Data Protection Required for Schools
As a School, do I need to register with the Information Commissioner’s Office (under the Data Protection Act 1998)?
School are Required to Register with the Information Commissioner’s Office
According to the latest information published by the Department of Education on Statutory Policies for Schools, September 2014, an amendment has been made under the requirements of Data Protection that:
Schools must register with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Registration is fairly straightforward, a 15-minute online questionnaire to determine the details of the organisation, organisation type, number of staff and types of data processed. Registration generally costs £35.
Once these details have been filled in online, a registration number is provided which can then be quoted in reference to secure data handling. A paper certificate is also usually sent to the registered address.
LINK: Data Protection Registration with ICO
Information required before beginning the registration process (from the Information Commissioner’s Office website):
- your credit/debit card or other payment details;
- details about the organisation(s) you are registering, eg Companies House number (if applicable), name, address;
- details about the types of data you process; and
- details about the number of staff you have and your turnover.
For further information, the links below may be helpful.
- Self-Assessment for Data Protection
- Statutory Policies for Schools (see page 5) for information on data protection requirement for school
Data Protection
Amendment to indicate that schools must register with the information commissioners office.
