Elective Home Education - Fair Processing Notice

Why do Staffordshire County Council collect information?

The information you provide to Children and Lifelong Learning will help support your family through the Elective Home Education process. This information may also be used for monitoring and statistical research purposes. All information you provide will be processed in line with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Staffordshire County Council has a legal duty under Sections 437 to 443 of the Education Act 1996 to ensure children are receiving a suitable education. To do this we may initially ask parents who are educating their children at home for information in order to evaluate whether a suitable education is being provided (for example, through showing examples of work). The Department for Children, Schools and Families make it clear that parents have a choice about how they provide information about their educational provision.

How long does Staffordshire County Council keep the information?

Information is retained by the authority until the child is 25. It is then destroyed securely.

Will any information be shared?

Personal data will not be disclosed to anyone other than the data subject (i.e. yourself or your child) unless we have your consent, or it is required by law. Where disclosure is allowed we will only share the minimum amount of relevant information on a need to know basis. However, information may be forwarded to other agencies without your consent, where the County Council has a statutory duty to do so, such as in matters concerning the safety of children. Additionally, Local Authorities have a duty under the Children Act 2004 to cooperate with their partners in health and youth justice to improve the well-being of children in their areas. As part of this duty they will be required to maintain the accuracy of the information held on the Information Sharing (IS) Index about children and young people in their area (see IS Index under Department for Children, Schools and Families). Statistical data will be shared in such a way that it does not support measures or decisions relating to particular individuals or identifies individuals in any results. At no time will your information be passed to organisations external to Staffordshire County Council for marketing or sales purposes.

What information is provided to the Connexions service?

The Connexions Service is a public service which provides information, advice, guidance and support to young people aged 13 - 19 to assist their transition to adulthood. Under the Learning and Skills Act 2000 there is a legal obligation to provide

a) the names and addresses of pupils and their parents.

b) any other information relevant to the Connexions Service, however you have the right to “opt out” and instruct EHE not to provide any other information.

Why do EHE collect ethnicity information?

Collection of ethnicity information is used to ensure equality of service provision. Provision of this information is optional. Any information you provide will be used solely to compile statistics on the EHE careers and experiences of pupils from different ethnic backgrounds, to help ensure that all children and young people have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. From time to time information will be passed onto the Local Education Authority to contribute to local and national statistics.

Can I access personal data held about me or my child?

The Data Protection Act 1998 gives you the right to apply for a copy of your personal information. Under the Act a child has the right to a copy of their own information. In certain circumstances requests may be made by a parent on behalf of their child, for example where the child is too young to understand or exercise their own rights.