4.1 School policy

Teaching and Learning Policy This school policy reflects the consensus of opinion of the teaching staff and has the full agreement of the governing body. All teachers are also learners and should be striving to evaluate and improve their practice. This means understanding both the teaching and learning process and building on students’ skills, knowledge and understanding. Teachers are managers of the learning environment facilitating all students to reach their full potential. In order to facilitate the learning process for teachers there needs to be opportunities for professional development. A good learning environment is created when students participate in and are motivated by the lesson content, interact well with both the teacher and other students and improve their skills and confidence in themselves as learners. Students need to feel that they are learning and therefore achieving.

4.2 Safe guarding

Health and Safety Policy

This statement is issued in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). It supplements the statements of health and safety policy whic h have been written by Birmingham City Council and by the Education Department. The overall and final responsibility for health and safety is that of the Management Committee and the dayto-day responsibility for ensuring this policy is put into practice is delegated to the Head Teacher and the Health & Safety Officer. General Guidelines

4.3 GDPR

Birmingham Culture and Language School

GDPR policy

BCAL collects and uses personal information about staff, students, parents and other individuals who come into contact with the school. This information is gathered in order to enable it to provide education and other associated functions. In addition, there may be a legal requirement to collect and use information to ensure that the school complies with its statutory obligations.

Schools have a duty to be registered, as Data Controllers, with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) detailing the information held and its use. These details are then available on the ICO’s website. Schools also have a duty to issue a Fair Processing Notice to all students/parents; this summarises the information held on students, why it is held and the other parties to whom it may be passed on.

Purpose

This policy is intended to ensure that personal information is dealt with correctly and securely and in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2018, and other related legislation. It will apply to information regardless of the way it is collected, used, recorded, stored and destroyed, and irrespective of whether it is held in paper files or electronically. This policy complies with our funding agreement and articles of association.

All staff involved with the collection, processing and disclosure of personal data will be aware of their duties and responsibilities by adhering to these guidelines.

What is Personal Information?

Personal information or data is defined as any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person or other information held.

Six Data Protection Principles

The GDPR 2018 establishes six enforceable principles that must be adhered to at all times:

Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully and transparency;

Personal data are to be collected only for one or more specified purposes

Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive;

Personal data shall be accurate and where necessary, kept up to date; inaccurate data will be rectified without any delay

Personal data shall be kept secure i.e. protected by an appropriate degree of security including the use of encryption;

Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area, unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of data protection.

General Statement

The school is committed to maintaining the above principles at all times. Therefore the school will:

Inform individuals why the information is being collected when it is collected

Inform individuals when their information is shared, and why and with whom it was shared

Check the quality and the accuracy of the information it holds

Ensure that information is not retained for longer than is necessary

Ensure that when obsolete information is destroyed that it is done so appropriately and securely

Ensure that clear and robust safeguards are in place to protect personal information from loss, theft and unauthorised disclosure, irrespective of the format in which it is recorded

Share information with others only when it is legally appropriate to do so

Set out procedures to ensure compliance with the duty to respond to requests for access to personal information, known as Subject Access Requests

Ensure our staff are aware of and understand our policies and procedures

Complaints

Complaints will be dealt with in accordance with the school’s complaints policy. Complaints relating to information handling may be referred to the Information Commissioner (the statutory regulator).

Review

This policy will be reviewed as it is deemed appropriate, but no less frequently than every years. The policy review will be undertaken by the Headteacher, or nominated representative.

Contacts

If you have any enquires in relation to this policy, please contact the Headteacher who will also act as the contact point for any subject access requests.

Further advice and information is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office, http://www.ico.gov.uk or telephone 0303 123 1113

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-fee/

Date adopted: May 2018

Next review: May 2019