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Read Out LoudEducational Data
DATA COLLECTION
Fife Council collects information on pupils, parents and other carers to enable the provision of educational and other support services including personal data, contact details, pupil’s attainment records and health information.
We are keen to help all our pupils do well in all aspects of school life and achieve better exam results. Sometimes the best way is by sharing information with our partner agencies including NHS Fife, Fife Constabulary, Careers Scotland and the Scottish Government Education Department. These agencies have a responsibility to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults and sharing information between agencies helps to do this. Examples include: the provision of dental services, immunisation programmes and road safety campaigns.
The benefits of data sharing.
Sharing information between partner agencies ensures integrated service provision which provides a positive contribution to the safety and well-being of children and young adults.
Data sharing helps:
- protect children and young people from suffering harm, abuse or neglect;
- ensure children and young adults with additional needs get the services they require;
- enable pupils to achieve their academic potential and attain their goals;
- plan future services
What information can be shared?
Information collected through enrolment forms or provided by parents and other carers will be held on computer systems and used within Fife Council for the purposes of furthering education and training, pupil care, career guidance, health monitoring and Parent Council elections and advice.
Information will be shared with partner agencies when there are clear concerns about the care, safety and welfare of children, young people or vulnerable adults and to aid careers planning.
Personal data will not be shared out-with the above circumstances and information will not be disclosed to any third parties except where permitted or required by law or where informed consent has been received. The uses of the information are covered by the Council’s registration under the Data Protection Act 1998.
SHARING INFORMATION WITH THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT
Education authorities and the Scottish Government Education Department (SGED) manage and transfer data about pupils electronically through the ScotXed programme.
The data collected and transferred covers areas such as date of birth, postcode, registration for free-school meals, whether a pupil is looked after by his/her local authority, additional support needs including disability, attendance, absence and exclusions from school. Pupil names and addresses are collected by their school and education authority but they are not passed to SGED. The postcode is the only part of your address that is transferred. Data is held securely and no information on individual pupils can or would be published by SGED.
Providing national identity and ethnic background data is entirely voluntary. You can choose the ‘not disclosed’ option if you do not want to provide this data. However, we hope that the explanations contained in this message and on the website will help you understand the importance of providing this data.DATA PROTECTION RIGHTS
The collection, transfer, processing and sharing of both ScotXed and Careers Scotland data is done in accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998). It also complies with the National Statistics Code of Practice requirements and other legislation related to safeguarding the confidentiality of data. The Data Protection Act gives you the right to know how your data will be used. Full details of the uses of pupil data can be found on the ScotXed website(www.scotxed.net).
SGED works with a range of partners including HM Inspectorate of Education and the Scottish Qualifications Authority. They may make individual data available to partners and academic institutions to carry out research and statistical analysis. They will provide partners with information they need in order to fulfil their official responsibilities. Sharing of data will be done under the strict control and prior agreement of the Data Access Panel in SGED, which will ensure that no individual level data will be made public as a result of the data sharing and this data will not be used to take action in respect of an individual.
ACCESS TO RECORDS
In most circumstances, pupils and their parents and / or appointed guardians have the right to see all the information held by Fife Council about the pupil. Parents, guardians and other carers have the right to see personal data about themselves under the Data Protection Act 1998.
WANT MORE INFORMATION?
Further information on Fife Council’s use of data and the Data Protection Act 1998 can be found on Fife Council’s website www.fifedirect.org.uk
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
Should you have a complaint, including one that relates to the Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2004, concerning the school or your child’s education you should contact the school office in the first instance and, if necessary, arrange to discuss the matter with the Head Teacher.
If the matter cannot be resolved at this stage then you will be advised to write to the Executive Director Education.
Fife Council Education Service has produced a leaflet Compliments, Concerns & Complaints which explains the procedure for providing feedback; it can be obtained from the school office, public libraries or Fife Council Local Services Centres.
