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Member / Trustee / Governor /Governance Professional (Clerk to Governor) – GDPR Privacy Notice

September 2022

Privacy Notice (How we use information)

This notice is to make clear how and why The Commonweal School collect personal information about you and what we do with this data. The Commonweal School is the data controller of the personal information you provide us. The school determines the purposes for which any personal data relating to members/trustees/governors and the Clerk to Governors is to be processed.

Why do we collect and use your information?

We collect and use personal data in order to meet the legal requirements and legitimate interests set out in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK law, including those in relation to the following:

  • Article 6(1)(e) – public task, data processing which is necessary to allow the school to function, and Article 9(2)(e) – data processed with the explicit consent of an individual, of the GDPR
  • Education Act 1996

We also use the data to:

• Enable the development of a comprehensive picture of governance and how it is deployed
• To enable appropriate checks to be completed
• Enable individuals to be kept informed of governance training and relevant information

The categories of information that we collect, hold and share include:

• Personal information (such as name, address, personal email address and telephone number)
• Special categories of data including characteristics information such as gender, age, ethnic group
• Qualifications, skills, previous and current employment

Collecting information

Whilst the majority of 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 school workforce information to us or if you have a choice in this.

Storing information

We hold data for the length of time that the individual serves plus 14 days.

The school website must include certain information on members/trustees/governors that have served in the last 12 months (name, category of governor, term of office, appointed by, conflict of interest)

Who do we share school workforce information with?

We routinely share school workforce information with:

  • our local authority
  • the Department for Education (DfE) through Get Information about Schools (GIAS)
  • National Governance Association
  • School Office
  • Other Governors on the same Governing Body
  • Companies House
  • Disclosure and Barring Service
  • SIMS (Capita)

Why we share school workforce information

  • We do not share information about our school workforce with anyone without consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so.
  • We are required to share information about our governance members with our Local Authority (LA) due to subscribing to the Governor Support Service.
  • We share personal data with the Department for Education (DfE) on a statutory basis, through Get Information about Schools (GIAS).
  • In order to access the National Governance Association (NGA) and receive weekly updates it is necessary for the NGA to have email names and email addresses. Home addresses for those receiving the hard copy of the NGA magazine will also be supplied.
  • In case of emergency or an Ofsted inspection it is necessary for the school office to hold details of any individual involved in the governance of the school.
  • For ease of communication and if appropriate contact details may be shared with other members/trustees/governors and the Clerk to Governors.
  • In accordance with Sections 167 and 167D of the Companies Act 2006 anyone on the Trust Board of an Academy must be registered with Companies House as you are a Director of the Company.
  • All academy members/trustees/governors are required to have an enhanced criminal records certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Requesting access to your personal data

Under data protection legislation, you have the right to request access to information about you that we hold. To make a request for your personal information, contact Mr P Battye, Data Protection Officer, The Commonweal School, The Mall, Swindon, SN4 1JE.

You can contact the DPO in writing at the above address or via email dpo@commonweal.co.uk

You also have the right to:

  • object to processing of personal data that is likely to cause, or is causing, damage or distress
  • prevent processing for the purpose of direct marketing
  • object to decisions being taken by automated means
  • in certain circumstances, have inaccurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed; and
  • claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the Data Protection regulations

If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, you should raise your concern with the Headteacher in the first instance. Alternatively, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/

Further information

If you would like to discuss anything in this privacy notice, please contact:
Mr P Battye, Data Protection Officer, The Commonweal School, The Mall, Swindon, SN4 1JE.