The Information Commissioner’s Office has published new guidance explaining the rights that young people have to access information held about them by their school.
It aims to help primary and secondary state schools understand their obligations when dealing with information requests from students and their parents under the Data Protection Act. It explains what information should be provided and when information should not be disclosed.
The guidance also notes that students as young as 12 should generally be able to access their own educational record and other personal information held about them.
Where a young person cannot understand the nature of the request, someone with parental responsibility can ask for the information on the child’s behalf.
Phil Jones, Assistant Commissioner, said: ‘The Data Protection Act gives us all important rights to access information held about us. Schools should treat students’ requests for their own personal information properly and requests for a student’s educational record must be processed within 15 days. As a general rule, students aged 12 and over should be considered mature enough to make a request for their own personal information, but as young people mature at different ages schools must treat each request on a case by case basis.”
Information requests should be made in writing and in most cases a fee can be levied. The guidance note also includes a list of information that should not be disclosed.
There are separate guidance notes for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and these form part of a series published by the Information Commissioner’s to explain the technical provisions of the Act to organisations. To download a copy please go to Technical guidance note
ENDS
If you need more information, please contact the Information Commissioner’s press office on 020 7025 7580 or visit the website at: www.ico.gov.uk
