Information for Parents about SIMS Parent Lite

As a school/college, we use SIMS Parent Lite to collect and process key information about your child and you as parents/ carers to ensure the data we hold is accurate and up to date. We also use SIMS Parent to allow you to provide Consents where necessary. You can update these consents at any time. We value your privacy and only process your information in line with our trust Privacy Policy.

You can read more about our Data Protection policies here

​If your child is old enough to understand these consents, they also have the right to update these consents. We encourage parents to discuss these consents with their child, as parents are acting on behalf of their children in providing these consents

Available on iOS, Android and via browser (www.sims-parent.co.uk) the SIMS Parent app provides a convenient and accessible solution for you to electronically review and request changes to the data held on you and your children via smartphone, tablet, or PC anytime, anywhere, as well as see key term dates. You will be able to provide additional information on crucial details such as medical information or dietary requirements. When a change request is submitted by you, an alert is sent to the school office. Administrators will review requests and update our pupil/student database. From time to time, we will send notifications to remind you to update your child’s details or parental consents, eliminating paper-based data collection and errors.

Getting Started
We will send an activation email to your home email address. Simply click on the link from your tablet, pc or smartphone to activate your account. You can then login using your normal Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft username and password.
If you have children at different schools within the Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust, you will be able to see all children within the app if you have registered with the same email account. The app allows users to change school once inside SIMS Parent from a drop-down menu located on the school name in the top right-hand corner of the page.

Important Information about the menu options

• Student Information – this contains basic information such as your child’s name, preferred name and date of birth.
• Address – this is your child’s home address. You can add an additional address e.g. if your child lives with both parents.
• Telephones and Emails – this is your child’s home number. Please DO NOT add an email address for your child here.
• Medical Details – this includes information such as medical practice, medical conditions and any disabilities. There is a drop-down list of medical practices and conditions, but you can add a new one if your child’s details are different.
• Cultural Information – Your child’s first language is collected for all pupils and records the language as stated by the parent / guardian or child. This information is used for funding. Ethnicity is collected for all pupils and records the ethnicity as stated by the parent / guardian or pupil. It is not ascribed by the school.
• Dietary Needs – please update your child’s dietary needs here. For allergies and gluten free needs, these should be supported by a letter from a medical professional.

Parental Consent

• Biometric Data - The school uses pupils’ biometric data as part of an automated biometric recognition systems for cashless catering. We will comply with the requirements of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. You have the right to choose not to use the school’s biometric system. We will provide alternative means of accessing the relevant services for those pupils.
• Emergency Medical Consent
• Local off-site School visit - From time to time, teachers may decide to visit a local building or area. Where a visit requires alternative footwear or a drink, we would normally advise you of this through the School Gateway, however, for short-duration, local visits, this consent acts as your permission for your child to participate in the activity.
• Name – Website/Social Media - Consent to publish pupil names alongside photographs
• Photograph – Website/Social Media - It’s great to celebrate the achievements and hard work of our pupils. Photographic images of pupils used in publicly available media such as web sites, newsletters or the school prospectus and other promotional material will not identify pupils’ full names unless parental permission has been given in advance (see above). No identifying information will be shared (such as personal phone numbers or home addresses). Class pictures will not identify where individuals are standing and will generally include at least three or more students. Please note that websites [and social media platforms] can be viewed throughout the world and not just in the United Kingdom where UK law applies.
• Photograph Student – Local Media
• Sale of Group Photographs - Sale of Group/ Individual Photos – By ticking consent, you agree to allow your child to be photographed with their class/group/team and that these photographs will be offered for sale to you and other parents.
• Video and Digital Recording

Contacts

Please ensure that the contact information for your child is accurate and up to date. You will be able to see your own Contact Information, Address and Telephone/Email and that of your third-party contacts. If you do not live at the same address as the other parents/carers with Parental Responsibility, you will only be able to see Contact Information (name, Parental responsibility status and contact priority status) for them unless you give us express permission to share your details with them. You will need to contact the school office if you are happy for us to share those details.

You will be able to see Contact Information, Address and Telephone/Email for any third party contacts e.g. Grandma, neighbour you have previously provided and edit these. If you do not wish those details to be shared please contact the school office.

Parental Responsibility – Please ensure that the Parental Responsibility slider bar is set correctly. For a definition of Parental Responsibility please read the following guidelines https://www.gov.uk/parental-rights-responsibilities. This is usually the mother and father, but would not normally include grandparents, neighbours, friends or other family members.

Priority Contact – Where possible, please include one Priority 1, and one Priority 2 contact. Having multiple priority 1 contacts can be confusing and misleading in the event of an emergency, and we will always contact the next priority person if we cannot reach the first person.

Local Contacts – Where possible, the contacts should be local and accessible. A contact in Dorset or Dundee is not always best placed to help if your child is unwell.

Telephone Numbers – Please ensure you give us the contact numbers that you are most likely to have access to. Please do not give a work number if we cannot reach you on this number, or a mobile if you are never in range. Please ensure the slider bar is checked for your primary (main) contact number as we use this to reach you if your child is unwell

For information about the Privacy of SIMS Parent please click here