A parent has said there should be “severe consequences” after it is alleged her son’s confidential data was accessed in a data breach at an Oxford school.
Bosses at the Oxford Academy in Littlemore have reported the school to the Information Commissioner Office (ICO) after a data breach which is believed to have allowed students to view other pupils’ personal information.
The ICO has examined the breach and has decided to take no further action, according to a spokesman for the school's trust.
But an internal school investigation has been launched on the back of this.
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It comes as a parent of a 15-year-old pupil has revealed to the Oxford Mail the breach has left him feeling "anxious" and not wanting to go to school.
The parent, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “The Oxford Academy is a joke at the moment.
“It's one situation after the other. My son’s profile is one of those that has been exposed to who knows who.
“I hope severe consequences will be put in place for whoever is responsible."
It is also alleged this is not the first data breach at the school, with parents saying it has happened more than once in the past 12 months.
The school also closed early in September after an incident where "a small group of boys" had "decided to push back" against recent changes.
And the most recent Ofsted inspection back in October said the school "requires improvement".
Another parent added it is a “concern” to hear of a data breach at the school, which is part of the River Learning Trust.
They said: “I have a child there who’s on the SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) register and it’s extremely personal complex information which would make him more vulnerable than he already is.
“He’s been bullied there regarding his disabilities. Not knowing what they were able to see or how far it went and whether they were looking for certain information about certain kids is also a concern.
“This isn’t the first time this happened back in February last year a teacher released information about all students who needed support with reading and what provisions were in place.
"I feel it’s extremely important to keep pupils' information confidential as it could compromise how the child is treated.
"Some children there are not the nicest and would certainly use any information to bully and harass the most vulnerable there.”
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A third parent said: “The school has had many data breaches since September, putting other children’s behaviour information on wrong accounts.
“They don’t have any real control over disruptive students, my son doesn’t feel very safe at the school but he still goes in.
“Pupils' information is highly confidential because this breach could lead to bullying which is bad enough at that school and some pupils with educational needs want to be as normal as possible.”
A school spokesman confirmed the recent data breach and said any support needed is being offered to students.
He added: "River Learning Trust reported a data breach at The Oxford Academy to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
"The ICO has examined the circumstances and has decided to take no further action.
"While the school and the trust welcome the decision not to take further action, both take this incident very seriously.
"The school has launched an internal investigation and is ready to offer support in the event of students needing it."
The school and trust said that previous incidents of data breaches did not meet the required threshold to refer themselves to the ICO.
"The school sought specialist advice on these two previous incidents, but it was deemed that neither of them met the threshold for referral to the ICO," the spokesman said.
ICO describe a personal data breach as a “breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data”.
An ICO spokesperson said: “River Learning Trust made us aware of an incident. After assessing the information provided, we provided advice to the Trust regarding this incident and preventing similar breaches in the future.
"If anyone has concerns about how their personal information has been handled, they can get in touch with the ICO or check our website for advice.”
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