Bl**dy Data Bl**dy Protection Bl**dy Act!

[PrettyCandles]

Why can't I know the names of ds's classmates?

Have you tried lying and asking for a list of first names "so that DS can learn who is in his class and help him settle better next year"

I don't think they would buy it, somehow. Besides, as far as they are concerned, ds has settled in very well indeed. But I guess they're not the ones who hear "I'm lonely at school", and "Why don't I get invited to playdates?".

Is there not a friendly-looking mum/group of mums you could ask for help? If you explained you were trying to work out the names of all the children in the class for party invites, I'm sure other mums could help. I certainly know the names of all the children in my ds's Yr 1. Most mums are pleased to be asked to help. It would also be a good way to get to know them a little. Take a pen and paper and I bet you'd get a list of names in 2 minutes - well you would at our school.

What a daft situation!

If it were me I would be tempted to put up a poster in the cloakroom saying that everyone in that class is invited to your ds's party on such and such a date and all those who can come should write their details underneath.

Sorted!

I don't see how they could object to first names only. It seems rather odd.

Definitely over-zealous interpretation of the DPA. How for you PrettyCandles

Well, technically, this is correct. They shouldn't be handing out any class information without parents' consent.

But really, who would object to parents being told the first names of all the kids in the class?

(Competant schools, like DS1's new on in September, get you to sign a form saying you're happy to be on a class list. And then you're on the class list, with address, phone number, etc.)

Do you have a class rep ? If so what are they doing about getting togther a class list ?

Could you send ds in with 30 un-named invites and tell him to give one to everyone - and then hope as many as possibly reply y/n...and cater for any non-replies just in case.
Tbh, although we have a list of who ds has invited to his party, we have only had replies from 75% so we are having to guesstimate the number anyway (one advantage of the 'hall and buffet' type party).
Ds isn't great at the social stuff - but in the end, I just asked him to name who sits next to who, and we worked our way around the room until I got 30 names (this was for Xmas cards - he was a lot fussier about party invites, only wanted a select few )

I've got another idea for you - At ds's school one of the reception mum's has put up a poster inviting all reception children to a weekly picnic in the nearby park - every friday throughout the hols..we are going to take ds, as it is a rare chance for him to mingle with children who may not have been in his class this year, but who will be in his class next year.
Could you try the same thing? - Then you have 6 weeks of school hols to try to make a list of his new class mates.

TBH, I think what I'm going to do is to give ds 30 invites (or however many chidlren there are - hopefully the school won't have a problem with telling me the number of children in ds's class! ), with a note in each invitation apologising for not knowing the child's name, and would the parent please include in the reply their and their child's names and a contact number so that I can call them in case of a change in plan/bad weather etc.

I went to an event at the school today, scheduled to start at 10 o'clock. The parents started turning up a few mintues before the hour, we went in and were waiting in the cool lobby indoors. Headmistress turns up and tells us that the event starts at 10, would we please wait outside until then, when we would be brought in. So we're all trying to crowd into this teeny patch of shade, and several mums were heard to mutter about how fussy, pedantic and 'just-so' the school is about procedures.

Had exactly the same situation when trying to sign ds up for an after-school activity for next term: sign-up begins from 9am, but drop-off is at 8.50, and many parents have to rush off to work immediately after. Nonetheless, 'please wait outside until 9am when we will open the doors and you can come in to sign up.'

I suppose I shoudln't be surprised.

The Data Protection act does not stop your school giving out such names. Sadly like in the case of the defective police in the Soham case, it is the excuse for defective employees of the state to not do thew job we pay them for. Private companies do this as well.
It is to be remembered that the DPA was not ever designed to work in any useful way for anyone at any time. It's purpose was to allow UK companies to do business with countries that won't let you do business with personal data unless you have a DPA in your country.

As it happens one of the companies I am a director of handle lots of people's personal data, and actively send it out to strangers, all perfectly legally (according to my lawyer).
I really had serious problems keeping a straight face when my school primly told us about their info security and how the kids were protected by it. As a teenager I could have walked through it, and given what we pay, I expect 2.0 to be able to do this stuff by 12.

It is of course dodgy to hand out kids info randomly, regardless of the law.
However, what our school does is happily hand out invites, so that we can broadcast. Also I buttonholed the mums and now have a complete set of mobiles and email.