EdLaw nat/gb/dpa-2018/HEALTH-SOCIAL-WORK-EDUCATION-DATA.md

language: en · last checked: 2026-10-06

Schedule 3 — exemptions for health, social work, education and child abuse data

The restrictions that section 15(3) applies to Articles 13 to 21 of the UK GDPR for health, social work, education and child abuse data — Part 4 is education data, which governs access to pupil records.

Part 1 — UK GDPR provisions to be restricted

Paragraph 1

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

In this Schedule “the listed GDPR provisions” means the following provisions of the UK GDPR (the rights and obligations in which may be restricted by virtue of Article 23(1) of the UK GDPR)—

Part 2 — Health data

Paragraph 2 — Definitions

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 In this Part of this Schedule—

2 For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule, the “serious harm test” is met with respect to data concerning health if the application of Article 15 of the UK GDPR to the data would be likely to cause serious harm to the physical or mental health of the data subject or another individual.

Paragraph 3 — Exemption from the listed GDPR provisions: data processed by a court

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 The listed GDPR provisions do not apply to data concerning health if—

2 Those rules are—

Paragraph 4 — Exemption from the listed GDPR provisions: data subject's expectations and wishes

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 This paragraph applies where a request for data concerning health is made in exercise of a power conferred by an enactment or rule of law and—

2 The listed GDPR provisions do not apply to data concerning health to the extent that complying with the request would disclose information—

3 The exemptions under sub-paragraph (2)(a) and (b) do not apply if the data subject has expressly indicated that he or she no longer has the expectation mentioned there.

Paragraph 5 — Exemption from Article 15 of the UK GDPR: serious harm

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 Article 15(1) to (3) of the UK GDPR (confirmation of processing, access to data and safeguards for third country transfers) do not apply to data concerning health to the extent that the serious harm test is met with respect to the data.

2 A controller who is not a health professional may not rely on sub-paragraph (1) to withhold data concerning health unless the controller has obtained an opinion from the person who appears to the controller to be the appropriate health professional to the effect that the serious harm test is met with respect to the data.

3 An opinion does not count for the purposes of sub-paragraph (2) if—

4 In this paragraph, “the relevant period” means the period of 6 months ending with the day on which the opinion would be relied on.

Paragraph 6 — Restriction of Article 15 of the UK GDPR: prior opinion of appropriate health professional

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 Article 15(1) to (3) of the UK GDPR (confirmation of processing, access to data and safeguards for third country transfers) do not permit the disclosure of data concerning health by a controller who is not a health professional unless the controller has obtained an opinion from the person who appears to the controller to be the appropriate health professional to the effect that the serious harm test is not met with respect to the data.

2 Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to the extent that the controller is satisfied that the data concerning health has already been seen by, or is within the knowledge of, the data subject.

3 An opinion does not count for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1) if—

4 In this paragraph, “the relevant period” means the period of 6 months ending with the day on which the opinion would be relied on.

Part 3 — Social work data

Paragraph 7 — Definitions

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 In this Part of this Schedule—

2 For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule, the “serious harm test” is met with respect to social work data if the application of Article 15 of the UK GDPR to the data would be likely to prejudice carrying out social work, because it would be likely to cause serious harm to the physical or mental health of the data subject or another individual.

3 In sub-paragraph (2), “carrying out social work” is to be taken to include doing any of the following—

4 In this Part of this Schedule, a reference to a local authority, in relation to data processed or formerly processed by it, includes a reference to the Council of the Isles of Scilly, in relation to data processed or formerly processed by the Council in connection with any functions mentioned in paragraph 8(1)(a)(ii) which are or have been conferred on the Council by an enactment.

Paragraph 8 — Definitions

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 This paragraph applies to personal data falling within any of the following descriptions—

2 The bodies referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(l) are—

Paragraph 9 — Exemption from the listed GDPR provisions: data processed by a court

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 The listed GDPR provisions do not apply to data that is not education data or data concerning health if—

2 Those rules are—

Paragraph 10 — Exemption from the listed GDPR provisions: data subject's expectations and wishes

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 This paragraph applies where a request for social work data is made in exercise of a power conferred by an enactment or rule of law and—

2 The listed GDPR provisions do not apply to social work data to the extent that complying with the request would disclose information—

3 The exemptions under sub-paragraph (2)(a) and (b) do not apply if the data subject has expressly indicated that he or she no longer has the expectation mentioned there.

