Using CCTV cameras in school

You can have CCTV cameras in your school under the UK GDPR, provided you have a lawful basis for doing so. Learn about how the UK GDPR might impact your school's CCTV processes, and find out what you should consider before installing CCTV.

Last reviewed on 5 March 2024
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School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 11819
Contents
  1. Schools can use CCTV, but you need a legal basis 
  2. How the UK GDPR affects individuals’ rights 
  3. You must let people know when they’re in an area under CCTV 
  4. What to consider before installing CCTV in classrooms
  5. CCTV in residential schools
  6. Use the ICO's checklist to assess compliance

Schools can use CCTV, but you need a legal basis 

You can use CCTV as long as you have a ‘lawful basis’ to do so under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – find out how to choose which one to use in our other article.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) confirmed this to us.

If you’re planning to justify the use of CCTV cameras through the ‘public task’ basis, you won’t need consent to install CCTV. Read more about when you need to seek consent under the UK GDPR.

If you're using CCTV for the first time, you’ll probably need a data protection impact assessment (DPIA)

Find out what DPIAs are, when they must be done and how to carry one out in another of our articles. 

How the UK GDPR affects individuals’ rights 

Right to access data

Requests from individuals to access copies of their personal data don’t have to