Balerno High School has a legal responsibility to deliver an effective educational programme to its pupils. In order to do this, we need to collect personal data about our pupils/children and their families so that we can help them learn, and keep them safe. The type of personal data we will collect include:
- Data about our pupils/children and their families
This will include the name, address and contact details of the pupil/child and relevant family members. It will also include information about relevant medical conditions, any additional supports that are needed, and their family situation. We need this information to ensure we know our pupils/children and their families, and to ensure we are able to educate them appropriately, and keep them safe.
We will also collect personal data relating to personal characteristics, such as ethnic group to enable statistics to be reported. We need this information so the Council can ensure it is delivering education appropriately to all its citizens.
- Data about pupils/children at school/within ELC setting
This will include data about progress, assessments, and exam results. It will also include records of attendance, absence, and any exclusions. We need this information to understand how our pupils/children are progressing, and to assess how we can help them to achieve their best.
- Data about when and where they go after they leave us
This will include information about their next setting/school, career paths or intended destinations. We need this information to ensure we support our pupils/children in all their transitions and do all that we can to help their future be a success.
There will be times where we also receive information about them from other organisations, such as a pupils’ previous school, the previous local authority where that school or ELC setting was based, NHS Lothian, Police Scotland, Social work, Additional Support Services, and sometimes other organisations or groups connected to a pupil’s education. We use this data similarly to the above: to support our pupils’ learning, monitor and report on their progress, provide appropriate pastoral care; and assess the quality of our services
When we collect and use personal data within school/ELC setting, and for the reasons detailed above, we will normally be acting in accordance with our public task. Occasionally we are also required to process personal data because the law requires us to do so, or because it is necessary to protect someone’s life.
We will also take photographs in school/ELC setting and display them on our walls, and in newsletters and other communications. We do this in order to celebrate and share what we have done, including individual achievements and successes. We consider this use of images to be part of our public task as it helps us build an effective community, which supports learning. We will not, however, publish these photographs on social media or in newspapers without permission. Consent for this use will be sought when a pupil/child joins Balerno High School and will be kept on record while they are with us. Consent can be withdrawn at any time, please just let us know.
Sometimes we need to share pupil information with other organisations. Law requires us, to pass certain information about our pupils to the Scottish Government and the Council. This data is for statistical purposes, and will normally be anonymised. It is normally required to enable the Council, and the Government, to understand how education is being delivered and to help them plan for future provision.
If a pupil/child moves schools/ELC settings, we have a legal obligation to pass on information to their new school/education authority about their education at Balerno High School.
When we record and use personal data, we will only collect and use what we need. We will keep it securely, and it will only be accessed by those that need to. We will not keep personal data for longer than is necessary and follow the Council’s Record Retention Schedule and archival procedures when records are identified to be of historical value and require to be retained in the Edinburgh City Archives.
For more information on how the Council uses personal data, and to know more about your information rights including whom to contact if you have a concern, see the City Of Edinburgh’s Privacy Notice.
Sharing personal data to support Wellbeing
In addition to the above, Balerno High School has a legal duty to promote, support and safeguard the wellbeing of children in our care.
Wellbeing concerns can cover a range of issues depending on the needs of the child.
Staff are trained to identify when children and families can be supported and records are kept when it is thought that a child could benefit from help available in the school/ELC setting, community or another professional. You can expect that we will tell you if we are concerned about your child’s wellbeing, and talk to you about what supports might help in the circumstances. Supports are optional and you will not be required to take them up.
If it would be helpful to share information with someone else, we will discuss this with you and seek your consent before we share it so that you know what is happening and why. The only time we will not seek consent to share information with another organisation is if we believe that a child may be at risk of harm. In these situations, we have a duty to protect children, which means we do not need consent. On these occasions, we will normally tell you that information is being shared, with whom, and why – unless we believe that doing so may put the child at risk of harm.
We will not give information about our pupils to anyone without your consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so.
