DPO Services for Schools and Multi-Academy Trusts
Data Protection Officer support for schools and multi-academy trusts – practical compliance, staff training, and breach guidance.
UK GDPR applies to schools and academies because you handle children’s personal data and other sensitive information. Many schools appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) – either internally or through an external DPO service – to help monitor compliance and advise on day-to-day decisions.
Classroom365 provides DPO services for schools, including DPO training, GDPR audits, DPIAs, and breach support.
- DPO service with a clear monthly or annual package (Bronze/Silver/Gold).
- DPO training for school staff plus practical templates (policies, DPIA, SAR guidance).
- Fast breach and compliance support when you need advice urgently (incl. ICO reporting guidance).
Expert Advice. Fast Quotes. No Fuss
School Data Protection Officer – What’s Included
Our data protection services for schools can include:
- GDPR schools checklist + onboarding compliance review.
- Support with privacy notices, policies, and records of processing (ROPA).
- Data protection audits and a practical action plan (risk-based, not theoretical).
- Data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) and template documentation.
- Guidance for subject access requests (SARs), data sharing, consent management and retention schedules.
- Data breach triage, investigation support, and reporting guidance.
- DPO training for schools (staff awareness + leadership briefings) with attendance records and certification.
- Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) registration guidance and compliance queries.
Speak to our school DPO consultant (Andy) for advice on working with schools and MATs or a quick suitability check.
Our School DPO Packages Include:
Bronze: named DPO contact + response target within 1 working day + annual audit + incident support.
Silver: everything in Bronze + DPIA support + policy review + staff training (1 day) + 4 audit days.
Gold: everything in Silver + policy writing + staff training (3 days) + 12 audit days.
Audit days are remote/onsite consultancy days (for audits, DPIAs, SAR support & policy work).
Packages can be tailored to your school or MAT. Pricing available monthly or annually.
Prices from £499 (+VAT) per year, or a monthly plan is available.
Why do Schools Choose an External DPO Service?
- Fixed cost (monthly or annual) – budget-friendly for schools and MATs.
- Independent advice you can evidence to governors and auditors.
- Clear help with “what good looks like” in a school context.
- Practical templates and checklists (not just policy documents).
- Fast guidance when you have an incident or a SAR deadline.
Our school DPO consultant (Andy) has supported schools and MATs with practical GDPR compliance for many years. He has consulted with many of our clients and with our own ISO 9001/ISO 27001/ISO 14001 certifications.
When Does a School Need a Data Protection Officer?
In practice, most schools appoint a DPO because schools are public authorities and process special category data (e.g., safeguarding, SEN, health-related information). Even where the legal test is debated, having a named DPO function with sufficient capacity is a strong governance move for accountability.
GDPR Security Breaches in Schools
It is crucial to ensure that school data is safe and secure. Unfortunately, a GDPR security breach can occur, ranging from losing a laptop to unauthorised access resulting from password sharing. The consequences of such breaches can be severe, affecting not only schools but also students and their families.
Schools must take data protection compliance seriously and implement measures to prevent security breaches. For example:
- Encrypt all portable devices that leave site (laptops/tablets) and enforce 2FA for staff email accounts, in line with the DfE’s cyber security standards, to reduce the impact of data loss or account compromise.
- Windows 10 support ended on 14 October 2025, so schools should plan an upgrade to Windows 11. Classroom365 can advise on upgrading or on Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) for laptops and PCs, where appropriate.
- Staff training on cyber security, phishing threat awareness and school data protection policy.
- Review third-party suppliers annually (MIS, apps, cloud tools) to ensure contracts, DPAs, and data-sharing arrangements remain appropriate.
- Back up critical data and test restores regularly to reduce downtime and disruption after an incident.
Data breaches may need to be reported to the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware (where the reporting threshold is met).
Please get in touch if you need GDPR support for schools or any other IT services or support dedicated to education.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a DPO in education?
A Data Protection Officer (DPO) helps schools and academies comply with UK GDPR by advising on data protection, monitoring compliance, and supporting activities such as DPIAs, privacy notices, SARs, and breach response. In education, a DPO also helps you apply GDPR practically across pupil data, safeguarding records, HR files and the systems your school uses every day.
Do all schools need a DPO?
Most UK schools and academies should have a named DPO function in place. Schools handle large volumes of children’s personal data and other sensitive information, and state-funded settings are generally considered to require a DPO. If you’re unsure, an initial DPO assessment for schools can confirm the best approach for your setting.
Can a School Business Manager be a DPO?
Sometimes, but it can be problematic. A DPO must be independent and free of conflicts of interest. If an SBM is involved in decisions about systems, contracts, budgets or processes that affect how data is used, that can create a conflict. Many schools choose external DPO services to maintain the role’s independence and reduce risk.
What’s included in an external DPO service?
A typical external DPO service for schools includes:
- Practical advice on UK GDPR compliance (day-to-day queries included).
- A GDPR schools’ checklist and periodic compliance reviews.
- Support with DPIAs for new software, suppliers or higher-risk processing.
- Help with privacy notices, policies, and records of processing.
- Guidance for SARs and data sharing requests.
- Breach triage and reporting guidance where required.
This is the core of what most schools expect from data protection services.
Do you provide DPO training for staff?
Yes. DPO training for schools typically covers the essentials staff need to apply GDPR correctly day to day: data handling, emailing/sharing, passwords and access, device use, recognising a breach, and what to do if something goes wrong. We can also provide role-based sessions for SLT, office/admin teams, HR and safeguarding leads.
Can you help with SARs and retention schedules?
Yes. We can support you with Subject Access Requests (SARs) – from validating the request and scoping what’s needed, to searching across systems, redaction, and producing a compliant response on time. We can also help you implement a sensible retention schedule, so you keep information only as long as needed and reduce risk.
What happens if a school has a data breach?
First, contain the incident (for example: recover the device, deactivate accounts, reset credentials, stop further sharing). Then assess what happened, who is affected, and the risk. Some breaches must be reported to the regulator within 72 hours of becoming aware of them. We can guide you through triage, documentation, and next steps – including staff comms where needed.
Do you work with MATs and multiple sites?
Yes. We support schools, academies and MATs, including multi-site setups. An external DPO service can operate trust-wide with consistent policies, templates, reporting and training, while still supporting individual schools with site-specific questions and incidents.
Mark Friend, BSc (Hons), is a Company Director at Classroom365 and has worked in technology for nearly 30 years. His IT career started with Rothschild Bank in Sydney, Australia, before working as a Global VPN Project Manager for the British Council. Mark has 20 years of experience in the UK education sector, helping schools integrate the latest tech into their curriculum and ICT vision.