Learner survey on virtual online schools and learner engagement and attendance: privacy notice

The Welsh Government has asked one of our researchers to do a small research project looking into the virtual online school programme that you’re involved in. The aim of the project is to find out what the programme does, the difference it makes for learners and what can be learnt about running more programmes like it in the future. 

As part of this research project the researcher will be gathering information through small scale survey of learners who, like you, are on the online programme. 

The Welsh Government is the data controller for the research. This means, they are in charge of the way information about you is looked after. The research team will remove personal data before writing up the report and will not provide identifiable data about you to others in Welsh Government unless you ask us to.

The information collected during the project will be included in a report published on the Welsh Government website.

Your participation in this research is completely voluntary. However, your views and experiences are important to help Welsh Government make policies.

What personal data do we hold and where do we get this information?

Personal data is defined under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) as ‘any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified by reference to an identifier’.

You will have accessed the survey link because it has been shared with you via your online tutor on behalf of the research team in the Welsh Government. 

This survey does not require the collection of personal data from you. You will be asked questions about your gender, additional learning needs, disability, year group, and whether you get Free School Meals to provide some background information for the research. However, you will not be asked your name or the name of your school, so the kind of information we are asking for will not be able to be used by anybody to identify you.

Your participation is voluntary and if you do not wish to take part you are not obliged to complete the survey, and if you have started it, you can stop at any time.

If you do choose to provide additional personal data as part of the research, we will try not to identify you from, or link your identity to, the responses you provide and will try to remove any such data from information downloaded from the survey software. 

What is the lawful basis for using your data?

The lawful basis for processing information in this data collection exercise is our public task, that is, exercising our official authority to undertake the core role and functions of the Welsh Government. 

Participation is completely voluntary. Research studies like this are important for the Welsh Government to understand how policies work. The information collected in this research, for example, might be used to understand how online or virtual learning can help to improve learning and attendance.

How secure is your personal data?

Data provided to Welsh Government is held on secure servers, and for this project a folder has been created that has access restricted only to the immediate research team. Any personal data you choose to provide will be stored in this restricted folder. The researchers will not provide any personal information when reporting findings.

When conducting surveys, the Welsh Government use a survey software programme called Smart Survey. We have ensured that Smart Survey is UK GDPR compliant and meets our expectations in terms of the security of any data collected via the software. 

The Welsh Government has procedures to deal with any suspected data security breaches. If a suspected breach occurs, the Welsh Government will notify you and any applicable regulator where we are legally required to do so. 

The research team will use the information gathered to produce a report that will be published on the Welsh Government website. This report will not include any information that could be used to identify individual participants. 

How long do we keep your personal data? 

Any personal data that you may decide to provide which is not already removed when information is downloaded from the survey software, will be deleted by the research team within three months of the publication of the final report. 

Individual rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to the personal information you provide as part of this research project, specifically you have the right:

• to access a copy of your own data
• for us to rectify inaccuracies in that data
• to object to or restrict processing (in certain circumstances)
• for your data to be ‘erased’ (in certain circumstances)
• to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who is our independent regulator for data protection

The contact details for the Information Commissioner’s Office are: 

Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone number: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.org.uk

Further Information

If you have any further questions about how the data provided as part of this study will be used by the Welsh Government or wish to exercise your rights using the UK General Data Protection Regulation, please contact:

Name: Kyle Henry 

E-mail address: kyle.henry@gov.wales
Telephone number: 0300 025 1266

The Welsh Government’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted at: 

Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ

E-mail address: DataProtectionOfficer@gov.wales