A secondary school in Wales is investigating an apparent data breach after a parent received confidential files containing teachers' comments about pupils, including negative remarks. The incident occurred at Ysgol John Bright in Llandudno, where parent Rob Buglass reported receiving multiple documents following a request for information held by the school.
Parent's Discovery
Rob Buglass, whose child attended the school, had submitted a request to view any data held relating to himself, his wife, and their son. After a two-month wait, prompted by a dispute with the school, he received numerous files. One file, spanning 162 pages, included 17 pages that mentioned the names of 59 different children, many of whom were known to him. According to North Wales Live, all the information pertains to year nine pupils.
Buglass stated: "As you can imagine I received many files. One file with 162 pages had 17 pages with the names of 59 different kids names mentioned I counted. Many known to us." He noted that the documents included teachers' comments about pupils, with some being negative. He emphasized: "The issue is none of the 17 pages should have been sent to me."
School and Council Response
A spokesperson for Ysgol John Bright confirmed: "I can confirm that the school is aware of a data breach. We are currently investigating the incident in compliance with our data protection policy." Conwy council also acknowledged the breach, with a spokesperson stating: "Conwy's education service has been notified by the school in line with reporting procedures."
The school is now reviewing its data handling processes to prevent future breaches. The incident highlights the importance of robust data protection measures in educational settings, especially when handling sensitive information about minors.
