Changing schools - data transfer

[superstarjanet]

Has anybody had any experience of transferring data from a current school to a new one?

My son is currently in year ten and is changing schools. He is doing two different GCSEs at the new school, so time is absolutely crucial. I want him to start before Friday, so that he has catch up work over the half term. This is what he wants too.

His current school are notoriously slow at transferring data. This seems ridiculous, as an educational establishment, they should be aware of the importance of my son's education.

Is there a time scale for such data transfers, or any legislation that I could quote to current school, to speed them up?

What data? No data needs to be transferred for him to start (not sure that they can legally transfer any data without your permission anyway...)

It's his attendance and results etc

They already have my permission

Does it matter? If the new school has accepted him he can just start whenever they're happy to take him.

Apparently not, I've been told that this data transfer is required first

If you're asking about his school records, I thought that it was the receiving school that requested them from the school he left in paper form. All the other stuff will be done by data transfer, which should be straightforward and I've never known a child unable to start at school because of data. If a place has been offered and accepted, I thought that was all that was needed.

I know that I used to get frustrated if we didn't have records for a child after requesting them, because there might well have been relevant information regarding additional needs, interventions thst have taken place etc.

The new school have requested them and I've given my permission

The current school is notorious for delaying sending it. One girl has been waiting 3 weeks and she's also in year ten. I don't want that to happen to us.

I've been told by the new school that they need it before he can start. This is why I would like to know what the legal stance is, so that if current school is in breach, I could use it to speed it things up

Well my ds1 changed this time of the year but in yr nine, his school where also crap at sending the info over, they never did send some data rw predicted grades etc. But the new school does not need this data before your son starts, that's rubbish. My ds1 just started without it.

That's very interesting, maybe I'm chasing the wrong school then. Will contact them ASAP

All sorted now after a few phone calls. He is starting his new school tomorrow.

Thank you very much for all your input, appreciated.

Just for completion, in terms of best practice on safeguarding the school that son has left should check that they have started at the new school and then transfer the appropriate information. If the original school cannot verify where the pupil has gone to, then they should be reporting that to the LA, so they can follow through on what is a "missing pupil"
The idea that the new school is asking for the information before they start is slightly worrying in that it suggests that they might be trying to check that there is no skeletons in the cupboard before they start, which they are not allowed to do.