Best Practice Update

Redaction guide for PEX panels, illustrating how schools manage sensitive information for permanent exclusion

Schools are increasingly required to manage sensitive information in ways that balance transparency, fairness, and data protection. One area that frequently creates confusion is the difference between redaction undertaken for a Subject Access Request (SAR) and redaction applied when preparing documentation for a Permanent Exclusion (PEX) Review Panel. The Redaction Guide for PEX Panels has been introduced to address this issue and provide clear, practical guidance for staff.

Leavers' memorabilia display with custom hoodies, yearbooks, and other personalized keepsake items

We're already seeing the leavers' hoodies when we're visiting schools and our help desk has received tickets asking about year book administration, so here's some best practice about 'Leaver's Memorabilia'.

Students and teachers sharing World Book Day photos, reminding schools about data protection best practices.

📸✅ It's World Book Day on the 5th March when most schools will be celebrating reading and capturing photos of staff and students in their costumes.   Given this is one of many significant photographic events in the calendar, we thought it was a good opportunity to remind everyone of photo and video best practice so there are no data protection slip ups.

  1. Supplier Due Diligence Step by Step: Are you sharing personal data with a third party organisation?
  2. Time to kick-start your Clear Desk and Screen policy?
  3. Are Governors the Frontline of Cyber Security? (February 12th is Governors Awareness Day)
  4. DPE Webinar Schedule
  5. The Danger of the 'Data Dump': Why more information isn't always better!
  6. Introducing our new Recording and Transcription Policy
  7. Parents and students covertly recording conversations
  8. New DfE AI Standards
  9. Shareable Snippet: Office Security Best Practices for the Holidays
  10. CCTV Policy update: retention
  11. Shareable Snippet: Confidential waste
  12. Sharing information to safeguard children and young people in the education sector in the UK
  13. Fraud awareness from the DfE
  14. Complaints vs. Data Rights: A Guide
  15. Data Breach: School sends out names and contact details in a spreadsheet.
  16. September 2025 Policy and Document Updates
  17. KCSIE 2025: Data Protection, AI, and Cyber Security
  18. The Online SCR Data Breach: What You Need to Know
  19. Back to School Basics for Data Protection and Cyber Security Compliance
  20. Building a Secure School: Using the ICO Accountability Framework to Meet DfE Digital Standards
  21. Why Physical and Data Security Must Go Hand-In-Hand
  22. Digital Safeguarding: DfE announces statutory DfE Digital Standards
  23. The Data Protection Lead/Champion Role
  24. Changes to the Academy Trust Handbook 2025
  25. Social Media Day 2025
  26. How Ofsted looks at AI during inspection and regulation
  27. Preschool Employment tribunal for the use of WhatsApp
  28. Data Breaches 2025 Report Highlights
  29. Not everyone needs access: The Key to Protecting Sensitive Data
  30. West Lothian Schools in Cyber Attack
  31. National Honesty Day: Transparency
  32. FOI Request - BBC News
  33. Social Media and Marketing Guidelines and Training
  34. New Governor Resources
  35. Does stress lead to more data breaches?
  36. Are teachers using AI? 83% say its a time-saver
  37. DfE Digital Standards - narrowing the digital divide
  38. Arbor AI - On By Default
  39. DfE Guidance: Choosing a new MIS
  40. HCRG Care Group data breach
  41. The Importance of AI literacy and training staff
  42. Short Guide to AI Video
  43. Safer Internet Day, Cyber Security & Data Protection
  44. The Cyber Resilience Championship
  45. The Multiple Dimensions of Supplier Due Diligence
  46. School shares sensitive pupil information as part of an FOI response
  47. Blacon High School Cyber Attack
  48. WhatsApp and FOI's: ICO Warnings
  49. New AI Guidance from the DfE
  50. What the proposed Government legislative proposal around cyber crime means
  51. ICO report on AI tools in recruitment
  52. DfE update to record keeping and management
  53. Update to data sharing for school immunisation programmes
  54. Early Years Settings and Cyber Security
  55. SLT Digital Lead Profile
  56. The role of governors in cyber security and data protection
  57. Navigating Privacy at the End of Term , Special Occasions and End of Year
  58. Contracts Register
  59. DfE Digital Standards Autumn Update
  60. The importance of knowing how to access your CCTV footage!
  61. Cyber Attack on a Special School
  62. Stealing children's data
  63. What is dark data? (and why does it matter?)
  64. Ofqual highlights the value of cyber security training in schools
  65. Searching for data when you receive a Subject Access Request
  66. Fylde Coast Academy Trust Cyber Attack This Week
  67. Calling all IT leads in schools and mult academy trusts!
  68. Ransomware cyber attack on a school in Bromley
  69. Join Our Social Media Family!
  70. School hit by Cyber Attack
  71. Cyber Security Best Practice Area
  72. DfE Digital Standards for Schools and Colleges Tracker
  73. New Policies, Documents, Letters and Posters page
  74. Schools and Trusts Best Practice Area
  75. The DPE Retention Schedule
  76. Making the Rounds Update (now includes reporting)
  77. ESFA Cyber Essentials Requirement for Colleges from 2024/2025
  78. ICO Reprimands a School
  79. Out of date technology
  80. Data Retention and the Pupil File
  81. Have you assigned your SLT Digital Lead yet?
  82. Getting Started with AI (Artificial Intelligence)
  83. Cyber attack on a school during half term
  84. The rise of cyber attacks in schools are causing pupils to miss classes
  85. ICO: Learning from the mistakes of others report
  86. Cyber attack on a Trust; the aftermath
  87. School Focus: The Vale Federation | Aylesbury
