Important Update: Parental Consent Now Required for My Health, My School Survey (Year 8 and Below)
New compliance requirements are now in place for schools using the My Health, My School survey with pupils in Year 8 and below. These changes ensure alignment with GDPR (2018) and Information Sharing Agreement (ISA) guidance, particularly around data protection for younger pupils.
What’s Changed?
Schools must now obtain explicit parental consent for all pupils under the age of 13 before they take part in the survey. This applies even though the survey is anonymous and includes Year 8 pupils.
What Does Consent Need to Include?
To meet legal standards, parental consent must be:
- Informed – Parents must understand what the survey is for and how the data will be used.
- Freely given and easy to withdraw – Participation must be voluntary.
- Specific – Consent must relate directly to the My Health, My School survey.
What Schools Need to Do
To continue using the survey, Headteachers must confirm that their school will:
- Carry out due diligence to ensure GDPR and ISA compliance.
- Obtain and record parental consent for all eligible pupils.
- Ensure pupils understand the survey and can choose whether to take part.
A simple confirmation email is required from Headteachers to schoolwellbeing@leeds.gov.uk. A template response is provided in the original communication.
Support Available
Template parent letters and consent forms are available on the My Health, My School Survey website, Resources Page. These can be adapted for use via email or platforms like ParentMail.
For further support, contact the Health and Wellbeing Service:
📞 0113 3785254
📧 schoolwellbeing@leeds.gov.uk