Berkswich CE Primary School and Nursery

Privacy notice for the school workforce  

Under data protection law, individuals have a right to be informed about how the school uses any personal data that we hold about them. We comply with this right by providing 'privacy notices' (sometimes called 'fair processing notices') to individuals where we are processing their personal data.

Privacy notice – how school workforce information is used

What categories of information are processed?

The categories of personal information that we process include the following:

• Personal information – e.g. name, employee or teacher number, next of kin, forms of identification, National Insurance number, address,
• Characteristics information – e.g. gender, age, ethnic group
• Contract information – e.g. start date, hours worked, post, roles and salary information, bank details, continuous service details,
• Work absence information – e.g. number of absences and reasons for absence
• Qualifications and, where relevant, the subjects taught
• Medical information – e.g. that which is relevant to the post (see below)

This list is not exhaustive – to access the current list of information the school processes, please see the school’s Data Asset Register, which can be found in the school office. Data is collected in line with the statutory requirements for schools contained in the document, ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education.’

Why do we collect and use your information?

We collect and use your information for the following reasons:

• To enable the development of a comprehensive picture of the workforce and how it is deployed
• To inform the development of recruitment and retention policies
• To enable individuals to be paid
• To keep pupils safe

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the legal basis/bases we rely on for processing personal information for general purposes which are mainly based on Article 6 of the GDPR (i.e., consent, contract, legal obligation, vital interests, public task, legitimate interests). We also use Article 9 where the data processed is ‘special category’ data. We process data:

• For the purpose of enabling individuals to be paid, in accordance with the legal basis of contract (basis is from Article 6).
• For the purposes of contacting staff out of hours in the event of a snow day or other school closure/emergency (basis is from Article 6).
• For the purposes of putting any necessary, reasonable adjustments into place to support workers with medical conditions (basis is from Article 6.)
• For the purposes of gaining suitable proofs of identity needed to complete a DBS check in compliance with the school’s safeguarding policy (basis is from Article 9).

How do we collect your information?

We collect your personal information via the following methods:

• Recruitment forms, including staff contract forms
• Staff contact forms
• Medication forms (if necessary)

Workforce data is essential for the school’s operational use. Whilst most information you provide to us is mandatory, some of it is requested on a voluntary basis. To comply with the UK GDPR, we will inform you at the point of collection whether you are required to provide certain information to us or if you have a choice.

How do we store your information?

Your personal information is retained in line with the school’s Records Management Policy, which can be found on the school website - www.berkswichceprimary.co.uk 

For more information about how we securely store your information, please see the school’s Data Protection Policy which can also be located on the school’s website. Please also refer to the schools Data Breach Policy for more information about how we securely store your information.

Who do we share your information with?

We routinely share your information with:

• The Local Authority
• The Department for Education
• The Teachers’ Pension Scheme, or LA Pension Fund

Why do we share your information?

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

We are required to share information about our school workforce with our LA under section 5 of the Education (Supply of Information about the School Workforce, England) Regulations 2007 and amendments.

We are required to share information about you with the DfE under section 5 of the Education (Supply of Information about the School Workforce, England) Regulations 2007 and amendments.

All information we share with the DfE is transferred securely and held by the DfE under a combination of software and hardware controls which meet the current government security policy framework.

How does the government use your data?

The workforce information that we lawfully share with the DfE through data collections:

• Informs the DfE’s policy on pay and the monitoring of the effectiveness and diversity of the school workforce.
• Links to school funding and expenditure.
• Supports longer term research and monitoring of educational policy.

You can find more information about the data collection requirements placed on us by the DfE by following this link https://www.gov.uk/education/data-collection-and-censuses-for-schools.

The DfE may share your information with third parties who promote the education or wellbeing of pupils or the effective deployment of staff by:

• Conducting research or analysis.
• Producing statistics.
• Providing information, advice or guidance.

The DfE has robust processes in place to ensure that the confidentiality of personal information is maintained and there are controls in place regarding access to and use of the information. The DfE makes decisions on whether they will share personal information with third parties based on an approval process, where the following areas are considered in detail:

• Who is requesting the information?
• The purpose for which the information is required.
• The level and sensitivity of the information requested.
• The arrangements in place to securely store and handle the information.

To have access to school workforce information, organisations must comply with strict terms and conditions covering the confidentiality and handling of information, security arrangements and retention of the information.

How to find out what personal information the DfE holds about you

Under the Data Protection Act 2018, you are entitled to ask the DfE what personal information it holds about you. You have the right to ask the DfE:

• If it processes your personal data.
• For a description of the data it holds about you.
• The reasons it is holding your data and any recipient it may be disclosed to.
• For a copy of your personal data and any details of its source.

To exercise these rights, you should make a subject access request. Information on how to do this can be found by following this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education/about/personal-information-charter

You can also contact the DfE directly using its online contact form by following this link: https://www.gov.uk/contact-dfe 

Pension funds

We share data with the pension funds, (either the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, or the LA Pension Fund), to allow accurate records to be kept of your pension entitlement. 

This information is necessary to ensure they hold the correct data for the administration of the scheme as outlined in the scheme regulations, which can be found in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme Regulations or in the LGPS Pension Regulations.

What are your rights?

You have specific rights to the processing of your data, these are the right to:

• Request access to the information the school holds about you.
• Restrict our processing of your personal data, i.e., permitting its storage but no further processing.
• Object to direct marketing (including profiling) and processing for the purposes of scientific/historical research and statistics.
• Have your personal data rectified if it is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Not be subject to decisions based purely on automated processing where it produces a legal or similarly significant effect on you.
• Request the deletion or removal of personal data where there is no compelling reason for the continued processing.
• Seek compensation, either through the ICO or the courts.

If you want to request access to the personal information we hold about you, please contact Nikki Proctor (DPO). See contact details below.

If you are concerned about the way we are collecting or using your information, please raise your concern with the school’s DPO in the first instance. You can also contact the ICO at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/ 

Updating this privacy notice

We may need to update this privacy notice periodically if we change how we collect and process data. The school will inform you when this privacy notice has changed; however, we also recommend that you revisit this privacy notice periodically.

This privacy notice was last updated January, 2022. 

How to withdraw consent and lodge complaints

Where our school processes your personal data with your consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

If you change your mind or are unhappy with how our school uses your personal data, you should let us know by contacting the DPO (contact details below).

How can you find out more information?

If you require further information about how we and/or the DfE store and use your personal data, please visit our website to view our Data Protection Policy and Record Management Policy via www.berkswichceprimary.co.uk or visit the Gov.UK website.

If you would like to discuss anything in this privacy notice, please contact Ms Jackson (headteacher) or the school’s DPO:

Natalie Morrissey

Information Governance Manager

Staffordshire County Council

Information Governance Unit – Directorate of Strategy, Governance and Change

IGU | Staffordshire County Council

4th Floor, Staffordshire Place 1,

Tipping Street, Stafford, ST16 2DH              (01785) 278109

Please use the link passed to you by school to sign that you have read the staff privacy notice and understand:

• The categories of my personal information Berkswich CE Primary collects and uses.
• The school has a lawful basis for collecting and using my personal information.
• The school shares my information with the DfE, LA and other stated organisations.
• The school does not share information about me with anyone without my consent, unless the law and our policies allow the school to do so.
• My information is retained in line with the school’s Records Management Policy.
• My rights to the processing of my personal information.

A paper copy is available from the office on request.