News

October is recognised globally as being the month of national cyber security awareness.  Last month I alerted you to the warning from the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) about the increase in ransomware attacks on educational establishments. So, now … Continued

I know schools and trusts really don’t need anything else to be concerned about right now, but…. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued an alert yesterday warning schools and other educational settings that they have been investigating an increased … Continued

If you are a secondary school/academy or trust you are probably anticipating more subject access requests from students this year asking to see information about how their grades have been decided.  So, it may be helpful to know that the … Continued

As schools, academies and trusts, you will be processing special category* (see below) personal data for a number of reasons.   Guidance from the Information Commissioner In its updated guidance on the processing of special category data, the Information Commissioner’s Office … Continued

With the phased re-opening of schools, the thorny issue of school gate/pick-up parking may well become an issue again for some schools, particularly with the advice to avoid public transport wherever possible.  In reality it will not always be feasible … Continued

Not surprisingly, with term starting again and many members of school staff working at home, data protection/GDPR and home working has been a common question through my Data Protection Lead support network.  In response, I wrote the following guidance for the … Continued

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)  has a useful cyber security e-learning training package for staff: ‘Stay Safe Online: Top Tips for Staff’. It’s appropriate for a non-technical audience, with tips designed to complement existing policies and procedures.  Free to use, … Continued

Just in case any school colleagues or governors are wondering if there are any immediate data protection implications for schools, as a result of the UK having left the EU and being in a Brexit transition period; the short answer … Continued

This was a recent query via my data protection support network: is it alright under GDPR for staff to buy school class group photos and have them at home? This was my response. From the member of staff’s perspective the … Continued

FREE! A great toolkit for young people to help them understand how to protect their data and privacy online. Also free are accompanying toolkits and resources for parents and teachers! The children’s toolkit can be found here.  It is aimed … Continued