Records management
If you cannot find the answer to your question from the information provided on each of the Information Governance pages, schools should in the first instance contact their Data Protection Officer (DPO).
If your school has purchased the DPOaaS from SPS or Cantium Business Solutions please email
sps-dpo-services@isystemsintegration.com or
call 0208 0501387 or 07487 264222.
The importance of good records management is to make sure the right information is with the right person at the right time.
Records management sits at the heart of both the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the General Data Protection Regulation
Schools are required to have a Records Management policy which commits it to managing its information to ensure compliance with both of the Acts.
The records management programme will ensure:
- that personal information is managed according to the data protection principles and is available for subject access requests within the required time frame
- that all information which is required for the authority to do its business is available when it is needed and is safely disposed of at the end of the process
- that all requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 are dealt with appropriately and that any exemptions relating to information created or held by the individual sections are identified and documented.
An information audit (PDF, 34.0 KB) briefing paper provides the foundation for an effective records management programme.
Our email management guide (PDF, 71.7 KB) will help you manage your email in the most effective way.
Keeping information
The Record Retention Schedule should contain recommended retention periods for the different record series that schools create and maintain. The schedule refers to all information regardless of the media in which it is stored.
Some of the retention periods are governed by statute; others are guidelines promoting best practice. Every effort has been made to ensure that these retention periods comply with GDPR, the Data Protection Act, the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations. If a request for information is received under any of the above pieces of legislation the file must not be destroyed until the request for information has been satisfied, even if the file is due to be destroyed during that period.
Managing record series using these retention guidelines will be deemed 'normal processing' under the above legislation. If record series are to be kept for longer or shorter periods than laid out in this document the reasons why need to be documented.
Information management toolkits
The Information Management Toolkit (DOCX, 233.1 KB) has been updated to reflect the changes required by GDPR. It helps schools manage records to meet the Records Management Policy. The Record Retention Schedule for Schools (DOCX, 233.1 KB) is available on page 12 of the toolkit.
Other Toolkits include:
- Early Years providers (PDF, 184.4 KB)
- Retention schedule for Family Liaison Officers (PDF, 18.9 KB)
- Kent County Council retention schedule. If you have trouble opening this document, please email the Information Resilience and Transparency Team at informationgovernance@kent.gov.uk for a copy.