Moving Schools - Can I see my DS File?

[Smith888]

My son is moving school. I have just informed his current school and they have asked for the new school details to forward on his file.
I am not leaving on good terms as the HT dismissed all my concerns re bullying and said my DS was attention seeking. In addition my son overheard a TA saying he was a liar and when I mentioned this to HT I got the same response. The staff are very much under the thumb of the bullies' pushy parents and perhaps I am paranoid but do not want any negativity making its way to the new school. Other parents have urged me to make an official complaint but I think it's best to go as quietly as possible. Those parents are also having issues with the same children but do not report back to staff making the whole situation more awkward
What rights do I have to see the file and how can I do this without causing drama?

Yes you can ask for copies of all information held by school in a filed system - so that includes emails on computers and information the teacher holds as well as his file. If you email school with ‘Subject Access Request’ in the title then ask for a copy of all information held by the school relating to your son, including but not limited to everything in his school file, then they must send it to you within one calendar month (school holidays don’t change this - still one month). If your son is 12 or older, then he should make the request.

See here: ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/your-right-of-access/

Ah ok - I have asked but HT said only report and test results were included in the file. I did not ask for "subject access request!!!" Its really to know what would be passed on in his file though so as long as the emails are not forwarded then I suppose I wouldn't need to see them? So far HT has said I can have the file but it only includes reports and academic files, which confuses me a bit as there is quite a bit we have provided I would have assumed was included. I have seen some advice online that suggests asking HT to confirm if anything is omitted and for what reason so have done that.

You don’t need to mention ‘subject access request’ that just makes it clearer what you are doing. If you have asked for the files then you have already made one (so long as you did so in writing) but only for what you asked for. You might want to follow it up with a request for all data held, including emails.

Brilliant advice thankyou. Do you know if schools might forward emails etc as well as the file?

I doubt it but they should. They can also redact (black out) any other names apart from you/your child. It is amazing how thin a file can suddenly become when you do a SAR. However, if stuff comes up that should have been in the file and wasn’t you can complain to ICO (though they don’t do much). Fingers crossed you get what you want!

Obviously all schools are different and I don't want to put you off exercising your rights but …the information kept on file and forwarded to other schools genuinely isn't much.

Generally there really is only the original admissions form, annual reports and any end of KS results or the phonics results. There may be a separate SEN folder if your child has an SEN with professional reports and any actions plans in it and there may be safeguarding folder if there are safeguarding issues but that wouldn't be shared with you.

Noone has ever forwarded emails about things to us and we don't do that to other schools (I hope that is reassuring)

The only think that may happen is sometimes the heads/sencos call for an informal chat.

@grasspigeons I think it's the informal chat more that worries me. When I mentioned my son was scared to confide in staff after he overheard the TA calling him a liar, they set up a behavioural observation just two days later and created a situation to "prove he was a liar". We had a bit of an argument over it because they twisted the whole situation to their advantage. The whole meeting in fact was never supposed to happen and the HT was furious but also insisted that it was just bad timing.

I hope its the fresh start you need. It sounds like you made a good decision to move.

If it is a CTF it has no information- attendance, fsm, past test outcomes etc

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786502/CTF_19_technical_specification_v_1-0.pdf

If they have an SEN or CP file that would be transferred either in paper or electronically is use CPOMs or equivalent

To be clear- a school doesn't have a file for each pupil.

In my experience, particularly when a child moves schools locally, the Head Teachers always speak to each other on the phone for background information. There's nothing you can do about that. All you can hope for is that the new Head decides to form their own opinion upon meeting the child/family and just mentally files away the previous Head's words as "interesting info that I may or may not ever need."

Thanks everyone. I have the file plus the SEN information. The school have intact been very helpful.

Er, in my experience every school I've ever known has a file for each pupil. When they move, you do a CTF transfer to move the data from Sims, plus sending off the hard copy pupil file. But yes, it generally only has reports and a few key academic papers in it. There might also be a SEN file and a confidential safeguarding file if there have been child protection concerns.

Please think very carefully before doing a SAR. They create a huge (and I mean really huge) amount of work for the staff, which has a knock on impact on the other children's education. If you have a serious complaint about the school, raise it with the governors or Ofsted. If you're just pissed off with them, I would quietly make your exit and let it go.

You may have some dull factual information in written form, but I repeat, you cannot stop your current Head Teacher having an informal, "off-the-record" chat with the new one.

Oneminute We have a file for every pupil. It contains each year's school report. In addition, a child might also have an SEND file and a safeguarding file. There are 350 children in my school.

To be clear- a school doesn't have a file for each pupil.

Every school I’ve worked in does......

@likeacompleteunknown I was a bit worried about the workload. I offered to pay for copying etc. In the end it took just a day for them to prepare for me. There was virtually nothing in the file, no stats on year 3 at all. In past I have provided them reports (DS joined after we moved overseas in year 2). They weren't in the file either. There were ten pages tops. I'm actually a bit worried about the lack of info!! I have asked HT if there was anything intentionally omitted and they said no.

I know my son is having handwriting intervention so I'm surprised nothing is in there on that but I assume the teacher will notice immediately that he has issues there. I'll resubmit the papers I initially provided them which show he is having issues with his vision.

I am thinking about going to Ofstead but I don't know what that could achieve? I had tried having an off the record chat with the governors awhile back but they cut me short mid conversation and insisted on a written complaint. At that point I did not have a new school lined up and I didn't think it would go anywhere as I feel the staff (not just schools but any situation) would just stick together and it would impact my son. I did not have anyone present in my meeting and my assumption is a newly qualified teacher would not be in a position to confirm my complaint against a HT?

My DS is miserable and I spoke to HT just last week as it emerged a bunch of kids had chased him in an unsupervised area, one had kicked him, then they ran off with his shoes. It doesn't happen too often - once a week he says. But he gets called idiot over and over again, The only thing that had been addressed was whether my son had said "stop". He says they lied and said he didn't so nothing happened. HT promised there would be a whole class chat about unkind behaviour but yet again nothing has been done. I'm fed up!

The school must have a policy on data protection and that often includes what standard information is held about a child. It would include Sats results, data on progress, pastoral care, attendance, ethnic group, medical, SEND. Plus other confidential issues which might have arisen.

If the school has stored emails specifically about your child, then they should be held securely and are part of the data held by the school.

However, if a new school has a place, they cannot refuse to give it to your DC based on a report from another school. If you are the only parent wanting the place, you get it unless SEND cannot be met and discussions have to be held about provision. Even then they cannot ultimately refuse if they are not full. Your existing school is highly unlikely to be difficult about your DC moving. Why would they be?

Regarding the governors: they are not allowed to have private chats with parents about DC or policies at the school and how the school is run by the Head. You must go via the complaints procedure so what you were told is correct. As a current parent you could do this. However you won’t gain anything if you are leaving but you might feel better! Give them a blast about not following their anti bullying and behaviour policy! And victim blaming. Ofsted is not worth it.

We transferred a DD out of a school and it was worth it. Just go and forget about this school. Try and keep in touch with his friends but he will soon make new ones and old friends might drop away over time. Good luck.