School Checking Exercise privacy notice
This privacy notice relates to the School Checking Exercise run by the Department for Education (DfE). It explains how we use (process) any personal data you give to us, or any that we may collect about you. This privacy notice should be read alongside the Department for Education: privacy notice for post-16 education.
For the purposes of relevant data protection legislation, DfE is the data controller for personal data.
The types of personal data we process
We may process the following types of personal data about you:
- full name
- work email address
When we ask you for personal data, we will:
- tell you the reasons we’re asking for it
- only ask for the information we need
- make sure we don’t keep it for longer than necessary
- protect it and make sure only the appropriate people have access to it
- let you know if we’ll share it with other organisations
- keep it up to date where necessary
- consider privacy risks when we’re planning to change the way we use or hold it
- train our staff to ensure we use and protect it properly
In return, we ask you to:
- give us accurate information
- tell us as soon as possible if there are any changes
How and why we use your personal data
We use your personal data to:
- allow you to access the form
- to send confirmation after you submit the form
The data collected is not shared with any other organisations.
The lawful basis we are relying on for processing your personal data is to perform our public task as per article 6(1)(e) UK GDPR - to perform a public task as part of our function as a department.
Sharing your personal data
We collect your name and work email address so an email can be sent to confirm your submission. We share your personal data with other parts of DfE where the law allows it or where we have a legal duty to do this.
How long we will keep your personal data
We will only keep your personal data for as long as we need it. DfE has a disposal schedule for personal data based on the needs of the department and the law.
We will take necessary steps to keep your information safe. It will then be securely destroyed when it is no longer needed.
If you want to know how long we keep your information, please write to DfE Departmental Records Officer using our secure online contact form.
Storing personal data outside the UK
When DfE stores personal data outside the UK, we will make sure we comply with the data protection law and take additional steps to keep your personal data safe, which can include additional technical and security arrangements, contractual agreements, and data sharing agreements.
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you have rights including:
- your right of access - you have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information
- your right to rectification - you have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate and have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete
- your right to erasure - you have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances
- your right to restriction of processing - you have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances
- your right to object to processing - you have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances
- your right to data portability - you have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances
Contacting us
You can contact us:- to get more information about how we process your personal data or your data protection rights
- to make a request about your information – for example, to request a copy of your information or to ask for your information to be changed
- to contact our Data Protection Officer
You can contact us using our secure online contact form.
You can also write to us at the following address:
Emma Wharram
Data Protection Officer
Department for Education (B2.28)
7 & 8 Wellington Place
Wellington Street
Leeds
LS1 4AW
How to complain
If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to the Data Protection Officer at:
Ministerial and Public Communications Division
Department for Education
Piccadilly Gate
Store Street
Manchester
M1 2WD
You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how we have used your data by writing to:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
Changes to this privacy notice
We may change this privacy notice and we encourage you to check this privacy notice from time to time.
Date last updated: April 2022