  88. DfE Dealing with Subject Access Requests (SARs) Guidance
  89. Update to the Guidance on Information Sharing from the DfE
  90. FOI Requests generated by Artificial Intelligence
  91. Social Media Best Practice Area
  92. Lettings Best Practice Area
  93. MFA Bombing - What is it?
  94. Protecting your Social Media Accounts
  95. Checklists - Are They Your Most Powerful Compliance Tool?
  96. Product Focus on Checklists : Initial Trust Plan
  97. Product Focus on Checklists : End of Term Checklist
  98. Product Focus on Checklists : Information and Cyber Security
  99. Product Focus on Checklists : Social Media
  100. Product Focus on Checklists : Lettings
  101. Product Focus on Checklists : Record of Processing
  102. Milk Island: The secret location that allows children to view restricted content on Google Maps
  103. Why Data Should Stay Put: Benefits of Keeping Data in Its Original System
  104. Product Focus on Checklists : Data Retention and Destruction
  105. Product Focus on Checklists : Data Migration
  106. Product Focus on Checklists : Biometrics
  107. Product Focus on Checklists : Supplier Due Diligence
  108. Free Cyber help, advice and training with the Cyber Resilience Centres
  109. The Perils of Paper: The Printing Vulnerability
  110. Product Focus on Checklists : FOI
  111. Product Focus on Checklists : Governors and Data
  112. Product Focus on Checklists : DPIA
  113. Product Focus on Checklists : Site Moves
  114. Product Focus on Checklists : Data Breaches
  115. Product Focus on Checklists : Subject Access Requests
  116. Product Focus on Checklists : Bring your own device
  117. Product Focus on Checklists : Working out of school/offsite
  118. Cyber Attack on a School
  119. Product Focus on Checklists : Redaction
  120. Why Due Diligence is Important: Fake apps
  121. Product Focus on Checklists : CCTV
  122. Product Focus on Checklists : Clear desk
  123. Product Focus on Checklists : Commitment to compliance
  124. Product Focus on Checklists : Photos and video
  125. Product Focus on Checklists : Passwords
  126. Product Focus on Checklists : Information Classification
  127. Free cyber training for staff
  128. DfE Digital Standards Update
  129. The Mother of all Breaches
  130. International Data Transfers (part 1): Navigating Cross-Border Data Transfers: Understanding EU SCCs, UK Addendum, and UK IDTA
  131. ClassCharts Possible Data Breach
  132. Where is your data stored?
  133. IAPP looks at AI privacy risks
  134. If you suspect a financial scam .....
  135. School Focus: St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School | Brighton
  136. Guardians of Privacy: 16. Social Media Checklist
  137. Guardians of Privacy: 15. Navigating Social Media in Educational Settings Summary
  138. Guardians of Privacy: 14. Social Media and Cyber Bullying
  139. Guardians of Privacy: 13. Social Media, Copyright and Intellectual Property
  140. Guardians of Privacy: 12. Social Media and Going Viral
  141. Guardians of Privacy: 11. Staff Social Media Accounts
  142. Guardians of Privacy: 10. Social Media and Cookies
  143. Guardians of Privacy: 9. Social Media and Morality
  144. New Resources for Schools from the ICO
  145. Guardians of Privacy: 8. Social Media Policies
  146. Guardians of Privacy: 7. Social Media Data Retention
  147. Guardians of Privacy: 6. Posting Safely
  148. Guardians of Privacy: 5. Social Media and Consent
  149. Guardians of Privacy: 4. Social Media Access Control
  150. Guardians of Privacy: 3. Social Media Channels
  151. Guardians of Privacy: 2. Law and Regulations
  152. The ICO reprimands a Multi Academy Trust
  153. Guidance for the use of school email and applying email retention in schools
  154. Data Protection Tips for Early Years Settings
  155. Children's Privacy around the world is a puzzle
  156. Trust Initial Plan Checklist Update
  157. Records Management Best Practice Update
  158. What do I need to redact?
  159. Trust Initial Plan for Data Protection Compliance (for Multi Academy Trusts)
  160. Google for Education Resources: Helping IT Admins meet DfE digital and technology standards
  161. Lettings Best Practice and Guidance
  162. Considerations when migrating to a new MIS
  163. Public bodies and sensitive data
  164. Get a DPE Badge for your website!
  165. ICO: 10 Step guide to sharing information to safeguard children
  166. Help after a Cyber Attack/Incident
  167. Data Protection and Cyber Security (Inset Day) Training Ideas
  168. How KCSIE is linked to Cyber Strategy
  169. Handling Freedom of Information Requests the right way
  170. Where's Harry the Hacker?
  171. The ICO Reprimands a school
  172. Redaction Guidelines Updated
  173. Using WhatsApp in Schools
  174. How to contact us for support, subject access requests, data breaches and FOI's
  175. FOI: Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
  176. FOI: Henry Jackson Society
  177. FOI: Vaccination Justifications
  178. How the Record of Processing Can Help You
  179. What does a Data Protection Officer Do?
  180. Carrying out Supplier Due Diligence
  181. How Long Should You Keep Personal Data For?
  182. B&H FoI: Racist/religious incidents/bullying
  183. Protocol for Setting Up and Delivery of Online Teaching and Learning
  184. Class Dojo International Data Sharing
  185. Model Publication Scheme: Amendments, Improvements and Updates
  186. Transparency
  187. Research projects and GDPR
  188. Secure file transfer of files using Royal Mail
  189. Emergency contacts and consent
  190. Key elements of a successful DPIA
  191. FOI Publication Schemes
  192. Best Practice for Managing Photos and Video
  193. New Drip Feeds: Recognise and Respond to Subject Access Request
  194. When to contact the Data Protection Officer?
  195. National child measurement programme
  196. Headteacher fined for breach of data protection legislation
  197. Acceptable Use Policy

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