Why we collect information and what do we do with the information we hold?

Your data matters!

We live in a data-driven world. Almost every transaction and interaction you have with most organisations involves you sharing personal data, such as your name, address and birth date. You share data online too, every time you visit a website, search for or buy something, use social media or send an email.

Sharing data helps makes life easier, more convenient and connected.

Sharing data helps makes life easier, more convenient and connected. We can communicate instantly. Pay bills. Book holidays. Apply for jobs. Shop and buy things effortlessly. Get dentist appointment reminders. Sharing data brings countless benefits and advantages into our everyday lives.

Your data is your data!

It belongs to you so it's important your data is used only in ways you would reasonably expect, and that it stays safe. That's where Data Protection Law comes in. You will often hear this referred to as GDPR, or to use its less catchy full name, General Data Protection Regulations.

The rules came into being on May 25, 2018 and affect everyone in the UK. Working alongside the new Data Protection bill, the regulations are here to make sure everyone's data is used properly and legally - both online and offline. We have tightened up - and are continually improving - the ways that your data is gathered, handled and processed. All UK businesses and organisations must comply and our school is no exception. GDPR also applies to organisations who are established in the EU, and also outside the EU wherever use of data concerns those within Europe and the UK.

Consent from Parents

Our Privacy Notice Tells you what we do with the information we collect. The latest version of this can be found on our policies page. This tells you what we collect, who we share information with and the basis of the laws under which we do this.

In addition to this there are many things that parents need to provide explicit consent for that we do in school. Everything from whether we can take images of the children (and what we do with them), the apps the children have access to in school, to what content we send you from our School Life App. This all means that there is quite a bit of paperwork that comes out each September or when you join our school family for you to consider. If you change your mind after you have returned your forms you simply need to notify the office of this.

How we talk to the children about their data.

To simply this subject for our children we use a video to explain the above in a succinct and child friendly way. 

Links for further information:

Dudley Safeguarding Board and the Information Commissioners Office have produced some useful guidance, which you can access here and it might be useful to read and consider this when making your decisions.