Data Privacy at Varndean

Adopting a publication scheme is a requirement of Section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The purpose of the Act is to promote greater openness by public authorities, which include further education colleges.

Varndean College has adopted the Model Publication Scheme produced by the Information Commissioner's Officer for further education colleges in October 2008. The Scheme provides a description of the "classes" or types of information that the Information Commissioner expects colleges of further education to make available.

The main classes of Information are:

  1. What we are and what we do
  2. What we spend and how we spend it
  3. What our priorities are and how we are doing
  4. How we make decisions
  5. Our policies and procedures
  6. Lists and registers
  7. The services we offer

The Model Publication Scheme is available via the ICO website.

In addition to the model scheme organisations are obliged to produce a guide to the specific information held under each of the classes of information identified in the scheme. This can be found in the link here which is part of the scheme.

How to Access Information

Varndean College will make available information it holds whether or not listed in the Guide to the Publication Scheme unless identified as not available under one of the exemptions provided for by the legislation. Any documents routinely available to the public are noted in the Guide in the descriptions of the different classes of information.

Some documents covered by the scheme are published in electronic format via the website or other websites as indicated. Other documents are only available in hard copy and will be provided on request.

We ask that requests are made in writing and a response will normally be made within 20 working days.

Data Protection

This Policy (and the other policies and documents referred to in it) sets out the basis on which the College will collect and use Personal Data either where the College collects it from individuals itself, or where it is provided to the College by third parties. It also sets out rules on how the College handles uses, transfers and stores Personal Data. Please also refer to the Privacy Notice below and the Data Protection Policy.

Privacy Notice for Students

This privacy notice explains how Varndean College uses your personal information. We use your personal information in the provision of your education within our statutory obligations under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. We also have requirements placed on us by the Department for Education (DfE), and the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

How do we use your personal information?
Varndean College is the data controller of personal information about you. If you have any questions about this policy or the ways in which we use your personal information, please contact our Data Protection Officer 01273 508011, dpo@varndean.ac.uk. This privacy notice has been prepared in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
What information do we collect about you?

We collect information from you when you apply to study at Varndean College and it is updated where necessary during the enrolment process. The information we collect includes your name, address, contact details, date of birth, country of origin, qualifications and previous education. We will also take your photograph for security purposes, and will keep a record of emergency and medical contact details.

We will also ask you to provide information relating to your ethnicity and any health or additional learning needs you may have. This information is used to ensure that we meet our obligations under the Equality Act 2010. We also use any information you provide to us about your health, additional learning or safeguarding needs to ensure that we provide support to you as required during the application and enrolment processes and throughout your time with us at the college.

This type of information will not be shared with anyone outside of the college without obtaining your consent unless required or permitted by law.

The College also operates CCTV in limited areas for the purposes of security and safety for both staff and students. The operation of this system complies with the Code of Practice issued by the Information Commissioner.
How will we use your information?

We collect and use your information, for the following purposes:

  • to support your learning
  • to monitor and report on your attainment and progress
  • to provide appropriate support and pastoral care
  • to keep you safe
  • to meet our statutory duties to the DfE, Education and Health and Safety regulations
We may also use your contact information to contact you about other services and opportunities and invite you to events.
How long will we keep your information?
We will retain your personal information in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements, with our retention policy, or with your explicit permission.
How will we share your personal information?

We do not share information about our students with anyone without consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so. Where it is legally required, necessary as part of providing education services to you or for your safety and well-being we may share personal information about you with:

  • Our local authority - to meet our legal obligations to share certain information with it, such as safeguarding concerns
  • The Department for Education - their privacy notice can be viewed here.
  • Your parents and carers via the Parent Portal
  • Educators and examining bodies
  • Our regulator Ofsted
  • Suppliers and service providers - to enable them to provide the service we have contracted them for
  • Central and local government
  • Health and social welfare organisations
  • Professional advisers and consultants
  • Police forces, courts, tribunals
  • UCAS
We will not transfer your personal data outside Europe unless you specifically ask us to do so. Where we do transfer personal data to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area, we will do so in accordance with data protection law.

Your rights

Under data protection law, you have the right to:

  • Ask us what personal information about you we are holding and to have access to a copy of your personal information
  • Object to the use of personal data if it would cause, or is causing, damage or distress
  • Object to decisions being taken by automated means (by a computer or machine, rather than by a person)
  • Have inaccurate personal data corrected, deleted or destroyed, or restrict processing in certain circumstances

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our data protection officer dpo@varndean.ac.uk.

Complaints

We take any complaints about our collection and use of personal information very seriously. If you are unhappy with the way we are using your information or how we have responded to your request, please raise this with us in the first instance. To make a complaint, please contact our data protection officer at dpo@varndean.ac.uk. Alternatively, you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office at www.ico.org.uk.

Changes to our privacy notice

Any changes we make to our Privacy Notice will be put on our website. Please check for updates from time to time, so you are always fully aware of the information we collect and how it is used.

Complaints outside the College

The College will do everything in its power to meet enquirers' information needs. However, if the College is unable to resolve a complaint, enquirers have the right to complain to the Office of the Information Commissioner, the independent body which oversees the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. The address is:

Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Website

Contacts

The contact for requests for documents, questions, comments, complaints or the publication scheme is: