We use G Suite for Education - a set of education productivity tools from Google including Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Classroom, and more used by tens of millions of students and teachers around the world. Pupils will use their G Suite accounts to complete assignments, communicate with their teachers, sign into their Chromebooks and learn 21st century digital citizenship skills. 

We use a special version of the core GSuite Apps to provide a secure learning intranet for our pupils and staff. Children use a Gmail login to access our system servers and the intranet and internet in school. With school Gmail and Google Docs, for example, work and emails cannot be shared with external email accounts, only with others within hpschool.org  the school’s Google domain. Google require basic information to set up these accounts, your child’s year group and name.  

Google Cloud does contain much of the electronic work that your child completes in school. By logging in at home, using the same login as at school, your child can continue working on projects started in school, often using one of the main apps of GSuite, Google Classroom.

Our pupil accounts have a particular set of security settings to reflect the fact that the system is being used by a child - they have a much higher security setting than our staff for example. We take advice on these settings from companies that advise us, including LGFL and Google

On leaving the school, we can transfer your child’s digital learning record to his/her own gmail account through the Google TakeOut system - the school does not then retain any data.  This can be a wonderful souvenir of learning. Google accounts are deleted within a few weeks of a child leaving Heathrow Primary school.

Google’s Privacy Policy for GSuite can be found here: https://policies.google.com/privacy/update

The information below from Google provides answers to common questions about what they can and can’t do with your child’s personal information, including:

• What personal information does Google collect?
• How does Google use this information?
• Will Google disclose my child’s personal information?
• Does Google use student personal information for users in K-12 schools to target advertising?
• Can my child share information with others using the G Suite for Education account?

G Suite for Education information for Parents and Guardians

This notice describes the personal information we provide to Google for these accounts and how Google collects, uses, and discloses personal information from pupils in connection with these accounts. 

Using their G Suite for Education accounts, pupils may access and use the following “Core Services” offered by Google (described at https://gsuite.google.com/terms/user_features.html): 

• Gmail
• Google+
• Calendar
• Chrome Sync
• Classroom
• Contacts
• Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms
• Drive
• Jamboard
• Keep
• Sites

Google provides information about the information it collects, as well as how it uses and discloses the information it collects from G Suite for Education accounts in its G Suite for Education Privacy Notice. You can read that notice online at https://gsuite.google.com/terms/education_privacy.html 

What personal information does Google collect?

When creating a pupil account, we provide Google with certain personal information about our pupils, including, for example, a name, email address, and password. Google may also collect a profile photo added to the G Suite for Education account.

When a pupil uses Google services, Google also collects information based on the use of those services. This includes:

• device information, such as the hardware model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information including phone number;
• log information, including details of how a user used Google services, device event information, and the user's Internet protocol (IP) address;
• location information, as determined by various technologies including IP address, GPS, and other sensors;
• unique application numbers, such as application version number; and
• cookies or similar technologies which are used to collect and store information about a browser or device, such as preferred language and other settings.

How does Google use this information? 

In G Suite for Education Core Services, Google uses student personal information to provide, maintain, and protect the services. Google does not serve ads in the Core Services or use personal information collected in the Core Services for advertising purposes.

Does Google use student personal information for users in primary schools to target advertising?

No. For G Suite for Education users in primary and secondary schools, Google does not use any user personal information (or any information associated with an G Suite for Education Account) to target ads, whether in Core Services or in other Additional Services accessed while using an G Suite for Education account.

Can my child share information with others using the G Suite for Education account?

We allow pupils to access Google services such as Google Docs and Sites, which include features where users can share information with others within our Internet domain here at Heathrow Primary. 

Will Google disclose my child’s personal information?

Google will not share personal information with companies, organisations and individuals outside of Google unless one of the following circumstances applies:

• With parental or guardian consent. Google will share personal information with companies, organisations or individuals outside of Google when it has parents’ consent  which may be obtained through G Suite for Education schools - including Heathrow Primary.  We would contact parents directly if Google ask for any examples of children's work etc.
• With Heathrow Primary School G Suite for Education accounts, because they are school-managed accounts, give administrators access to information stored in them.
• For external processing. Google may provide personal information to affiliates or other trusted businesses or persons to process it for Google, based on Google’s instructions and in compliance with the G Suite for Education privacy notice and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
• For legal reasons. Google will share personal information with companies, organisations or individuals outside of Google if it has a good-faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of the information is reasonably necessary to:
  • meet any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request.
  • enforce applicable Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations.
  • detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues.
  • protect against harm to the rights, property or safety of Google, Google users or the public as required or permitted by law.

Google also shares non-personal information -- such as trends about the use of its services -- publicly and with its partners.

What if I have more questions or would like to read further?

If you have questions about our use of Google’s G Suite for Education accounts or the choices available to you, please contact Mr Giles.

If you want to learn more about how Google collects, uses, and discloses personal information to provide services to us, please review the G Suite for Education Privacy Center, the G Suite for Education Privacy Notice, and the Google Privacy Policy. 

The Core G Suite for Education services are provided to us under Google’s Apps for Education agreement.