School asking for copies of our birth certs/passport?!

[Idonthavemytoolsmycloak]

My third child is about to start at a private Early Years setting attached to a prep school. As part of the paperwork they've asked for a copy of her birth cert (fair enough) but also those of us?! Her parents. Or passports. I don't remember doing this with my older ones and they went to the same school. Is this the norm now?

My little ones nursery asked for photo ID and proof of address.

Does it say why?

I would ask why. Possibly safeguarding. Can you actually prove you are her parents.
I would object to copies of my ID being held on file though - in what format and how secure is it going to be?

They need ID to check you are the people on the birth certificate as they need to make sure you have parental responsibility.

They need to both check that you have parental responsibility and the child has the right to be educated in the UK without a child student visa.

Ah, ok, that makes sense!

No idea on format or security.

DD2 will be starting at a prep school in September and we just sent a copy of her passport to prove she didn't need a visa and a signed form confirming her right to reside. I think on the Acceptance Form we may have had to confirm we had parental responsibility but we didn't have to prove it. We sent the same forms back for DD1 who started in 2022. They've never seen our own passports or DD1's birth cert.

Why are you questioning it?

It sounds like you have something to hide ?

It's a non issue....unless it is?? Just provide and move on!

Yes to this in prep school ime

This is surely to prove you are her real parents? That you are the actual people named on her birth cert?

Maybe they've had issues in the past.

I would also question this as I've not done this for either child. Nothing wrong with the OP asking a simple question.

Your DD’s passport proves she is a British citizen.

OP is only providing a birth certificate (it’s not clear if school asked for either birth cert or passport). A birth certificate does not in itself prove the right to reside hence parents ones are also needed.

School will store it in line with GDPR guidelines, as they do all the information they have on your child. If you don’t trust them with a photocopy of your ID you probably shouldn’t trust them with your child.