pupil information form - what is mandatory?

[brownelephant]

and what not?
dc starting new school soon and got the form in the post...

Not sure I understand the question?

I just filled it in. It was mostly contact details and asking for permissions of photos, medical help etc so hardly probing.

it's also asking for nationality and passport number.

name and address - fine. but passport number?

Odd.

DD’s school did not ask for anything like that.

I have a vague idea that schools are being asked by the Home Office to collect this kind of data so the govt can monitor immigration status. Many schools are refusing.

No way I'd give school my child's passport number unless they were taking him abroad!

Mine asked nationality and country of birth but I put 'N/A' on them, that wasn't a problem, no-one came back to me.

I have never been asked for passport number although I have shown them dd's passport when they have booked overseas trips (and then they took charge of her passport for the trips themselves) so they may have that recorded.

Is it an independent school with overseas students? I had to send a copy of DDs passport when confirming her place

that's why I'm asking what I have to fill in and what not.
the letter just said 'welcome to xxx school, please fill in the forms and return asap'

no, state secondary (academy)

I'm struggling to understand why they would need to know nationality and passport number.

Ironically DD doesn’t have a passport so I’d just put N/A anyway. Why not do the same

No you don't have to fill in nationality, passport details.

As a pp said the Home Office tried to do this to monitor the number of immigrant children, and allegedly their progress compared to their peers, actually that would have been a hugely useful piece of research, but a lot of people were very concerned about the data being misused so it remains optional to provide.

Info here on the schools census and how you can withdraw:
Against Borders for Children
www.schoolsabc.net/

I've just filled these forms in for my daughter and was stunned that they're asking for mine and dh's NI numbers! What on earth can they want those for?!

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/609375/School_census_2016_to_2017_guide_v1_6.pdf

Page 66 of this government guidance to schools states that schools should not ask for identity documentation.

NI numbers of parents might be for free school meal claiming? It’s a huge deal for funding. Although I thought that needed to be claimed specifically, so maybe not. You could always give the school a ring and ask them why.

The school needs name, address, dob, phone numbers, emergency contact details. Everything else is up to you. Some things can be about ensuring correct support is in place, some are about tracking ethnic minorities, immigration etc. Some things will bring them additional funding, some things won't.

So long as they have essential information then that is enough. If they feel they are missing funding somehow or some other information that may affect your child's education they are free to ask again - at which point you can ask why they need to know and judge for yourself.

Fwiw, ime they say "ooh Ms X you forgot to give xxx details on your form" you say "Really? Sorry about that, can I just ask how that is relevant to my child's education?" The response is usually "oh don't worry it's not essential that you fill it in..."

I.e. they are info mining and know parents would not like it if they knew the reasons for collating the information!

I wonder how up to date they are with the gdpr...

thanks all. will just fill in the essential bits.

Ni numbers is for pupil premium

You can just say parent refused on any data beyond the obvious.
Department for education does share the info illegally with the home office.

Page 66 of this government guidance to schools states that schools should not ask for identity documentation.

they don't ask for documentation, just the information and id number...

Why would you not fill in the information (even though it seems odd to be in the form) how would the data be misused?

NI is for claiming pupil premium which really helps schools
A lot of people don't know their child attracts additional funding
and a lot of people are too proud to claim so schools blanket ask and check everyone and by doing this maximise the funding. They shouldn't be retaining the data at all. WE didn't used to this, and just waited for parents to emerge and suggest they might be eligible. we have definatley scooped up more eligible pupils this way and the money has helped their children.

The school census is a government census that schools collect and provide the results for - its put on a database and the result sent to the DfE. The passport and country of birth thing is a new addition and not compulsory and some people are suspicious as to the governments need for this info. If the school returns the census with a blank in the bracket their return is not accepted so the admin person has to make sure they tick a box that says something like 'information refused' from what I remember (I haven't done it this year)

And if they are anything like my school and the GDPR they will be way ahead of most businesses having had hours of training. The information is collected under section 6 I think - Statutory obligation but the bill isn't actually in effect yet, so they can just do it under the data protection act

Department for education does share the info illegally with the home office.

Is that really the case - as in you work there and know for a fact that it happens? Or is that supposition? (Genuine question!)

Department for education does share the info illegally with the home office.

Is that really the case - as in you work there and know for a fact that it happens? Or is that supposition? (Genuine question!)