Ethnic Background Information Form and Guide

The Information Commissioner (formerly the Data Protection Registrar) recommends that young people aged 11 or older have the opportunity to decide their own ethnic identity. Parents, or those with parental responsibility, are asked to support or advise those children aged 11-15 in making this decision, wherever necessary. Pupils aged 16 or over can make this decision for themselves.

Our ethnic background describes how we think of ourselves. This may be based on many things, including, for example, our skin colour, language, culture, ancestry or family history. Ethnic background is not the same as nationality or country of birth.

These are the only categories available for this collection. Please study the list and tick one box to indicate the most appropriate ethnic background of the pupil and tick one box to indicate the source of the information.

Any information you provide will be used solely to compile statistics on the school careers and experiences of pupils from different ethnic backgrounds, to help ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

These statistics will not allow individual pupils to be identified. From time to time the information will be passed on to the Local Authority and the Department for Education (DfE) to contribute to local and national statistics.

The information will also be passed on to future schools, to save you having to be asked for it again.