Privacy Policy

Privacy Notice – Reviewed March 2026

 Who we are

Acorn Psychology and Support Services provides educational psychology, specialist teacher and other related support services to schools, local authorities, multi-academy trusts and other organisations working with children and young people.

We are committed to protecting personal information and handling it lawfully, fairly and transparently.

How we work with schools and other organisations

Assessments and reports are usually commissioned by a school or other organisation to support their understanding of a child or young person’s needs and to inform educational planning.

In most cases: 

• the commissioning organisation is the data controller and Acorn acts on their behalf as the data processor
• or, joint professional data controller where Acorn independently determines assessment methodology or forms an independent professional opinion

This means the organisation that has commissioned the work is responsible for decisions about how information and reports are used and shared for legitimate educational purposes. Acorn also retains professional responsibility for the content of its advice including the professional judgement underpinning assessment conclusions. In order to meet professional accountability, safeguarding and legal obligations Acorn may retain copies of reports and working records in line with professional, legal and safeguarding requirements.

The information we collect

We may collect and process:

• name, date of birth and identifying information
• educational information and records
• assessment data including family information
• developmental history
• observations and notes
• information provided by parents, carers, school staff and other professionals
• special category information relating to learning, development, health or social care needs

We only collect information that is relevant, proportionate and necessary for the work we have been asked to undertake. This reflects the data minimisation principle under UK GDPR.

How information is used

Information is used to:

• understand a child or young person’s strengths and needs
• provide professional advice and recommendations
• support planning and decision-making within education
• contribute to statutory processes such as Education, Health and Care needs assessments, mediation or tribunal proceedings where relevant
• evaluate and improve services, which may include the use of anonymised or aggregated information

 Lawful basis for processing

 Where work is commissioned by schools or local authorities, personal information is normally processed on the basis that it is necessary: 

• for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest (Article 6(1)(e) UK GDPR) (for maintained schools and local authorities), or
• for the legitimate interests of the commissioning organisation (Article 6(1)(f) UK GDPR) (such as academies, multi-academy trusts or other organisations)

Special category information is processed because it is necessary for the provision or management of education, health or social care support (Article 9(2)(h) UK GDPR)

 Parental agreement is usually sought before involvement begins in order to support collaborative working, but this is not the legal basis for processing.

 The lawful basis relied upon will depend upon the nature of the commissioning arrangement and purpose of the work.

Sharing information

Reports and advice may be shared by the commissioning organisation with relevant professionals involved in supporting the child or young person, such as:

• school staff
• local authority services
• health or social care professionals
• other professionals and/or organisations that the school deems necessary to support the child in their education

Information may also be shared where this is professionally necessary, required by law or where safeguarding concerns arise. Only information that is relevant and necessary for the specific purpose will be shared. Acorn will ensure that any sharing is proportionate and limited to what is necessary to support the child or young person’s education.

Reports are intended for use within the educational context for which they were commissioned and should be considered alongside other sources of information.

How long information is kept

Final reports are retained securely until six years after the end of the academic year in which the young person turns 18.

This retention period supports:

• safeguarding responsibilities
• complaint handling
• statutory processes
• legal limitation periods 

Records are securely deleted or destroyed when no longer required. This includes all handwritten and electronic notes, scoring and assessments that have been used as part of the process to write the final report.

Your rights

Individuals and parents or carers have rights under data protection law, including:

• the right to request access to personal information
• the right to request correction of inaccurate factual information
• the right to request restriction or erasure in certain circumstances.
• the right to object to processing in certain circumstances.

Some rights may be limited where processing is necessary for safeguarding, legal obligations, statutory education functions or public interest purposes.

Requests can be made by contacting us using the details below.

Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information including secure storage systems, encryption, access controls and confidentiality procedures.

Contact details  Our Data Protection Officer is our Business Manager.  If you have questions about how information is used or wish to make a request, please contact Jayne on: enquiries@acornpsychology.co.uk

Acorn Psychology and Support Services, Suite 105A, B1 Business Centre, Davyfield Road, Blackburn BB1 2QY.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.