 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION  
    
 In all further correspondence please quote our reference FOI-7571. Thank
 you for your request for information.    
    
 Your request was received on 8th February 2026, and the Council is dealing
 with it under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  
    
 As required by the legislation, the Council aims to answer your request
 promptly, but no later than 20-working days after receipt. As stated in
 the Information Commissioner’s guidance, Awareness Guidance 11 Time for
 Compliance, the 20-working day clock starts the day after the Council
 received the request. The due date has been calculated to be 6th March
 2026.    
    
 If the information you have requested contains reference to a third party,
 then they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or
 not to release the information to you.  
    
 Very occasionally, fees may be payable for the supply of information under
 the Freedom of Information Act. This will be considered, and if fees are
 payable in respect of this request the Council will contact you before
 proceeding in order to be sure that you are happy to go ahead.  Any fees
 that do apply must be paid before the information is processed and
 released.  
    
 Please note that an anonymised copy of our response to your request may be
 published in the Council’s Disclosure Log where appropriate. This is a
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 has received and dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and
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 The Council’s Disclosure Log is available online at the following address:
  
    
 [1]Disclosure log | North Tyneside Council  
    
 If you have any queries in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact
 us. 
  
 Kind regards, 
 Sophie Xeros
 Governance Assistant 
 Democratic Support
 North Tyneside Council
 Quadrant East, Cobalt Business Park, The Silverlink North, North Tyneside,
 NE27 0BY

 ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

 From: Jamie Halliday <[FOI #1399710 email]>
 Sent: 08 February 2026 1:15 AM
 To: FOI Officer <[email address]>
 Subject: Freedom of Information request - Retention periods and disposal
 controls for pupil records, SEND, exclusions and EOTAS
  

 EXTERNAL EMAIL: This email originated from outside of North Tyneside
 Council. Do not click on any links, follow any instructions or open any
 attachments unless you trust the sender and know the contents are safe.

 Dear Sir/Madam,

 Please treat this as a request for information under the Freedom of
 Information Act 2000.

 This request concerns records retention and disposal arrangements for
 education records, especially pupil files, SEND, exclusions, and education
 otherwise than at school (EOTAS), including home tuition and alternative
 provision.

 1. Retention schedule entries and retention periods
 Please provide the recorded retention schedule entries (or equivalent
 documented retention rules) used by the council for the following
 categories, including the retention period and the trigger point (for
 example, DOB plus X years, closure of case, end of academic year, end of
 financial year):

 a) maintained school pupil file / educational record
 b) records held by the local authority relating to an individual pupil’s
 education
 c) exclusion records (fixed-term and permanent), including panel or
 decision paperwork
 d) SEND records held by the local authority (assessments, notes,
 decisions, panel minutes, plans)
 e) EOTAS / home tuition / alternative provision records, including
 placement decisions and commissioning referrals
 f) education finance and commissioning records relating to alternative
 provision or tuition (purchase orders, invoices, provider contracts,
 budget monitoring)

 2. Version in force 2010 to 2014
 If your retention schedule has changed since 2010, please provide either:
 a) the version that was in force between 1 January 2010 and 31 December
 2014 for the categories above, or
 b) a change log that clearly states what changed and when, for those
 categories.

 3. Disposal process and audit trail
 Please provide the council’s recorded procedure or policy for secure
 disposal of education records in scope of section 1, including:
 a) who authorises disposal
 b) what audit trail is kept (for example, destruction logs, certificates)
 c) whether third-party shredding or disposal contractors are used, and how
 compliance is evidenced

 4. Maintained schools, oversight and information rights
 Please provide any recorded information or guidance the council uses that
 explains:
 a) what education records are held by the council versus held by
 maintained schools
 b) the council’s role in ensuring maintained schools comply with records
 retention expectations and information rights requests, including SARs and
 Educational Record requests

 Format
 Please provide the information electronically.

 If any information is withheld, please cite the specific exemption(s)
 relied upon and explain why they apply.

 Yours faithfully,

 Jamie Halliday

 -------------------------------------------------------------------

 Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
 [FOI #1399710 email]

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 For more detailed guidance on safely disclosing information, read the
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 [5]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-anonymisation-code

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References

 Visible links
 1. https://www.northtyneside.gov.uk/freedom-information/disclosure-log
 2. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_request/new?body=north_tyneside_council
 3. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/officers
 4. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-guidance-for-authorities
 5. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/ico-anonymisation-code


