Introduction

This notice is to help you understand how and why we collect personal information (also known as personal data) about you and what we do with that information. It also explains the decisions that you can make about your own information.

If you have any questions about this notice, please contact the Vice Principal.

What is personal information?

Personal information is information that identifies you as an individual and relates to you.

This includes your contact details, next of kin and financial information. We may also hold information such as your religion or ethnic group. CCTV, photos and video recordings of you are also personal information.

How and why does the Academy collect and use personal information?

We set out below examples of the different ways in which we use personal information and where this personal information comes from. The Academy's primary reason for using your personal information is to provide educational services to your child.

• We obtain information about you from admissions forms and from your child's previous school. We may also get information from professionals such as doctors and from local authorities.
• We may have information about any family circumstances which might affect your child's welfare or happiness.
• We may need information about any court orders or criminal petitions which relate to you. This is so that we can safeguard the welfare and wellbeing of your child and the other students at the Academy.
• We use CCTV to make sure the Academy site is safe. CCTV is not used in private areas such as toilets or changing rooms.
• We may take photographs or videos of you at Academy events to use on social media and on the Academy website. This is to show prospective parents and students what we do here and to advertise the Academy. We may continue to use these photographs and videos after your child has left the Academy.
• We may send you information to keep you up to date with what is happening at the Academy. For example, by sending you information about events and activities taking place (including fundraising events) and the Academy newsletter.
• We may use information about you if we need this for historical research purposes or for statistical purposes.

Sharing personal information with third parties

• In accordance with our legal obligations, we may share information with local authorities and the Department for Education, for example, where we have any safeguarding concerns.
• On occasion, we may need to share information with the police.
• We may also need to share information with our legal advisers for the purpose of obtaining legal advice.
• Occasionally we may use consultants, experts and other advisors to assist the Academy in fulfilling its obligations and to help run the Academy properly. We might need to share your information with them if this is relevant to their work.
• We may share some information with our insurance company, for example, where there is a serious incident at the Academy.
• If your child leaves us to attend another school, we may need to provide that school with information about you. For example, details of family circumstances for safeguarding reasons.
• We may share information about you with others in your family, such as another parent or step-parent. For example, where this is part of our obligation to take care of your child, as part of our wider legal and regulatory obligations.
• We may need to share information if there is an emergency, for example, if you are hurt whilst on Academy premises.

Our legal grounds for using your information

This section contains information about the legal basis that we are relying on when handling your information.

Legitimate interests

This means that the processing is necessary for legitimate interests except where the processing is unfair to you. The Academy relies on legitimate interests for most of the ways in which it uses your information.

Specifically, the Academy has a legitimate interest in:

• Providing educational services to your child;
• Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of your child (and other children);
• Promoting the objects and interests of the Academy. This includes fundraising. It also includes making sure that we are able to enforce our rights against you.
• Facilitating the efficient operation of the Academy; and
• Ensuring that all relevant legal obligations of the Academy are complied with.

In addition, your personal information may be processed for the legitimate interests of others.

If you object to us using your information where we are relying on our legitimate interests as explained above, please inform the Vice Principal.

Necessary for a contract

We will need to use your information in order to perform our obligations under our contract with you. For example, we need your name and contact details so that we can update you on your child's progress and so that we can contact you if there is a concern.

Legal obligation

Where the Academy needs to use your information in order to comply with a legal obligation, for example to report a concern to Children's Services at the local authority. We may also have to disclose your information to third parties such as the courts or the police where legally obliged to do so.

Vital interests

For example, to prevent someone from being seriously harmed or killed.

Public interest

The Academy considers that it is acting in the public interest when providing education.

The Academy must also comply with an additional condition where it processes special categories of personal information. These special categories are as follows: personal information revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic information, biometric information, health information, and information about sex life or orientation.

We may ask for your consent to use your information in certain ways. If we ask for your consent to use your personal information you can take back this consent at any time. Any use of your information before you withdraw your consent remains valid. Please inform the Vice Principal if you would like to withdraw any consent given.

Sending information to other countries

We may send your information to other countries where:

• we store information on computer servers based overseas; or
• we communicate with you or your child when you are overseas (for example, during the summer holidays if you live in a different country). 

The European Commission has produced a list of countries which have adequate data protection rules. The list can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/international- transfers/adequacy/index_en.htm

If the country that we are sending your information to is not on the list or, is not a country within the EEA (which means the European Union, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland) then it might not have the same level of protection for personal information as there is the UK.

For how long do we keep your information?

We keep your information for as long as we need to in order to educate and look after your child. We will keep some information after your child has left the Academy, for example, so that we can find out what happened if you make a complaint.

In exceptional circumstances we may keep your information for a longer time than usual but would only do so if we had a good reason and only if we are allowed to do so under data protection law.