Do we need to keep students documents once they've left?

[Colindean2000]

Does anyone know if we are legally bound to keep and store student documents once they've left?

 

Does anyone keep documents or do you just delete them?

 

Thanks

[localzuk]

We keep the files for a single year after they leave, then delete. This is just so they can come request them during that year if they still want them for something.

[fairm010]

We archive them off to an external HDD until that data is overwritten when the space is needed for the next few years leavers.

[hardtailstar]

we keep for a year then delete. We are only a primary school so not much need for the work.

[Colindean2000]

Thanks, how about staff documents? I've never kept them and left it up to leaving staff to take their documents before they leave.

[localzuk]

We keep them permanently here.

[fairm010]

Thanks, how about staff documents? I've never kept them and left it up to leaving staff to take their documents before they leave.

 

Kept permanently on separate archive HDD's.

[kennysarmy]

I copy all leaving staff data and email to an external hard disk - we always get existing staff asking for this that and the other and it saves trawling through backups.

 

Students in year 11 and 13 when they leave it's the same....and I probably can go back 3 years if needed.

 

We also keep the end of year backup tapes indefinitely....

[elsiegee40]

There's a lot of useful information on the web Record Management Toolkit for Schools - Information and Records Management Society

It tells you about everything from records and school work to email and governing body paperwork

 

There is a big 'it depends' on this.

Records of employment for staff should be kept for 6 years after the close of the financial year in which they left... HMRC tax rules and all that.

Individual pupil records are supposed to be kept until the pupils' 25th birthday!

Class registers should be kept for 3 years from the date of the register.

 

Pupil work is usually sent home with the child after any exam board requirements or destroyed. Although the IRMS (see link above) says that they should be retained for one full year after the student has left

Edited February 11, 2015 by elsiegee40

[mjk]

We keep them permanently here.

 

Kept permanently on separate archive HDD's.

 

 

We also keep the end of year backup tapes indefinitely....

 

Purely out of interest - what is the justification of keeping documents permanently?

A recent discussion here highlighted a potential breach of the data protection act if staff hold personal student details (names, grades, SEND information) in their personal files. We were told that information can only be kept for as long as reasonably necessary and that it needs to be reviewed regularly. I wonder if you have a policy to prevent that and whether it is enforced?

[localzuk]

Purely out of interest - what is the justification of keeping documents permanently?

A recent discussion here highlighted a potential breach of the data protection act if staff hold personal student details (names, grades, SEND information) in their personal files. We were told that information can only be kept for as long as reasonably necessary and that it needs to be reviewed regularly. I wonder if you have a policy to prevent that and whether it is enforced?

 

Schools keep hold of pupil data for a long time anyway - there's actually no way to bulk remove such information from some MIS systems, for example. We've had requests from ex-students for data we held 10+ years after they'd left. So, based on that holding onto it is reasonable I'd say...

 

We keep staff documents permanently because those documents often contain lesson plans, policies, training documents etc... Things that are actively useful for other staff.

Edited February 11, 2015 by localzuk