Whitburn Church of England Academy

The academy is registered under the Data Protection Act for holding personal data. The academy has a duty to protect this information and to keep it up to date. The academy is required to share some of the data with the Local Authority and with the DfE. Please tick here to indicate that you have read and agree with the content of the Pupil Privacy Notice. Please note: Unless the Pupil Privacy Notice is amended at a future date, we will not seek further parental consent on either of the above items during your child’s academy career with us. Should you wish to make a change to the above consent at a later date, please contact the Main Academy Office on 0191 5293712.

As you are aware, the Academy makes much use of biometric recognition (fingerprint), for our day to day operations, namely for Cashless Catering and Library book issues. We have had biometric systems in place for several years and they have been beneficial to pupils/students and staff alike. For security and privacy reasons, a mathematical representation of each fingerprint is stored rather than an actual image. There has been a recent revision to legislation (Protection of Freedoms Act 2012), which came into effect from 1st September 2013. Schools cannot process a student’s biometric data without having notified each parent/carer of a child and received the written consent of at least one parent/carer. By ticking below you authorise the Academy to make use of your child’s biometric data. Students can refuse permission and this will override the decision of the parent/carer though we would expect such refusals to be rare. Parental objections must be in writing. Below are some ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ about biometrics. If you have any queries regarding this issue please do not hesitate to contact the Main Academy Office. 1. What is “biometrics”? Biometrics is a method of recognising an individual based on measurable biological characteristics such as the fingerprint. Fingerprints remain constant over a person’s lifespan. Surface wear, minimal temporary or permanent scarring and ageing may affect but does not alter beyond recognition, the original fingerprint pattern. 2. How is a biometric collected? Sensors are used to scan the finger and convert the information to a secure digital format to which it is later compared. Technically, biometric capture devices create electronic digital “pictures” that are encrypted and stored and then compared to “live” pictures in order to confirm the identity of a person. 3. Is biometric technology safe to use? Any health concerns are actually similar to those encountered in everyday life (touching a fingerprint sensor is equivalent to touching a doorknob). Biometric systems use ordinary computing and video technology that a person typically encounters in their day to day activities. Biometrics requires only the placement of a finger. 4. If I provide my biometric (fingerprint), who has access to it and the information associated with it? The fingerprint scan is stored in a database on one computer at the school in a proprietary format (an actual copy of the fingerprint image itself is NOT stored). Only the fingerprint reader can recognise this format. 5. Can my biometric image be used anywhere other than the school? No. A fingerprint registered on one system will not be valid for another unique system. Only information stored on the database linked to the biometric scanner used is available when a fingerprint is scanned. 6. What if the biometric scanner is stolen? Data is not stored on the scanner itself. The scanner is a vehicle used to confirm the authenticity of the fingerprint. 7. Can someone steal my biometric (fingerprint)? A fingerprint is unique. No two people have identical fingerprints. It would be next to impossible for someone to steal someone else’s biometric (fingerprint).