Child’s right to exclude absent father from school intranet

[SurreyMum111]

Hello,
Wonder if anyone can advise on this? My daughter (nearly 16) does not have nor want a relationship with her father. He lives 10 miles away yet hasn’t seen her for 11 months. He only pays maintenance because it’s deducted by the CSA at source. He won’t communicate as to when he will pay back the £4K of her savings he ‘borrowed’...

Yet he likes to remind us he has ‘rights’ and likes to continue to exert them over us. Daughter’s school has just moved to an online system for all communications so, instead of them emailing him her annual report, he now has access to all her prep, merits, letters inviting parents to events etc. When his name was added last week and she saw it she had a panic attack, as it’s increased her concern that he will turn up at events - he would say he was ‘personally invited’ (he has mental health issues, including narssicistic personality disorder).

Does anyone know how the school’s obligations sit against her rights to control how her data is shared under the Data Protection Act?

Thank you!!!

Best way would be to actually contact the school.

I think as he does have PR they will say he has a right to that information and there is nothing they can do about it.

I would definitely speak to the school and explain the situation. She can't be the only student who does not want a parent involved in her life.

At 14 my ds got to decide who had rights to his school information.
At 16 she can I am sure...

Thank you all. We did contact the school when she started, which is why communication was limited to reports before, which fulfilled their responsibilities as he ridiculously has PR. Now they have reports as part of the online system he has access to all the minutiae of daily life and she finds it really upsetting!

I work in a school, cover Data Protection etc. This document was our bible for what we could do , and could not do. It is well written and provides clear examples.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/dealing-with-issues-relating-to-parental-responsibility/understanding-and-dealing-with-issues-relating-to-parental-responsibility

Thank you!

Really surprised to read the law on this

"Under the principles of the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (the DPA 2018), children and young adults can assume control over their personal information and restrict access to it from the age of 13.
However, parents are entitled to request access to, or a copy of their child’s educational record, even if the child does not wish them to access it. This applies until the child reaches the age of 18."

In y12 (2 years ago) my Ds told his school that his Dad had changed phone numbers and he didn't know his new one. They deleted him as a contact on ds' say so.

Thanks, that’s really useful to know. She’s been putting up with him getting reports, but everything else is ridiculous, and he’ll end up using it to make her uncomfortable.
Can I ask where you got the info on how the GDPR applies from 13?

Thanks, Helen

My DD is 15 and totally estranged from her father. She could change schools in sixth form and the schools will want his contact details etc. I wonder what would happen in an emergency- if I wasn’t available. She’s hardly likely to want him turning up after he has deserted her.

OP - You need to read the document SpongeDog linked to, it covers this exact situation. Sadly, there is nothing you/DD can do, your ExH is entitled to it all, regardless of her wishes. It explicitly covers GDPR too

"Legislation on information sharing
Under the principles of the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (the DPA 2018), children and young adults can assume control over their personal information and restrict access to it from the age of 13.
However, parents are entitled to request access to, or a copy of their child’s educational record, even if the child does not wish them to access it. This applies until the child reaches the age of 18. A parent is not, however entitled to information that the school could not lawfully disclose to the child under the GDPR or in relation to which the child would have no right of accesss. If you have any queries about GDPR please contact the Information Commissioners Officee.
Example
A non-resident parent who has limited contact with their children, contacts the school to find out how well they did in their exams. Both the children and the resident parent do not wish to share that information and they inform the school of this. The school refuses to release the information on the basis that the children are old enough to control access to their personal information. The school has therefore breached education law by failing to provide information to which the non-resident parent is entitled."

It’s weird though, isn’t it, that a parent wants to know exam results when he isn’t bothered the rest of the time about whether she is dead or alive, happy or unhappy, sick or well etc?? My daughter is not just an exam statistic and her results will be due to her own hard work and support from me - no thanks to him.

You must have supplied his email adress at some point though? You didn’t have too. Don’t think there’s anything you can do about it now?

If the father has NPD, he will want to draw as much attention to himself as possible, make a show of "having rights" even if he no longer parents, and will try to exert as much control and dominance as possible.

Parenting is about 90% responsibility and 10% rights. Shame those who shirk all responsibility still expect rights.