Rights to request school records

[blackmilkofdaybreak]

This is my first post on here, a bit nervous. I'm hoping I can draw on the vast wealth of knowledge that is this community of (mostly) women.

I am currently having time off as I'm having what used to be called (in hushed tones) a 'nervous breakdown'.

I've realised during this that I am still hugely affected by my schooling experience, I was the product of a mediocre at best secondary that was totally unsuitable for my character and ability, as well as an uncaring mother who cut me loose to experience the worst of the worst in life at an early age. I don't want to go into it much further as it might come across as a bit 'poor me'.

I want to find out if what rights, if any, I have to get hold of information that social services/the school might hold about me. Does anyone know how I might go about this? I never finished at the school and was completely AWOL from year 9 onwards. I need to find a way to take hold of the past and move on from this. Thanks everyone, hope I'm posting in the right place.

i don't know sweetheart sorry but i hope someone can help

You have rights to access information held about you under the Data Protection Act. You need to write to them and ask for the information they hold on you, making it clear you are making a 'subject access request' under the Data Protection Act. They then have 40 working days to respond to your request.

There are certain exceptions that mean they don't have to disclose all the information they hold on you, but if that is the case they will have to explain why.

More info from the Information Commissioner's Office.

GL

Thanks for replying. I will look into this. Do you know who I should write to at the school? Is it normal to address it to the head?

One thing if you are making a subject access request they are entitled to charge a fee but that fee is limited to £10.

I don't know how long schools hold records. They might have been destroyed or held centrally. You might want to put in a request to the LEA too.