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Primary education

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Original poster

Data protection- Christmas cards?

54 replies

guccigirl666 · 03/12/2012 17:00

Today I asked ds's teacher for a list of the other kids in his class to give Christmas cards to but she said she can't due to data protection? What should I do about cards? Is this standard practice?

OP posts:
We3bunniesOfOrientAre · 03/12/2012 17:05

You could get him to just sign his name and put it in a blank envelope and ask teachers to put one in each bookbag, or just ask him who he wants to send them to and just send a few, or try to ignore the whole christmas card business, as they start off all excited, but get fed up of signing their name by the 14th one so if you're cunning you scan their signature, print on stickers and put that on the cards instead . Hoping this year we can get away with close friends!

EcoLady · 03/12/2012 17:24

Do they have their names on their pegs? You could write your own list.

Or get him to make one HUGE card to everyone and give a donation to the Woodland Trust?

mrz · 03/12/2012 17:25

I think all schools in my area have been told we must not give out class lists for cards, party invitations etc seems a bit silly really

TeamBacon · 03/12/2012 17:31

Could you just not ask your DS for names?

radicalsubstitution · 03/12/2012 17:31

I agree mrz that it seems a bit silly, particularly in our school as DS gets a letter every half term with the class show-and-tell rota with all the children's first names on it!

They still refuse to give out a name list for Christmas cards. Work that one out if you can!

Leeds2 · 03/12/2012 18:28

At my daughter's school (secondary), we get - every September - a list of all of the students' names, their addresses, the names of their parents and the parents' contact details (phone numbers and emails). I think I was asked if I wanted to opt out of this when she joined at the start of Year 7, but they don't ask every year.

EdithWeston · 03/12/2012 18:31

It might mean there are children in the school whose details cannot be made generally known, and omissions from a list might in itself call attention to that family.

Inconvenient, yes; but for more important than that inconvenience.

EdithWeston · 03/12/2012 18:33

Sorry, just seen it was names only that you were after. That does seem excessive (as the children will get to know these): it's addresses/email/phone numbers where greater care can be vital.

juniper904 · 03/12/2012 19:23

If children ask me, I normally just print off a class list of first names. I've never been told not to, and I don't see the issue.

PatriciaHolm · 03/12/2012 19:25

Our school won't give lists, so the PTA put one together with names/ addresses etc; parents obviously have to opt in by giving that info, but rarely object.

we3kingsoforientRaahh · 03/12/2012 19:33

It's a silly rule- especially as at the dcs school at the nativity play next week, there will be a little programme (they do this at all productions) with their full names inHmm. Since all i want is a list of first names, surely the programme contravenes data protection more than a hand written list of first names?

I have been round the cloakroom with a pen and paper before now. Which is fun when the signs are handwritten by the children. Or just pictures. 'Happy Christmas Dinosaur' would have been great!

Original poster
guccigirl666 · 03/12/2012 20:18

Ds has delyaed speech and understanding, there's no way he'd be able to name everyone. He'd probably be able to give me 3 or 4 names but I don't want to leave children out. At his nursery we were given names for party invites etc. I'm really sad, ds is in reception and I was really looking forward to doing all the cards with him for all his new friends! Ds will be sad too, and I bought 30 bloody cards especially.

OP posts:
noramum · 03/12/2012 20:28

Can't he write cards with just signing his name and you give them to the parents in the playground at drop off?

We are getting a list together with the school report for the whole Infant school, just names nothing more.

But DD was already good and knew everybody's name beginning of December

BackforGood · 03/12/2012 20:37

But I've never understood why anyone would want to send cards to people whose names they don't even know Confused
Ask him who he would like to send a card to / who his friends are, and let him send those 3 or 4 children a card. Are you sure he really wants to sit and write out 29 cards in Reception ? That's a huge writing task for most Reception children. 3/4/5 is a much more realistic target.

Original poster
guccigirl666 · 03/12/2012 20:53

I don't do drop offs as I work so will have to ask my mum, I was going to write the cards and ds was going to put kisses in them lol. I guess I will just write a couple, to the children he plays with and can name, it was also a kind of familiarisation with the other parents on my part because I haven't met them yet.

OP posts:
zeeboo · 03/12/2012 20:59

Surely if your child is friends with someone then he'll know their name and if he doesn't then why send a card? I don't get some people's obsession with mass card sending.

vodkaanddietirnbru · 03/12/2012 21:03

You could leave the envelope blank and just write the inside of the card with who it is from and ask if one can be given to each child in the class. Our school doesnt give out name lists either.

Original poster
guccigirl666 · 03/12/2012 21:08

This is the first time I've done the mass card sending thing, I assumed it was the 'norm' in schools... I can only go on what I remember from being a school and it was certainly the case that when we were very young everyone would send everyone a card. I think we will go with blank envelopes! These are 4 and 5 year old kids, they will be all excited to get a card!

OP posts:
TeamBacon · 03/12/2012 22:22

Wait until your child gets given cards and write a list of names from them, as well as any other names your ds mentions

Speedos · 03/12/2012 22:25

Just a list of names alone is not an infringement of the data protection act. I guess someone must have complained in the past.

Pyrrah · 03/12/2012 23:04

How optional are cards?

DH and I have given up as we are never organised enough to actually buy, write and post the wretched things before xmas, but perhaps I need to buy a load for DD (would prefer not to unless she will be complete pariah).

KTK9 · 03/12/2012 23:16

Can you just do a lot of cards and get your soneto sign them, but don't put the childrens names inside the card and the ones he can remember on the front of the envelope.

Then maybe the teacher may - because of the circumstances give you the first names of the others?

We are allowed first names and know some second, because dd seems to always use them when refering to friends, however one child started this year and isn't allowed to tell anyone her second name - sad really that she says she can't tell anyone it - another mum asked me if I had heard about this too, as her dd had also said that the teacher said that said child couldn't give her second name, so they were using her first name twice!

BackforGood · 03/12/2012 23:16

Completely optional.
My dcs have all only ever sent cards that they were prepared to write, so ds's friends didn't get any after Reception I don't think Grin but he's always had loads of friends. The dd's like sending them, so send more, but none of them have ever just sent them to people because they were in their class. If you get a card, it should be because someone is thinking of you, and wants to send you a card / someone considers you to be a friend. If it's just someone's mother copying out a list of names from a list - many of whom she's never heard of let alone met, then it's hardly going to make you feel very 'special' in being chosen to receive it, now is it?

dishwashervodkaanddietirnbru · 04/12/2012 08:20

We got mini cheap cards from the supermarket - 25/30 for about £2. Dd likes doing the cards, Ds not so much!

socharlotte · 04/12/2012 13:51

It kind of begs the question as to why he is sending cards to people whose name he doesn't even know.It's not obligatory to send them to every child in the class you know!
and as for the suggestion that you give them out to his classmates mums in the playground! Bonkers!!