Statutory Requests for Information

It is a legal requirement for all schools to comply with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI), the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), the UK General Data Protection Regulations, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005.

This policy sets out the rules all staff, contractors and volunteers must follow when managing these statutory requests for information.

Policy rules:

1. We must correctly identify the law which applies to the information being requested and manage the request in compliance with that law
2. Information should be released unless there is a strong legal justification for withholding it.
3. Whenever we refuse to provide information, we must clearly and fully explain the reasons why
4. We must provide advice and assistance to people making a request.
5. We must always try to reply as quickly as possible, but always within the legal deadline.
6. All employees must promptly provide all relevant information to a request co-ordinator if asked for it
7. If we decide to charge for information, we must do so in accordance with a published policy.
8. Where reasonable and practical, we must provide the information in the format requested by the requester.
9. When we respond to a request, we must tell the requestor about our internal review process.
10. When responding to a complaint, we must advise the requestor that they may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if they remain unhappy with the outcome.
11. We must maintain an up-to-date Publication Scheme available on our website to meet our obligations under FOI/EIR

How must I comply with these policy rules?

We have related policies, procedures and guidance which tell you how to comply with these rules. These include:

• Records Management Policy
• Data Protection Rights Procedure
• Publishing for Transparency Procedure
• Subject Access Request Procedure
• Statutory Requests for Information Guidance
• Retention Schedule

If you are unsure how to comply you must seek advice and guidance from your Data Protection Lead.

What if I need to do something against this policy?

If you believe you have a valid business reason for an exception to these policy points, having read and understood the reasons why they are in place, please raise a formal request by contacting the school office.

References

• Data Protection Act 2018 / UK GDPR
• Freedom of Information Act 2000
• Environmental Information Regulation 2005
• Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005

Breach Statement

Breaches of Information Policies will be investigated and may result in disciplinary action. Serious breaches of Policy may be considered gross misconduct and result in dismissal without notice, or legal action being taken against you.

Document Control

Version:                  2024

Date approved:       January 2025

Approved by:           Trust Intervention Board / CSEL

Next review:            January 2026