With your permission, we would like to link your Understanding Society survey data with your educational records.
Government departments and agencies collect a range of information about all of us for administrative purposes. This is so they can provide education and other services to us when we need them. While we can learn about people’s lives, economic circumstances, experiences, behaviour and beliefs by asking direct questions, it can sometimes be easier to obtain some of this information from government departments. Doing this means that we don’t have to ask you about these and the interview can be much shorter. This web page explains more about this. Please take a moment to read it.
If you would prefer to read this information in a leaflet, you can download a pdf version of the leaflet Linking your survey data with your education records (PDF 755KB).
Table of Contents
What information would be linked?
Education Records including:
- National tests and formal assessments, for example SATS and GCSEs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Standard Grades and Highers in Scotland
- Basic information on pupils like demographic characteristics (including ethnicity), special educational needs, attendance and eligibility for free school meals
- Further education courses taken, grades and funding
- Pre-school attended
This information will be added from:
- In England, the Department for Education.
- In Wales, the Department for Education and Skills.
- In Scotland, the Scottish Government Learning Directorate.
- In Northern Ireland, the Department of Education and the Education Authority.
Who will use it?
Like your survey responses, the additional information would be used by academic and social policy researchers for non-commercial statistical analysis. It will not be used for sales of marketing research. Any sensitive information would only be made available to them under restricted access arrangements which make sure that the information is used responsibly and safely. Names and addresses are never included in the results and no individual can be identified from the research.
What are the benefits of giving consent?
Shorter surveys
If we can link your survey answers with your education records we don’t have to ask you about these in the survey, and the interview can be shorter.
Helping to improve education services
Linking education data means researchers can look more closely at the educational structure in the UK. In the future this might help improve the current system.
My permission – what does it cover?
Information can only be released with your permission. To make the link between education records and your survey responses we would need to pass on personal information to the government departments and agencies holding the records. They can then add your/your child’s education records to your survey responses. The necessary personal details include full name, full address, gender, date of birth and school name, where applicable.
These details will only be used to identify your information. Before the departments and agencies send any information you have authorised back to us, your name and other details will be removed. None of your survey answers will be shared with these government departments and agencies and your current or future dealings with any of the departments or agencies will not be affected.
Like the answers you have given us in the survey, the information from other sources will be treated in confidence and in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
Linking education records held by the Department for Education (DfE) to Understanding Society survey data
The DfE hold education details for those born since 1984 who attended school in England and those born since 2008 attending pre-school in England. For the purposes of the Data Protection Act, the DfE is the data controller.
The DfE also hold further education records from publicly funded colleges, training organisations, local authorities and employers (FE providers), where they also act as data controller.
The DfE will identify your/your child’s education records and establish this link between these and your/your child’s Understanding Society survey responses. During this process the DfE will be responsible for ensuring that the personal information used to link your answers to your education records (your name, address, sex, date of birth and school name, as applicable) handled during this process is handled fairly and in compliance with the Data Protection Act. Once a link has been established, the DfE will delete your/your child’s personal details. They will not keep a copy of these personal details.
How the information passed to DfE will be used
If you provide permission for your/your child’s education records to be linked to your/your child’s survey answers, the Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of Essex will pass your/your child’s personal details (such as full name, gender, date of birth, and full address) to the DfE. These are the minimum details necessary for the DfE to be able to identify the correct record on the National Pupil Database (NPD) and/or the Early Years Census (EYC) and/or Individualised Learner Record (ILR) so that this information can be linked to the Understanding Society survey information. Your/your child’s personal details (name, address, sex, date of birth and school name) will not be used for any other purpose and the DfE will delete all personal details passed to them as soon as they have linked the answers with the education records. The education information from the NPD and/or EYC and/or ILR which is linked to the Understanding Society survey information will only be used for research and statistical purposes. All personal data will be treated in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
How long does my consent last?
We would like to add information relating to your present, past and future circumstances. We are not putting an expiry date to this consent as we do not know exactly when we will obtain and add the information.
We will remind you regularly of the permissions you have given, and you are free to withdraw your consent at any time. If you do chose to withdraw your consent we will no longer link your records to your survey responses going forward. However, we will retain data which has been previously linked if you have given us permission.
What about my children’s information?
We would like to add information on your child(ren) from birth up to age 16. We need to seek parental consent to add information on your children aged under 16. We understand that some children would be able to make this decision on their own behalf. You should make the decision that represents your child’s wishes and best interests. You could discuss this with your child, and you can withdraw your consent at any time. Once your child reaches the age of 16 we will ask your child directly when we next speak to them.
What about data security?
Your survey answers and education records will be anonymised and will only be used for research and statistics. We are very security conscious and all of our systems are password protected and accessed by a small number of authorised staff.
The information we need to exchange with the government departments and agencies will be sent via secure transfer systems. We follow the most up to date data security protocols and procedures and are compliant with the standards of ISO 27001. Your personal details, such as your name, contact details and date of birth, will be secure at all times.
Has the study been reviewed and approved by an ethics committee?
Yes. In this case, the study has been approved by the NHS Health Research Authority, East of England – Essex Research Ethics Committee, reference 22/EE/0260
Are there any risks involved in giving permission?
There are no risks associated with linking your education records to your survey responses.
Do I have to let you link my data?
No, linking your education data, like the rest of Understanding Society, is completely voluntary.
What if I change my mind?
You may withdraw permission for your/your child’s education data to be linked at any time, in which case no further links between your answers and their education records would be made However, the education records that had already been linked in up to that date will be kept and used for research and statistical purposes only. If you wish to withdraw your permission, please contact the study at: FREEPOST RRXX-KEKJ-JGKS, Understanding Society, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ.
Please ensure that in your notification you tell us if you are withdrawing consent for you or your child/ren and to state your or their name.
What if I have concerns?
If you have any concerns about any aspect of the study, or you have a complaint, in the first instance please contact us on Freephone 0800 252 853 or by email contact@understandingsociety.ac.uk. They will pass the information onto the principal investigator of the project, Professor Michaela Benzeval.
If are still concerned, or if you think your complaint has not been addressed to your satisfaction, or you feel that you cannot approach the principal investigator, please contact the departmental Director of Research in the department responsible for this project, Professor Paul Clarke, pclarke@essex.ac.uk.
If you are still not satisfied, please contact the University’s Research Governance and Planning Manager , Mantalena Sotiriadou, ms21994@essex.ac.uk.