Subject

To meet the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, schools are required to issue a Privacy Notice to pupils and/or parents summarising the information held on record about pupils, why it is held, and the third parties to whom it may be passed.

This Privacy Notice provides information about the collection and processing of pupils’ personal and performance information by the Welsh Assembly Government, Wrexham County Borough Local Authority (LA) and Ysgol Rhiwabon School.

The school collects information about pupils and their parents or legal guardians when they enrol at the school. The schools also collect information at other key times during the school year. Information is also received from other schools when pupils transfer.

The School processes the information it collects to administer the education it provides to pupils. For example:

• the provision of educational services to individuals;
• monitoring and reporting on pupils’ educational progress;
• the provision of welfare, pastoral care and health services;
• 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.

Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) & Local Authority (LA)

The Welsh Assembly Government receives information on pupils normally as part of what is called the Pupil Level Annual Schools Census (PLASC). The Welsh Assembly Government uses this personal information for research (carried out in such a way that ensures individual pupils cannot be identified) and for statistical purposes, to inform, influence and improve education policy and to monitor the performance of the education service as a whole. Examples of the sort of statistics produced can be viewed at www.wales.gov.uk/statistics

The LA also uses the personal information collected via PLASC to do research. It uses the results of this research to make decisions on policy and the funding of schools, to calculate the performance of schools and help them to set targets. The research is carried out in such a way that ensures individual pupils cannot be identified.

In addition WAG and LAs receive information regarding National Curriculum assessment and Public Examination results and attendance data at pupil level..

The sort of personal information that will be held includes;

• personal details such as name, address, date of birth, pupil identifiers and contact details for parents and guardians;
• information on performance in internal and national assessments and examinations; 
• information on the ethnic origin and national identity of pupils (this is used only to prepare summary statistical analyses); 
• details about pupils’ immigration status (this is used only to prepare summary statistical analyses);
• medical information needed to keep pupils safe while in the care of the school;
• information on attendance and any disciplinary action taken;
• information about the involvement of social services with individual pupils where this is needed for the care of the pupil.

Organisations who may share personal information

Information held by the School, LA and the Welsh Assembly Government on pupils, their parents or legal guardians may also be shared with other organisations when the law allows, for example with;

• other education and training bodies, including schools, when pupils are applying for courses, training, school transfer or seeking guidance on opportunities;
• bodies doing research for the Welsh Assembly Government, LA and schools, 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 and inspection authorities, where the law requires that information is passed on so that they can do their work.

Pupils have certain rights under the Data Protection Act, including a general right to be given access to personal data held about them by any “data controller”. The presumption is that by the age of 12 a child has sufficient maturity to understand their rights and to make an access request themselves if they wish. A parent would normally be expected to make a request of child’s behalf if the child is younger.

If you wish to access your personal data, or that of your child, then please contact the relevant organisation in writing. Details of these organisations can be found on the following website: - http://www.ysgolrhiwabon.co.uk/
 http://www.learningrecordsservice.org.uk/products/learnerrecord/
http://wales.gov.uk/publications/accessinfo/?lang=en
or for those pupils/parents where this is not practical, a hard copy can be obtained from the school’s Examinations Officer.

Pupils Aged 14 or Over

The information you supply will be used by the Chief Executive of Skills Funding, to issue you with a Unique Learner Number (ULN), and to create your Personal Learning Record. Further details of how your information is processed and shared can be found at http://www.learningrecordsservice.org.uk/learnparent/. 

• the right to ask for and receive copies of the personal information held on you, although some information can sometimes be legitimately withheld;
• the right, in some circumstances, to prevent the processing of personal information if doing so will cause damage or distress;
• the right to ask for wrong information to be put right;
• the right to seek compensation if an organisation does not comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 and you person suffer damage;
• in some circumstances a pupil’s parent or legal guardian may have a right to receive a copy of personal data held about a pupil in their legal care. Such cases will be considered on an individual basis where the individual is deemed to have insufficient understanding of their rights under the Act.

You also have the right to ask the Information Commissioner, who enforces and oversees the Data Protection Act 1998, to assess whether or not the processing of personal information is likely to comply with the provisions of the Act.

• the school on 01978 822392
• your LA on 01978 297505
• the Welsh Assembly Government’s data protection officer at, The Welsh Assembly Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ;
• the Information Commissioner’s office help line can be contacted on 01625 545 745;
• information is also available from www.ico.gov.uk