strange request from primary school

[audiobookman]

Hi guys,
has anyone else received a demand from school asking for parents date of birth and NI number?... we have been told its required by the govenment????
we dont claim anything, no free meals, we are full time employed so we wont hand over these rather personal information.
I thought that they only required this information if you are on benefits not just everyone, and im unhappy giving them the information as i dont know how they will handle the information and how safe it will be kept.

Can any one shed any light?

 

[buzzer]

never heard of it.

we haven't been asked..

i would respectively decline...

 

[miggy]

You normally get that when you are claiming free school meals ect?. Perhaps it was a mistake? approach them, and ask why they need this information, perhaps the school are claiming for your child's dinners from the Government, even though you are paying?.

 

[snp-g]

Sounds dodgy, check with the school that it's them asking for the info.

 

[audiobookman]

yeah there not a chance in hell they are getting the details.
the form says

Dear PARENTS

re: Parent information needed.


Due to changes in government policy, the following is now needed for each parent

Parent Date of birth:
Parent National Insurance Number:

Please complete the information below as soon as possible, and return to the school office.


yours sincerely

signed the head

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


childs name .....
mothers name.....
mothers date of birth.....
mothers national insurance number ......

fathers name .......
fathers date of birth....
fathers national insurance.....

Now isnt that a cherry piece of information for any identity thief!!!!

 

[buzzer]

send them a reply summit along the lines of

You don't have permission to view the code content. Log in or register now.

 

[Spectre]

Thought about data protection as soon as I read this.

What's the guarantee they aren't planning to sell it on? Cuts and all...

 

[Spectre]

I suppose, if you are so inclined, I would be, you could give them false ones and see if anything comes of it.

If there is no signing of anything that says the usual "I declare that the information given is correct or I'll get fined etc. etc. then I'd feed them some incorrect ones .

"Oops, wife typed it and she's useless." "Virus made something print wrong." "Printer driver..."

 

[earthshayker]

Seeing that it's a school, I'd keep the reply academic

2Q + 2Q = ?

 

[audiobookman]

my wife got some info about this today.
the information is needed so the essex county can claim for their school meals!!???, they (we) pay for their meals and most of the time we give them packed lunches.
She went on to say that without our personal information they will be about 70k short.
She basically lied on the form saying due to government legislation, because of that she HAS NO CHANCE of any information from us now.
She couldn't assure us that the information would not be sold, or kept in a safe place. She wouldn't even guarantee that the form would be destroyed with shredder - only if she could find the time!!!
She did say she really wants our co operation in this matter, my wife kindly pointed out that co-operation works both ways - she has refused point blankly to give our kids 2hours off to attend a family wedding.

 

[Bryn]

Regarding information required by your child's school. Apart from name, address and place of work with contact telephone number, there would seem to be no need for any more personal information.

With this in mind I would contact your local education authority for clarification and if no satisfactory answer is obtained from them I would contact my local MP.

 

[friendzi]

there shouldn't be any need for it. Primary schools now use a system called parentpay. Its an online system setup to make it easier for the school bursars so the cash isn't coming through the front door in dribs and drabs. No need for NI Number. Ill be asking the bursar at the schools i support about this and see what they say.

 

[turner brown]

also ask her to put in writing her reasons for not giving the kids time off and take this to the education board sounds a nice lady to deal with

 

[oneman]

What is going on here sounds like fraud plain and simple. Basically school gets additional funding for each child claiming free school meals. Its around £1,300 per child. Anybody claiming benefits is entitled to free school meals, the kids don't have to actually take school meals, the school just has to get the claim in for which they need you NI number.

https://www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and-alternative-provision-settings


Now if you saying the school is claiming pupil premium when you aren't entitled to them then its fraud, plain and simple.

Saying all that, if you are entitled to free meals then please let the school claim for them even if your kids never take school lunches, the extra funding makes a huge different to the budget and premium has been substainally going up ever year. 2015/2016 is expected to be £1,500 to £1,700 per child. Though with the induction of free school meals for foundation and KS1 years, don't know how they plan on getting parents to inform the school about being on benefits.

BTW @friendzi parentpay is down to the individual school, most of the 12 primary schools in my town don't use it (and I am in Essex) or any form of electronic payment though apparently somebody is giving us a presentation after summer maybe for implementation in 2015.

 

[audiobookman]

@ oneman, - that is exactly what i suspect is happening, i suspected it was fraudulent when she said about the school meals, we are not entitled to any benefits let alone free school meals, and those sums add up.
Now the worrying part is if you give them your ni number and they claim then who would be liable for the fraud, would the school as they have claimed, or would the parents as they have effectively claimed for a free meal when not entitled....
Mind boggles - and we entrust our kids to these people!!!.

BTW were are you in essex?

 

[oneman]

@ oneman, - that is exactly what i suspect is happening, i suspected it was fraudulent when she said about the school meals, we are not entitled to any benefits let alone free school meals, and those sums add up.
Now the worrying part is if you give them your ni number and they claim then who would be liable for the fraud, would the school as they have claimed, or would the parents as they have effectively claimed for a free meal when not entitled....
Mind boggles - and we entrust our kids to these people!!!.

BTW were are you in essex?

It would be very odd if the claim rate is too high. Unless you are inner city deprived area where claim rate can be over 90% then national claim rate is closer to 20% to 25% (my school it was as low as 1% but is now up to 3%). Its not hard for county to have a look at other schools in your area and see if your school is abnormally high. As far as blame, I would say that is pretty much with the school if they are the ones asking for your NI details.

I'm near Basildon, how about you ? PM me if you want any further help, I've been a school governor for the last 6 years a primary school and have a pretty good idea about how the various education system work.

 

[audiobookman]

im basildon myself, my wife is secondary school but the primary side really seems a minefield