VIEWS & OPINION Schools’ data


safeguarding requires improvement


Comment by BRETT SMITH, Education Sector Lead, CantiumBusiness Solutions


SinceMay 25th 2018, schools across the UK have been working tirelessly to embed principles of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data protection Act 2018 into their organisation. The truth is, this updated law requires schools to do a lot more than they are currently doing, especially around transparency and accountability.


Since the GDPR was introduced, the Information


Commissioners Office (ICO) has audited 11Multi-Academy Trusts in the UK, amounting to over 365 schools in total. The main areas of inspection are:


• Governance and Accountability • Data Sharing


• Training & Awareness


All theMATs that were inspected were scored as “Reasonable” or “Limited” in each of these areas, meaning that none of these organisations are fully compliant within the regulations.


One example of where schools are falling short of compliance is Training and Awareness. Although you have sent your staff on a GDPR training course, how are you proving that they attended and understood the content of the course? Furthermore, how are you showing evidence of this understanding and ensuring this is regularly monitored and kept up to date?


When the ICO visits your school, the inspectors will expect to see proof that all your staff members have an appropriate level of awareness, based upon their role in your school. Each member of staff at your school experiences and processes personal data in different ways and you are responsible for ensuring they have relevant training for their role to help protect personal data.


The risk to schools is quite alarming, as serious breaches and issues happen far more often than many would think, and these can lead to negative publicity and reputational damage, as well as a risk of further investigations and even fines. 18 educational establishments have received GDPR related fines from the ICO sinceMay 2018, and we can expect more fines to be issued as the ICO continues their inspections and checks.


To help combat this, Cantium provides an education-focused Data Protection Officer (DPO) as a service for over 250 schools, trusts and academies across the UK, which utilises the GDPRiS platform to manage the school’s data protection responsibilities. Given the breadth of knowledge required on data processing and data security operations and legal aspects of the GDPR, an external DPO is highly beneficial to these schools.


In January 2020, 90 tickets were logged with our DPO, over 45%of which were data breaches, 27%were for general advice and over 13% were Subj


bject Access Requests (SARs). The average time that our DPO spent on SARs during January 2020 was 89 hours, the amount of time that the school saved by outsourcing their DPO obligations to a dedicated expert, instead of tying up an in-house member of staff. The bottom line is that schools’ data safeguarding requires


improvement. Are you doing enough to ensure your school is compliant? Contact Cantium’s solutions team to discuss your school’s GDPR requirement and how we can support you with achieving and evidencing your GDPR compliance.


03000 411 115 info


fo@cantium.solutions www.cantium.solutions


Understanding the EdTe


Tech landscape


Comment by ALISTAIR HAYWA APAC at Promethean


AYWARD - Head of UKI and


The issue of budgetary constraints in education is regularly making the headlines and the State of Technology in Education Report has revealed that over half of school leaders think that budgets will make it difficult for schools to achieve objectives. As schools are under increased financial pressure, it is important as an education company to work in collaboration with schools to understand how best


to support them. Given that technology has now risen to fourth place in budget priorities for school leaders, it is vital that the investments schools are making are suitable for the educational space and future proofed to ensure the technology isn’t redundant after a few years of service. With this in mind, Promethean’s combined hardware and software solutions have been designed to support teachers in the long-term. Promethean’s ActivPanel is supplied as standard with award-winning lesson delivery software, ActivInspire – eliminating the need for additional fees on recurring subscriptions, while facilitating the creation of dynamic and engaging lessons. The ActivPanel is also regularly updated ‘over-the- air’, meaning schools benefit from access to the very latest tools, long after initial purchase.


Workingwithworkloads


harming learning and is stifling potential in the classroom. Understanding As well as budgets, a massive 71%of teachers said that workload is


that workload is at dangerous levels, Promethean has been developing 22 www.education-today.co.uk


and delivering education technology solutions that support teachers in creating connected environments while promoting student participation. Technology should be used to save teachers’ time and work with the environment to enrich the educational space for students. Collaborating with teachers on the development of the ActivPanel Elements Series, the advanced front of class display has been designed for intuitive and ergonomic usage. For example, the UnifiedMenu makes access to commonly used tools quick and simple, ultimately making teaching with technology easier than ever before.


Optimismfo for Edtech


Technology is more prevalent in education than ever before and attitudes towards its use are becoming even more favourable. Almost all (90%) teachers believe that technology is a great way to engage students and 89%believe that it is integral to everyday life so should have a place in education. As technology can be a great enabler in the classroom and a powerful tool for engagement, it is important that educators are supported by education technology providers to make the most of their technological investments and ensure they’re using it to its full potential. Training is imperative and recognising that teachers’ time is precious, Promethean has developed the Promethean Academy – a free, online resource for teachers looking for added confidence.With an array of courses for basic practical support and exciting new teaching ideas, the courses have been designed for a teacher’s busy schedule. Promethean also places an emphasis on orientation training, ensuring schools have access to initial sessions which equip teachers with the fundamentals to use the ActivPanel effectively.


The edtech landscape is full of potential and it is important that teachers have the right tools at their disposal. Promethean has been working with educators to ensure its solutions seamlessly enhance the educational environment and that teachers feel confident and comfortable using the technology.


Formore info Report, please visit stateofe


formation on the State of Technology in Education fed.tech


March 2020


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