Changes to the data protection laws: GDPR
Public bodies such as schools hold various strands of information regarding pupils, covering all manner of things from personal home information to academic statistics. We maintain such records under the protocols as set by the Data Protection Act 1998. We are also obliged to follow the guidance of the Freedom of Information Act 2005, which gives individuals and organisations the right to request information held by a public authority.
On the 25th May 2018, the new data protection laws came into effect in the form of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); the majority of existing data protection guidance will remain unchanged, but there will be additional responsibilities placed on organisations as 'Data Controllers', and additional rights for individuals as 'Data Subjects'.
To ensure we can demonstrate our ongoing compliance to the GDPR, and to reassure parents that the information we hold and share is done so in accordance with the law, we have updated our Privacy Notice. This sets out how we gather information, the purpose of the information and how it is shared with other agencies.The link below will therefore guide you to the annual update from 1st May 2021.
Privacy notice - new GDPR laws
Publication Scheme
As part of the Freedom of Information Act, Sunderland City Council have an obligation to the general public to provide a right of access for all types of recorded information held by public authorities. As such, every public authority is required to adopt and maintain a Publication Scheme setting out the classes of information it holds, the manner in which it intends to publish the information, and whether a fee is payable for accessing any data. At a local level, the school is obliged to also provide this information and copy of our current Publication Scheme under the act is available for download via the link below: