Basic principles
In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, everyone is entitled to obtain relevant personal data held by both public and private bodies, including schools.
Who’s responsible?
Anybody that receives a request for personal data. In a school, this could be the school administration team.
Don’t forget - Before you release any documents, establish what is meant by personal data. The individual making the request should be the focus of the document. If they are not, it is not considered to be personal data.
If you are in charge of personal data it is good practice to provide a justification as to the reasons why you haven’t disclosed certain documents. There may be exceptions that will prevent the data controller from releasing certain data. If this is the case, explain it to the individual. In extreme cases, a person can seek redress through the courts.