Paragraph 11 — Exemption from Article 15 of the UK GDPR: serious harm

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

Article 15(1) to (3) of the UK GDPR (confirmation of processing, access to data and safeguards for third country transfers) do not apply to social work data to the extent that the serious harm test is met with respect to the data.

Paragraph 12 — Restriction of Article 15 of the UK GDPR: prior opinion of Principal Reporter

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 This paragraph applies where—

2 The controller must inform the Principal Reporter of the fact that the question has arisen before the end of the period of 14 days beginning when the question arises.

3 Article 15(1) to (3) of the UK GDPR (confirmation of processing, access to data and safeguards for third country transfers) do not permit the controller to disclose the data to the data subject unless the Principal Reporter has informed the controller that, in the opinion of the Principal Reporter, the serious harm test is not met with respect to the data.

4 In this paragraph “social work authority” means a local authority for the purposes of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968.

Part 4 — Education data

Paragraph 13 — Educational records

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

In this Part of this Schedule “educational record” means a record to which paragraph 14, 15 or 16 applies.

Paragraph 14 — Educational records

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 This paragraph applies to a record of information which—

2 But this paragraph does not apply to information which is processed by a teacher solely for the teacher's own use.

3 The schools referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(a) are—

4 The persons referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(c) are—

5 In this paragraph—

Paragraph 15 — Educational records

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 This paragraph applies to a record of information which is processed—

2 But this paragraph does not apply to information which is processed by a teacher solely for the teacher's own use.

3 For the purposes of this paragraph, information processed by an education authority is processed for the purpose of the relevant function of the authority if the processing relates to the discharge of that function in respect of a person—

4 In this paragraph “the relevant function” means, in relation to each education authority, its function under section 1 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and section 7(1) of the Self-Governing Schools etc. (Scotland) Act 1989.

Paragraph 16 — Educational records

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 This paragraph applies to a record of information which—

2 But this paragraph does not apply to information which is processed by a teacher solely for the teacher's own use.

3 The schools referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(a) are—

4 The persons referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(c) are—

5 In this paragraph, “grant-aided school”, “independent school”, “proprietor” and “trustees” have the same meaning as in the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 (S.I. 1986/594 (N.I. 3)).

Paragraph 17 — Other definitions

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 In this Part of this Schedule—

2 For the purposes of this Part of this Schedule, the “serious harm test” is met with respect to education data if the application of Article 15 of the UK GDPR to the data would be likely to cause serious harm to the physical or mental health of the data subject or another individual.

Paragraph 18 — Exemption from the listed GDPR provisions: data processed by a court

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 The listed GDPR provisions do not apply to education data if—

2 Those rules are—

Paragraph 19 — Exemption from Article 15 of the UK GDPR: serious harm

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

Article 15(1) to (3) of the UK GDPR (confirmation of processing, access to data and safeguards for third country transfers) do not apply to education data to the extent that the serious harm test is met with respect to the data.

Paragraph 20 — Restriction of Article 15 of the UK GDPR: prior opinion of Principal Reporter

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 This paragraph applies where—

2 The controller must inform the Principal Reporter of the fact that the question has arisen before the end of the period of 14 days beginning when the question arises.

3 Article 15(1) to (3) of the UK GDPR (confirmation of processing, access to data and safeguards for third country transfers) do not permit the controller to disclose the data to the data subject unless the Principal Reporter has informed the controller that, in the opinion of the Principal Reporter, the serious harm test is not met with respect to the data.

Part 5 — Child abuse data

Paragraph 21 — Exemption from Article 15 of the UK GDPR: child abuse data

Verbatim from legislation.gov.uk (consolidated text, valid as at 2026-09-30).

1 This paragraph applies where a request for child abuse data is made in exercise of a power conferred by an enactment or rule of law and—

2 Article 15(1) to (3) of the UK GDPR (confirmation of processing, access to data and safeguards for third country transfers) do not apply to child abuse data to the extent that the application of that provision would not be in the best interests of the data subject.

3 “Child abuse data” is personal data consisting of information as to whether the data subject is or has been the subject of, or may be at risk of, child abuse.

4 For this purpose, “child abuse” includes physical injury (other than accidental injury) to, and physical and emotional neglect, ill-treatment and sexual abuse of, an individual aged under 18.

5 This paragraph does not apply in relation to Scotland.

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