Privacy Policy
Introductory Statement
The school’s Privacy Policy applies to the personal data held by the school’s Board of Management (BoM), which is protected by the Data Protection Acts 1988 to 2018 and the EU General Data Personal Regulation (GDPR), which comes into force on 25th May, 2018.
How we collect and use pupil information:
The BoM of Scoil Bhríde JNS is the data controller for the purposes of GDPR. We collect pupil information from you and may receive information about your child from a previous school.
Whilst the majority of pupil information you provide to us is mandatory, some of it is provided to us on a voluntary basis. In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, we will inform you whether you are required to provide certain pupil information to us or whether you have a choice in the matter.
We hold this personal data to:
- Support our pupils’ learning
- Monitor and report on pupil progress
- Provide appropriate pastoral care for our pupils
- Assess the quality of our teaching and learning
- To comply with the law regarding data sharing
The Categories of pupil information that we collect, hold and share include:
- Personal information (such as name, pps number and address)
- Characteristics (such as ethnicity, language, nationality, country of birth)
- Attendance information (number of absences and reason for these absences)
- Assessment information
- Medical information
- Special Needs information
- Behavioural information
With whom do we share pupil information?
We share pupil information when required with:
- The school to which your child transfers
- The Department of Education and Skills (DES)
- The HSE (if required)
How long do we store Pupils’ Information?
Our Document Retention Policy states the length of time all school data needs to be retained. In relation to pupils the following lists what information is retained and for how long:
Pupil Related |
Retention Periods |
School Register/Roll Books Enrolment Forms Disciplinary notes Test Results – Standardised Psychological Assessments etc. SEN Files/IEPS Accident Reports Child Protection Reports/Records S.29 Appeals Class Lists Medical Indemnity Forms Parental Complaints (mundane) Parental Complains (serious) Pupil End of Year Reports Pupil Transfer Forms HSE referrals on Child Tour permission slips Web-site permission slips Section 29 Appeals |
Indefinitely Hold until Pupil is 25 Years Never Destroy Hold until pupil is 25 Years Never Destroy Never Destroy Never Destroy Never Destroy Never Destroy Retain for 10 years Retain for 4 years Hold until Pupil is 25 Years Never Destroy Hold until Pupil is 25 Years Hold until Pupil is 25 Years Hold until Pupil is 25 Years Never destroy Never destroy Never destroy |
Why we share pupil information:
We do not share information about our pupils with anyone without parental consent unless obliged to do so by law.
We share pupils’ data with the DES on a statutory basis. This data sharing underpins school funding and resourcing for special education.
A note on the Pupil Online Data (POD) system
The Primary Online Database (POD) is a nationwide individualised database of primary school pupils, facilitating the monitoring of educational progress as pupils move through the primary education system and on to post-primary. The system allows schools to make online returns to the Department of Education and Skills (DES) and provides the Department with the comprehensive and in-depth information needed to develop and evaluate educational policy. It is also used for the following:
- Completion of the National School Annual Census – As of September 2016, POD is the mechanism for schools to complete the Annual Census
- Teacher allocation and payment of capitation and other grants – Information submitted through the Annual Census forms the basis for teacher allocation, capitation and grant payments for each school
- Resource allocation and planning purposes
- Statistical Information POD is the source of statistical information for the primary school sector
- Register of pupils – POD has removed the need for schools to maintain a hardcopy of their school’s Clárleabhar, as all necessary information is recorded on the system
- Centralised updating of school information – POD provides a single point for schools to view and correct the details held by the Department
A note on Aladdin
Aladdin is a DES approved electronic data base for schools. Scoil Bhríde uses Aladdin for storing information about the pupils. This includes name, address, PPS number, attendance, standardised results and report cards.
Your rights as a Data Subject in relation to data held in Scoil Bhríde
- Right to have your data processed in accordance with the Data Protection Acts.
- Right to have your personal information obtained and processed fairly, kept securely and not unlawfully disclosed to others.
- Right to be informed to know the identity of the data controller and the purpose for obtaining your personal information.
- Right of access to get a copy of your personal information.
- Right of rectification or erasure to have your personal information corrected or deleted if inaccurate.
- Right to block certain uses to prevent your personal information being used for certain purposes.
- Right to object to stop some specific uses of your personal information.
How to make a complaint
If you wish to make a complaint regarding the retention and use of data, you should, contact the school office.