Data ProtectioN
The Data Protection Act 2018
The Data Protection Act 2018 is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament which updates data protection laws in the UK. It is a national law which complements the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and updates the Data Protection Act 1998.
Schools handle large amounts of personal data, such as information on pupils, staff, governors, volunteers and job applicants. Schools also handle what refers to as special category data, which is subject to tighter controls. This could be details on race, ethnic origin, bio-metric data or trade union membership.
Data is already governed by existing DPA regulations, which ensure personal data is handled lawfully. The new Data Protection Act goes further and requires organisations to document how and why they process all personal data, and gives enhanced rights to the individual.