General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
The law is changing and the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) comes into effect on 25th May 2018. It will bring higher standards for handling data and greater expectations for improved transparency, enhanced data security and increase accountability for processing personal data. Schools will have a legal duty to comply with GDPR.
The new GDPR is replacing the current Data Protection Act and is set to strengthen and unify all data held within an organisation. For schools, GDPR brings a new responsibility to inform parents and stakeholders about how they are using pupils' data and who it is being used by.
What does GDPR mean for schools?
A great deal of the processing of personal data undertaken by schools will fall under a specific legal basis, 'in the public interest'. As it is in the public interest to operate schools successfully, it will mean that specific consent will not be needed in the majority of cases in schools.