GENERAL INFORMATION

Data Protection Act 1998: How we use pupil information

We collect and hold personal information relating to our pupils and may also receive information about them from their previous school, local authority and/or the Department for Education (DfE). We use this personal data to:

  • support our pupils’ learning

  • monitor and report on their progress

  • provide appropriate pastoral care; and

  • assess the quality of our services

This information will include their contact details, national curriculum assessment results, attendance information, any exclusion information, where they go after they leave us and personal characteristics such as their ethnic group, any special educational needs they may have as well as relevant medical information.

 We will not give information about our pupils to anyone without your consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so. If you want to receive a copy of the information about your son/daughter that we hold, please contact the school office.

We are required, by law, to pass some information about our pupils to the Department for Education (DfE). This information will, in turn, then be made available for use by the LA.

DfE may also share pupil level personal data that we supply to them, with third parties. This will only take place where legislation allows it to do so and it is in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Decisions on whether DfE releases this personal data to third parties are subject to a robust approval process and are based on a detailed assessment of who is requesting the data, the purpose for which it is required, the level and sensitivity of data requested and the arrangements in place to store and handle the data. To be granted access to pupil level data, requestors must comply with strict terms and conditions covering the confidentiality and handling of data, security arrangements and retention and use of the data.

For more information on how this sharing process works, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-pupil-database-apply-for-a-data-extract

For information on which third party organisations (and for which project) pupil level data has been provided to, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-pupil-database-requests-received

If you need more information about how our local authority and/or DfE collect and use your information, please visit:

PARENTMAIL IRIS

We have changed over to  the parentmail platform for sending out correspondence/information regarding school via email to parents/carers email addresses.  Parentmail enables us to send the weekly newsletter/trip letters/sport letters etc electronically via email and also allows us to use a text messaging service via mobile phones.  If you haven’t already please register yourself for this service – contact the school office for further information.

+Pay

Pluspay was introduced 9 years ago which give the parents/carers the facility to pay for services online i.e. school trips, dinner money, music monies etc.  If you are unsure how to set this programme up please contact the school office for further information.

Late After Registration

If you are unable to get your child into school by 8.50 am please can you ensure that you bring them to the school office and sign them in the visitor book to record that they are in school and also to advise what they will be having for dinner.

Sickness Procedure

Please note that if your child is not attending school due to ill health can you please ensure that the school office is phoned (01376 552393) by 9.00 am every morning that your child is off sick. This will then be recorded in the register as an authorised absence.  Please note that any child with  Sickness or Diarrhoea or both must be clear from either illness for at least 48h hours before returning back to school.

Naming of School Uniform

It is important that each item of your child’s school uniform has their name clearly marked on them; We do have an awful lot of unnamed uniform handed into the school on a daily basis. Please also ensure that all PE uniform is clearly marked as well.

Clothing/PE Kits

Please ensure that your child comes into school with the correct clothing for Autumn, Winter and Summer Terms i.e. a coat, hat, gloves, scarf and summer cap as the children need to be dressed appropriately for playtimes. Also a warm PE kit needs to be kept in school at all times i.e. jogging suit.

Medicine

If your child needs medication given to them within school time can you please bring their medication to the school office and complete a Yellow Parental Agreement Form so that staff can administer and record this accordingly.

Free School Meals Eligibility

Our funding is partly influenced by the number of families we have claiming free school meals.  Parents/Carers receiving the following benefits can claim free school meals; income support, job seekers allowance (income based), income related employment and support allowance, child tax credit with an annual taxable income of less than £16,190, pension guarantee credit.  You will not be ellible for free school meals if you receive any amount of working tax credit. If you would like to apply, or to find out more, please call the Pupil Finance Team at ECC or visit  www.essex.gov.uk/educationawards.   ANY CHILD RECEIVING FREE SCHOOL MEALS WILL BE TREATED WITH COMPLETE CONFIDENTIALITY.

Monies into School

If you wish to pay for dinner monies, school trip payments etc these can be paid through our parentmail payment system.  To find out how to use this service please contact the school office.  If you wish to pay by cash/cheque any payments for school dinners, trips etc need to be placed in the brown envelopes which are available from the school office. Please enter as much information regarding the payment as possible on the front of this envelope (if paying by cheque can you please make the cheques  payable to Lyons Hall Primary School and also write your child’s name on the reverse of the cheque). This is the easiest and safest way for your money to reach the finance office rather than sending the monies into class.

Music Lessons

Listed below are a number of music lessons that take place within the school day. These lessons are available to all children at Lyons Hall who wish to learn to play a musical instrument. Essex Music Services offer competitive rates to Lyons Hall Primary School so if your child is interested in playing a musical instrument please come along to the school office where further information is available. Tuesday –  Drums
Wednesday – Brass/Guitar/Piano and Keyboard
Thursday – Guitar/Singing
Friday – Saxophone/Clarinet/Recorder/Flute