SchoolDPO Weekly Brief Practical GDPR, Data Protection & Compliance Updates for Schools
Welcome to this week’s SchoolDPO Brief. With the summer holidays beginning across England, many schools are turning their attention to September. While pupils may be breaking up, this is one of the best times of year to review your school’s data protection arrangements before staff and students return.
This week, we focus on preparing your school for the new academic year with practical actions that can reduce risk and improve compliance.
📰 This Week’s Focus
Is your school ready for September?
The Department for Education has recently refreshed its guidance on data protection in schools, placing greater emphasis on considering data protection throughout the procurement of education technology—not after systems have already been purchased.
With schools increasingly adopting AI tools, online learning platforms and new digital services, it’s more important than ever to ensure suppliers have been properly assessed and that your Data Protection Officer is involved before contracts are signed.
Before September, ask yourself:
Do we know what personal data each supplier processes?
Have we reviewed where that data is stored?
Have we checked whether AI is being used?
Is there an appropriate contract in place?
What happens to our data when we stop using the service?
📖 Read our latest article:
Is Your School’s EdTech Really GDPR Compliant? Five Questions Every School Should Ask Before September
✅ September Compliance Checklist
Use the summer break to complete these quick checks:
☐ Review any new software purchased during the last academic year.
☐ Confirm your DPO has reviewed any new systems due to go live in September.
☐ Disable accounts for staff and pupils who have left.
☐ Archive or securely dispose of records in line with your retention schedule.
☐ Review your website privacy notices.
☐ Confirm data sharing agreements remain up to date.
☐ Check that governors know how to report a personal data breach.
☐ Plan GDPR awareness for new staff joining in September.
💻 Cyber Security Tip
Summer holidays are one of the busiest times for cyber criminals targeting schools.
As staffing levels reduce, fraudulent invoices, phishing emails and account compromise attempts often increase.
Before breaking up:
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication wherever possible.
Remove access for leavers promptly.
Remind staff to remain cautious of unexpected emails requesting payments or password resets.
A few simple checks now could prevent a significant incident over the summer.
💬 DPO Advice
“The supplier is GDPR compliant, so we’re covered.”
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that.
Even when using third-party software, your school remains responsible for deciding how and why personal data is processed.
Supplier assurances are important—but they don’t replace your own due diligence.
❓Frequently Asked Question
Do we need a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for every new app?
Not necessarily.
However, if a new system processes children’s personal data in a new way, introduces AI, monitors behaviour, or could present a higher privacy risk, a DPIA should be considered before implementation.
If you’re unsure, your DPO should be able to advise.
This Week at SchoolDPO
This week we’ve been supporting schools with:
Subject Access Requests and redaction advice.
Preparing GDPR documentation for September.
Reviewing data protection arrangements for new education technology.
Advising schools on privacy notices and compliance queries.
Supporting schools with day-to-day GDPR questions.
Every school is different, which is why practical, responsive advice matters.
Looking Ahead
Over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing practical guidance on:
AI in schools.
Data breaches.
Privacy notices.
Subject Access Requests.
Website compliance.
Preparing for the new academic year.
Thinking about changing your DPO?
If you’re looking for a responsive, school-focused Data Protection Officer who understands education—not just legislation—we’d be delighted to help.
Our annual DPO service includes:
✔ Unlimited GDPR advice
✔ Subject Access Request support
✔ Data breach guidance
✔ Policy reviews
✔ Compliance monitoring
✔ Staff training and awareness
✔ Practical support whenever you need it
If you found this useful, please share it with a colleague.
School Business Managers, Headteachers and Trust leaders all face the same data protection challenges—and practical guidance is always better when it’s shared.
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