaint about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, you should raise your concern with us in the first instance or directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/

Seeking further information

For further information about the personal information collected and its use, if you have concerns about the accuracy of personal information, or wish to exercise your rights under the Data Protection Act 1998, you should contact either:

• Mrs I Walker, Headteacher, Mountain Lane School 01244 550688
• Data Protection Officer for Mountain Lane School info@gdbr.co.uk

Information can also be sought from:

• Information Commissioner’s office 01625 545 745.    www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk