Apply for Department for Education (DfE) personal data

Background

ByDfE default,can allshare personal data willwith beexternal accessedorganisations viathrough thecertain Officechannels.

Where we can share data under the Digital Economy Act 2017 (DEA), we will:

• manage project approval through the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Research Accreditation Service
• share it via the ONS Secure Research Service (SRS)

In time, we will share this data via the Integrated Data Service.

DfE will only share personal data under DEA when the ONS SRS).has However,already wherede-identified it, for individuals and body corporates. The ONS is the SRSservice provider and DEA accredited processor for disclosure.

Where we cannot share data under DEA, the DfE data sharing service will manage project approval under DfE legislation. DfE’s default route for sharing personal data is notthrough suitableONS andSecure evidenceResearch canService under DfE legislation.

In some circumstances, DfE may allow personal data to be providedshared with some organisations via a direct supply of data to supportthat this,organisation.

Apply for access to linked DfE and Ministry of Justice data

Visit Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data first for access to the linked MoJ and DfE data set.

You will need to complete the MoJ application form.

Apply to ONS Research Accreditation Service for access to DfE personal data

You can currently apply directly to ONS Research Accreditation Service for the following exemptionsDfE ondatasets:

• the longitudinal education outcomes (LEO) study
• the growing up in England (GUiE) dataset
• the childcare and early years survey of parents (CEYSP)
• the further education workforce data collection (FEWDC)

We’re also working to make the usefollowing DfE datasets directly available from ONS, including:

• a refresh of SRSthe grading and admission data for England initiative
• longitudinal young persons’ study in England
• working lives of teachers and leaders
• Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents Wave 2
• SIES: The Student Income and Expenditure Survey
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Futures
• Children of the 2020s

It is our ambition to make the following data available to external researchers via ONS Research Accreditation Service in a similar way to LEO, including:

• national pupil database (NPD)
• pupil parent matched data

We are not yet able to confirm when this will be possible.

Apply to DfE data sharing service

You can apply for access to any DfE personal data that:

• you cannot currently get access to via ONS Research Accreditation Service
• has data variables not included within the datasets available from ONS Research Accreditation Service

By default, all DfE personal data shared under DfE legislation will be considered:made available via the ONS Secure Research Service.

Where the SRS is not suitable and you provide evidence to support this, we will consider the following exemptions on the use of SRS for sharing data:

• data is being processed to fulfil an essential public task, such as the running of education or children’s services
• you are doing research funded or commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) and its executive agencies or other government departments
• you are doing research that is sponsored or supported by by DfE and and its executive agencies as it adds significant value to the evidence base supporting education or children’s services

If you are unsure, contact contact data.sharing@education.gov.uk.

Apply

Application toprocess

To DfEapply, foryou accessneed to DfE personal datato:

Complete

• complete the the application form  (MS (MS Word Document,Document, 184 184KB) using KB) using the accompanying accompanying DfE data sharing service application form guidance (PDF, 492 (PDF,KB, 41 323 KB, 40 pages), and pages)
• submit your data requirements on the relevant relevant data tables.

You may also find the digital digital Findfind and explore explore NPD tool tool helpful helpful when working out which data items you need from the national pupil database (NPD).

If you are a a DfE contractor contractorwho wantingwants to apply for personal data for a a DfE-commissioned research project, contact your contract manager or research project lead to discuss how to complete the the DfE-commissioned commissioned research application form for DfE personal data.form.

The data sharing service is here to help you:

• progress your application through the data sharing service
• access the right data for your project
• document the data share through a signed data sharing agreement, memorandum of understanding, or commercial contract - contact contact data.sharing@education.gov.uk for for a copy of our standard terms and conditions

Data tables

Use these data tables to provide your data requirements:

• Higher higher Educationeducation (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 58.558.2 KB)
• Individualised individualised Learnerlearner Recordrecord (ILR) (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 257 KB)
• National national Pupilpupil Databasedatabase (NPD)(NPD) (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 1.221.21 MB)
• School school Workforceworkforce Censuscensus (SWC) (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 34.831.9 KB)

All completed applications must be submitted to data.sharing@education.gov.uk.

AccessingFurther DfEinformation personalon dataaccessing using the ONS SRSSecure Research Service

Anyone who needs to access DfE personal data via the ONS SRSSecure Research Service must be accredited under the ONS approved researcher scheme. We recommend you begin this process as soon as possible and take steps to become accredited by ONS in parallel to your application.

Contact srs.customer.support@ons.gov.uk withif you have any questions.

OnceOnly you are an ONS-approved researcherapproved andresearchers, yourwith an application has been approved by the ONS Research Accreditation Service or DfE, Data thereSharing Service, are 3permitted waysto you can access DfE data forin approvedthe projectsSRS.

There throughare the3 ONSways SRS:you can access this data:

• physical labs: you can book a session to access DfE data at 1 of 5 ONS locations across the UK
• SafePod: this is available for approved researchersresearchers, and currentlythere foundis in thesea list of currently available locations
• remote access: once your organisation meets security standards and has organised connectivity with ONS, you can access data online using your own equipment, subject to specified conditions

Before gaining access to DfE personal data shared in the ONS SRS,Secure Research Service, you will be asked to signsign:

• under DEA legislation, an individual declaration form
• under DfE legislation, a data sharing agreement, memorandum of understanding, or commercial contract. contract

Contact data.sharing@education.gov.uk forto request a copy of our standard terms and conditions.

Apply

Before gaining access to your outputs from ONS, your data must meet DfE and ONS statistical disclosure control (PDF, 249 KB, 13 pages) rules for accessing outputs.

Further information on direct access to DfE personal data

Before applying for DfE personal data, you must:

• satisfy one of the 3 exemptions
• have a basic disclosure certificate that is no more than 2 years old
• submit the Information information Securitysecurity Questionnairequestionnaire (MS Word Document, 86.985 KB) with all completed applications
• submitprovide aevidence completeof applicationappropriate form

Applybackground directlychecks toon ONSstaff forhandling otherDfE keypersonal datasets

Youdata

provide canevidence currentlyof applyany directlydata tosharing ONSagreements forwith theseother datasets:

• theorganisations longitudinalinvolved educationin outcomesthe (LEO)data study,share
• submit whicha comparescomplete students’application levelform