Pupil Record Request

See what the council holds about your child, and ask who has looked at it

Every pupil in Scotland has a record on SEEMiS, the system councils use for attendance, behaviour, pastoral notes and family details. You have the right to a copy of it, and you can ask for the log of who has opened it.

Fill in your child's details and this site writes the subject access request for you. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Write your letter Why you might want to
Subject access request What your letter asks for
  • Your child's full SEEMiS record
  • Attendance, behaviour and pastoral notes
  • Data held on school apps and platforms
  • Who it's shared with, and why
  • A log of who has opened the record
Free to ask Reply due within one month

Why you might want to ask

Most parents never see their child's school record. A subject access request is free, the council must answer within a month, and you don't have to give a reason. These are some of the reasons parents use one.

Check what's been written

Behaviour and pastoral notes can follow a child from class to class and school to school. Seeing them lets you spot anything that's wrong, out of date or unfair, and ask for it to be corrected.

Ask who has looked

SEEMiS keeps an audit log of each time a record is viewed, changed, printed or exported. You can ask for a copy as part of your request. It's useful if you're worried about who can see sensitive family information.

Prepare for a meeting or dispute

If you're discussing additional support needs, a placement, an exclusion or a complaint, having the school's own records means you're working from the same information they are.

Know where it's shared

The council must tell you who your child's data goes to, how long it's kept and where it came from, including the apps and learning platforms the school uses.

  1. Fill in the formYour child's name, date of birth and school. The letter updates as you type.
  2. Send it to the councilEmail it to their data protection officer. Their address is in the council's privacy notice.
  3. Show you're the parentThe council will usually ask for ID and proof that you're the parent. That's normal, and it protects your child's data.
  4. Wait up to a monthThe council has one month to reply once it has what it needs. Keep a note of the dates.

Write your letter

Add each child you're asking about. Each child gets their own letter, because councils handle every child's request separately. The wording follows each child's pronouns.

Your children

Audit log period

The log is requested from this date up to the date the council replies. The start of term is a good choice.

Sending it

Your letter

Green is filled in from your answers. Amber still needs filling in.

It's free, and they have a month

Organisations can't normally charge for a subject access request. They must reply within one calendar month, or up to three months for complex requests if they tell you why within the first month.

The data belongs to your child

The right of access is your child's, and you're using it for them. If they're mature enough to understand, the organisation may check they agree. In Scotland a child aged 12 or over is presumed to be mature enough; elsewhere in the UK it's judged case by case.

Expect to be asked for ID

Before releasing a child's data, the council needs to know it's going to the right person, so it will usually ask for proof of who you are and that you're the parent. That's a reasonable check. It often means photo ID, proof of address and your child's birth certificate, but each council asks for slightly different things, so check their page. Having copies ready saves time, because the month usually starts once they have what they need.

School records are a separate right

Parents also have a separate right to see their child's educational record, with its own rules and timescales. You can mention both, but a SAR covers much more than the school file.

If they don't reply

Chase them first, then complain to the Information Commissioner's Office. This tool writes a letter; it isn't legal advice.

Every Scottish council's data protection page

Links and email addresses were taken from each council's own website in September 2026. Councils change their pages and mailboxes, so check before you send.