St. Rynaghs National School

SCOIL NAOMH RAGHNACH

Main St., Banagher, Co. Offaly   -   Phone: 057 91 51419
email: strynaghs@strynaghsns.com

Records

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Record Keeping & Data Protection

This policy is the result of a planned review of policy in this area due to changes in DES Guidelines, and our own changes in other policies such as assessment.

Rationale

  • We are aware that pupil learning needs and the recording of where a pupil is in relation to his/her learning aids good teaching and good parent-teacher communication.
  • Education Act Section 9 (g) provides that parents (or past pupils over 18) are entitled to have access in the prescribed manner to records kept by the school relating to the progress of the student.
  • School attendance must be recorded.
  • Education Welfare Act 2000 requires principals to communicate to a school to which a student is transferring the attendance of the pupil in our school.
  • To keep a record of the pupils attendance and where a student fails to attend the reasons for such failure in respect of each school year.
  • To inform the Tusla in writing at set intervals where a pupil is suspended for a period in excess of 6 days or where a pupil is absent in excess of 20 school days in a school year.

Policy Aims

  • To record the educational progress that a pupil is making thereby enabling parents and teachers to support the child’s learning.
  • To report to parents in a clear manner the educational progress of their children.
  • To establish clear practical procedures for those entitled to access records relating to educational progress.
  • To ensure that the school has the capacity to administer the records retained.
  • To establish an understanding by staff, management and parents as to the records maintained.

Records

Attendance

All roll books and registers will be completed and retained indefinitely. Explanations of absences will be retained for each school year. At the end of the school year the explanations will be disposed of. Reports to the NEWB are made electronically and a printout will be retained indefinitely. It is to be presumed that the NEWB also retain this information.

Transferring to other Schools

On our annual census to the Department we record the number of our 6th class transferring to second level schools. If a child transfers to another primary school we will keep a copy of the letter from that school acknowledging enrolment of that child.

Attendance is included in our annual report.

 

Annual Report

In line with our assessment policy and DES Guidelines an annual report is sent out each May/June once the standardised tests are completed. We do not keep a copy of this report as we wish to preserve paper and space in the school. We retain a record card on each pupil with a summary by each class teacher of what is written in the annual report. The annual report is sent out to parents in advance of the school closing for the summer holidays as they may wish to visit the school to discuss the report. The annual report template can be found in our assessment file. The record card is kept indefinitely.

 

Standardised Tests

Standardised Tests are conducted annually. We retain the results of standardised tests indefinitely as space allows. If there is a space problem we will review this. The standardised tests we conduct are Micra T and Sigma T in May each year for 1st to 6th class.

Micra T and Sigma T are given to 1st class in October.

NRIT is given to 2nd class each year.

We keep the standardised test booklets for 1 year subsequent to the pupil undergoing the test.

Teacher – Designed Tests

Teacher designed tests are designed to guide the learning and teaching of pupils in the teachers care. When the pupil is finished with the teacher it is expected that the teacher would not keep the teacher designed tests.

E.A.L. Assessments

E.A.L. in line with our E.A.L. Policy is provided for 2 years. When a pupil has completed 2 years of E.A.L. provision they have finished their E.A.L. allowance of teaching. If the pupil needs are such that additional teaching is warranted their additional teaching is sourced from learning support hours. E.A.L. teachers like learning support teachers can use our Assessment Policy to guide their assessments with our E.A.L. Policy.

Diagnostic and Screening Tests

The results of these tests will be retained by the learning support teachers indefinitely or at least for 5 years after a pupil has reached their 18th birthday.

Samples of Pupils Work

Samples of pupils work will not be kept when a teacher is no longer teaching a pupil.

IEP’s/IPLP’s

IEP’s and IPLP’s will be kept until 5 years after a pupil has reached their 18th birthday.

Records of Attendance

Roll books and school records will be kept indefinitely. Explanations for absences will be kept for 1 year after the school year the explanations cover.

Psychological Assessments

Psychological Assessments will be kept indefinitely or if space does not allow until 5 years after a pupil has reached their 18thbirthday.

Referrals for Learning Support/Resource Teaching

Our report card contains a record of pupil’s attendance annually for learning support. This record is retained indefinitely. Our records of resource allocations are kept indefinitely.

Enrolment Forms

Enrolment Forms which include the parents’ signature that they will support school policies including the Code of Behaviour are kept while a child is attending the school.

Records of Pupils Breaches of Code of Behaviour

Records of pupils breaches of Code of Behaviour are destroyed at the end of each school year unless a pupil is being monitored for some specific purpose for example a behavioural assessment.

Records of Serious Injuries/Accidents

Records of serious injuries/accidents are kept indefinitely.

Antibullying Policy Appendix 3 Reports

All appendix 3 reports will be kept until pupils or past pupils have reached their 18th birthday. They will then be shredded.

Child Protection Referrals

All referral forms sent into the H.S.E in relation to Child Protection concerns will be kept indefinitely.

Administration of Records

In compliance with the classifications of records listed, class teachers, learning support/resource teachers, the school secretary and the principal will have access to records of pupils in their care.

In accordance with section 28 of The Education Welfare Act 2000, the school may supply personal data kept by the school to the data controller of another prescribed body if the Principal or B.O.M. Chairperson is satisfied that the information will be used for a relevant purpose. “Relevant Purpose”, in this context is defined by section 28 of the Education Welfare Act 2000.

Reports to Parents

As previously stated a report will be posted to parents annually on their child’s progress. The format of this report is available in this file. A record card is filled out also, the format for the record card is also available in this file.

The report card for Junior and Senior Infants is different to the card for 1st to 6th and it is available in this file.

The reports will be issued to parents in early June to allow time for parents to respond to the reports.

If parents live separately and request that reports be sent to each of them we will do so.

Record cards and standardised test results are returned to the Principal’s Office.

Record cards of pupils who have left are kept in the strong room.

Reports by Health Professionals such as Occupational Therapists, Psychologists etc. are kept in the Learning Support cabinet which is locked or in the Principal’s Office.

Roll books are maintained by class teachers. All other registers are maintained and retained in the Secretary’s Office.

Employees Records

Records retained on employees include, contracts, online claim system information etc. and are available. C.V.s are not retained, except for a definite time frame subsequent to interview. The Principal retains a file of medical certificates which is the documentary evidence to support online claim applications for certified sick leave. Once a medical certificate is two years old it may be destroyed.

Parent –Teacher Meetings

Parent Teacher Meetings are held annually in November. If parents are unable to attend on the assigned evening the school will arrange a different time for the meeting. If separated parents request separate times for meetings we will accommodate this request.

Legal Matters

We have written this policy with regard to the following particular acts, Education Act 1998, Education Welfare Act 2000, The Freedom of Information Act, The Data Protection Act 1988 and the Data Protection Act (Amendment) 2003. It is our intention to comply with these Acts. We have devised this policy in order to run our school effectively and to comply with the Acts listed and the Rules for National Schools.