Document Management for Education

For schools, colleges and universities, keeping sensitive information is essential at all times. Documents must be stored safely and disposed of properly when no longer required. All educational institutions are responsible for ensuring that sensitive documents are stored and disposed of in a safe and secure way. Information that falls into the wrong hands could result in vulnerable young people and the staff who look after them being in danger.

Storing documents on school premises is not always the most secure option and thieves can easily gain access to personal information and abuse it. Additionally, storing documents takes up a lot of physical space that could be used for educational resources.

At Secure Storage Services, we can store all of your sensitive information at a safe location with high levels of security. We also provide document scanning so that information can be accessed quickly and efficiently by you whenever it is needed.

Document Storage for Educational Institutions

We offer document storage for educational institutions to take the stress out of confidential storage. Whether it is required for a school, university or college, our storage facility enables you to store documents with a trustworthy facility.

At Secure Storage Services, we handle all your document management needs and comply with all the latest legislation to protect the privacy of your students and staff. We take the worry out of information handling so that you can focus on what you do best – education.

We also offer paper document shredding services for educational institutions to handle the legal responsibility of disposing of private information when it is required. Secure storage uses the latest document shredding technology to ensure that information is completely disposed of.

Some sensitive information that is in need of secure document storage, scanning and shredding includes:

Student records, including home addresses
Staff records
Student medical records
Staff application forms
Student reports and assessments
Security records and CCTV

Online Document Storage For Schools

For online document storage, schools can use local servers or a cloud-based solution. These can be used as portals for uploading assignments or as spaces where pupils can access course materials and documents related to their area of study.

But here at secure storage, we specialise in the storage and documentation of paper-based records. Once we have received these materials, we can copy the documents and upload them onto a cloud-based server where you can easily retrieve and documentation required.

If you have an entire room filled with paper storage boxes, it can be a complete waste of space. Some of the documents in these boxes may never need to be retrieved, but as part of statuary requirements, you are expected to keep specific items for a required amount of time.

Offsite Document Storage for Schools

In primary and secondary schools, document storage is a crucial aspect of maintaining records for various administrative, academic, and legal purposes. These records serve as a comprehensive repository of information about students, staff, finances, and operations. There are general guidelines for how long certain types of records need to be retained and schools usually keep records for 25 years before the documents are destoyed..

Here's an overview of common types of records primary and secondary schools will keep

Student Records

Student academic records, including grades and standardised test scores, are often kept indefinitely for historical purposes. Discipline records and attendance records may also be kept indefinitely or for a specified number of years after a student leaves the school. Health records, including immunisation records and medical consent forms, may need to be retained for a certain period, typically several years after the student leaves the school.

Financial Records

Financial records, such as budgets, audits, purchase orders, invoices, and payroll records, are usually retained for a minimum of 3 to 7 years for auditing and tax purposes.

Donation and fundraising records may also need to be kept for a specified period for accounting and legal reasons.

Employee Records:

Employee personnel files, including hiring documents, contracts, performance evaluations, and disciplinary records, are kept for 7 years.

Payroll records, tax forms (such as W-2s), and benefits information also need to be kept for tax and legal compliance.

Legal and Compliance Records:

Legal documents, including contracts, leases, insurance policies, and permits, may need to be retained for the duration of the agreement plus a specified retention period, which could range from several years to indefinitely.

Compliance records, such as accreditation reports, safety inspections, and incident reports, are also kept for several years.

Schools need to consult relevant laws, regulations, and best practices to ensure compliance with record retention requirements, which are subject to change.

Additionally, schools should establish clear policies and procedures for document storage, organisation, and disposal to safeguard sensitive information and facilitate efficient record retrieval when needed. Regular review and updates of record retention policies are also advisable to adapt to changing legal and operational requirements.

Keeping all of these documents will essentially take up space and it is more cost efficient to place the records in storage or move them to an online database where the records can be easily accessed.

Keeping Your School Records Safe

Our secure facilities are kept in a climate-regulated, highly secure storage facility. We make document retrieval easy by allowing you to access documents remotely or by booking a time slot for you to visit our facility and collect your records.

Once your documents have passed the required amount of time you need to hold them, we can safely shred your documents onsite and provide you with a destruction certificate to validate the documents have been securely destroyed.

For efficient and secure document management for education, call Secure Storage Services now on 0151 293 4000 or fill in an enquiry form.