Privacy Statement (How we use pupil and personal information)

Who we are

We are SIPS Education Music & Arts Service. We are the lead organisation of the Sandwell Music Education Hub. This privacy notice explains how we collect, store and use personal and pupil data. We, SIPS Education Music & Arts Service, are the ‘data controller’ for the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The categories of personal information that we collect, hold and share include:

  • Personal information of pupils and parents, such as name and address
  • Characteristics, such as free school meal eligibility and special educational needs of pupils
  • Pupil records relating to instrumental and music lessons, including results of our internal assessments and external examinations
  • Attendance information, such as sessions attended, number of absences and absence reasons
  • Safeguarding information
  • Details of any medical conditions
  • Contact details and contact preferences of parents, pupil date of birth

Why we collect and use this information

We use the pupil and personal data:

  • to support pupil learning
  • to monitor and report on pupil progress
  • to provide appropriate pastoral care, and to protect pupil welfare
  • to assess the quality of our services
  • to contact parents directly regarding pupil progress and our services
  • to comply with the law regarding data sharing

The lawful basis on which we use this information

We collect and use pupil and personal information on the basis of:

  • Contract: the processing is necessary for a contract we have with you
  • Vital interests: the processing is necessary to protect someone’s life.
  • Legal obligation: the processing is necessary for us to comply with the law
  • Public task: the processing is necessary to perform a task in the public interest or for official functions, and the task or function has a clear basis in law.

On some occasions, we process personal information on the basis of consent – for example, in order to communicate directly with parents regarding our services or in order to take and use pupil images. In such instances, we will ask for consent when the use of personal data is optional. We will make this clear when we ask for consent, and explain how consent can be withdrawn in the future.

Collecting pupil and personal information

Whilst the majority of personal information you provide to us is mandatory, some of it is provided to us on a voluntary basis. In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, we will inform you whether you are required to provide certain pupil information to us or if you have a choice in this.

We collect and obtain information from pupils, parents, carers, teachers and other professionals where relevant (e.g. social workers etc).

Storing pupil and personal data

We hold personal data about pupils while they are attending our lessons or ensembles. We may also need to keep it beyond their involvement with our service if this is necessary in order to comply with our legal obligations.

We will only retain the personal data we collect for as long as is necessary. This will be to satisfy the purpose for which it has been collected in accordance with our data retention schedule and as identified in our data audit. Please contact us if you would like further clarification on our retention timescales.

Who we share pupil information with

We share pupil information with external agencies where the law requires us to do so, or where we have sought your permission. The agencies who we routinely share pupil information with include:

  • schools that the pupil’s attend
  • the Department for Education (DfE) via Arts Council, where aggregated and summative data is required from us as the music hub lead organisation, e.g. numbers of pupils attending our ensembles

Full details of who we share pupil information with is included in our data audit. If you have any questions on who we share the information with, please contact our Data Protection Officer.

Why we share pupil information

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

We share pupils’ data with Arts Council England and the Department for Education (DfE) on a statutory basis. This data sharing underpins music hub funding and the delivery of the National Plan for Music Education.

Requesting access to your personal data

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, contact in the first instance our Data Protection Officer.

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
  • claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the Data Protection regulations

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

Contact

If you would like to discuss anything in this privacy notice, please contact:

In the first instance, our Data Protection Officer:

Laura Hadley, Director for Health, Safety and Facilities laura.hadley@sipseducation.co.uk

 

Dated: 01 September 2018