Privacy Notice

At Pens Meadow School, we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of the personal information we collect. This privacy notice describes how we collect and use personal information about our pupils and their families, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Pens Meadow School is a "data controller." This means that we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use personal information about you and your child. We are required under data protection legislation to notify you of the information contained in this privacy notice.

2. The Categories of Pupil Information We Collect

We collect, store, and use various types of personal information, including:

Personal Identifiers: Name, date of birth, unique pupil number, and address.
Characteristics: Ethnicity, language, and free school meal eligibility.
Safeguarding Information: Court orders and professional involvement details.
Special Educational Needs (SEN): EHCP requirements and specific learning difficulties.
Medical Information: Doctors' details, allergies, medication requirements, and dietary needs.
Attendance and Progress: Attendance records, assessment marks, and educational achievement.
Behavioural Information: Exclusions and relevant behavioural records.

3. Why We Collect and Use This Information

We use pupil data to:

Support pupil learning and monitor progress.
Provide appropriate pastoral and medical care.
Assess the quality of our services.
Comply with the law regarding data sharing with the Department for Education (DfE).
Ensure our school remains a safe and secure environment.

4. The Legal Basis for Using This Information

We only collect and use pupil information when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we process it because it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest (providing education) or to comply with a legal obligation. For special category data (such as health or ethnicity), we process it for reasons of substantial public interest.

5. Collecting Pupil Information

While most of the information you provide to us is mandatory, some of it is provided on a voluntary basis. We will inform you whether you are required to provide certain pupil information to us or if you have a choice in this. Where consent is required, we will obtain this separately and you may withdraw it at any time.

6. Storing Pupil Data

We keep personal information about pupils while they are attending our school. We may also keep it beyond their attendance if this is necessary in order to comply with our legal obligations. We follow the Information and Records Management Society’s toolkit for schools regarding retention periods.

7. Who We Share Pupil Information With

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

Dudley Local Authority.
The Department for Education (DfE).
The National Health Service (NHS) and other health professionals.
Educators and examining bodies.

8. Your Rights

Under data protection legislation, parents and pupils have the right to request access to information about them that we hold (a "Subject Access Request"). You also have the right to:

Ask us to correct any inaccurate information we hold.
Request that we delete or restrict the processing of your data in certain circumstances.
Object to processing of personal data that is likely to cause, or is causing, damage or distress.

9. Contact Us

If you would like to discuss anything in this privacy notice or exercise any of your rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer through the school office:

Email: info@pens-meadow.dudley.sch.uk
Telephone: 01384 818945
Postal Address: Pens Meadow School, Ridge Hill, Brierley Hill Road, Wordsley, DY8 5ST.

10. Complaints

We take any complaints about our collection and use of personal information very seriously. If you think that our collection or use of personal information is unfair or misleading, please raise this with us in the first instance. Alternatively, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/.