GDPR

The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) are retained in domestic law as the UK GDPR, but the UK has the independence to keep the framework under review. The ‘UK GDPR’ sits alongside an amended version of the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018. These laws bring higher standards for handling data and greater expectations for improving transparency, enhanced data security and increased accountability for processing personal data. Schools have a legal duty to comply with the UK GDPR.

What does GDPR mean for schools?

GDPR will ensure data is protected and will give individuals more control over their data, however this means schools will have greater accountability for the data:

• Under GDPR, where consent is used as a lawful basis for processing it must be explicitly given
• Schools must appoint a Data Protection Officer who will assess the school’s compliance position and provide advice and guidance on data protection matters.
• Schools must ensure that their third-party suppliers who may process any of their data are GDPR compliant and must have legally binding contracts with any company that processes any personal data. These contracts must cover what data is being processed, who it is being processed by, who has access to it and how it is protected.
• It is compulsory that all data breaches which pose a high risk to the rights and freedoms of the affected data subject(s) are reported to the ICO within 72 hours.