Data protection considerations when choosing school apps

Why this matters for UK schools

School communication succeeds when every message has a clear purpose, reaches the right families through a channel they actually use, and makes the required action obvious. Below is our step-by-step implementation guide for school leaders and office teams.

Practical steps

1. 1Confirm controller and processor responsibilities under a signed UK GDPR Article 28 Data Processing Agreement.
2. 2Ensure the platform collects only the minimum pupil dataset needed and never monetises data or shows adverts.
3. 3Require verified guardian invitations so typing a child's name can never expose pupil information.
4. 4Review the published subprocessor register, UK/EEA hosting regions and encryption controls.
5. 5Check that historical consent and financial records remain exportable if the school changes provider.

Sources and further reading

• DfE — Data protection in schools
• DfE — Digital and technology standards