All teachers and education professionals need to have an understanding of the Data Protection Act (DPA) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOI). Both place obligations on schools to protect and give access to information. These obligations cannot be passed on to the LEA. The importance of DPA has been emphasised by recent media stories. The frenzy over the lost Child Benefit discs, background checks on teachers as well as a story in the Daily Telegraph about a child’s conviction being kept from parents on data protection grounds have highlighted the lack of understanding around DPA in schools. Schools have also recently fallen foul of FOI. A primary school in Weston Super Mare and a high school in Staffordshire have both been found to have breached section 10(1) of FOI. Schools can also use FOI to access information. Recently a school in Bristol successfully used the Act to request notes made by OFSTED inspectors. This workshop will take you through the basics of both Acts and give you an action plan for compliance. We have run this workshop very successfully throughout the UK for the past five years.