How to Withdraw From School Biometrics and Demand Full Data Disclosure (Parents, Teachers & Pupils)

What has happened and what this page helps you do

Most parents, teachers, and pupils do not realise that two different things have been happening at the same time.

Inside the school, children and staff have had their biometric information taken. This means things like fingerprints, face patterns, palm scans, or other body‑based measurements used to identify a person.
Outside the school, by downloading school‑related apps onto their phones and devices, parents, teachers, and pupils have given private companies and third parties access to much more information than anyone was clearly told about. These apps can ask for access to photos, videos, files, microphones, cameras, locations, and device storage.

People were usually just told: “Download this app” or “Tick this box.” They were not clearly told how much information would be taken, who would get it, or how long it would be kept.

This page explains, in order:

how to stop the school using biometrics

how to tell the school you have deleted the apps and want another way to do things

how to ask the school for every piece of information they hold about you or your child

how to then ask the outside companies for everything they hold

what to expect back at each stage

and how to use the ready‑made letters below to do all of this safely

Step 1: Stopping the school from using biometrics

The first step is to withdraw from biometrics.

This means you tell the school, in writing, something like:

“Do not take or use fingerprints.”

“Do not take or use face scans.”

“Do not take or use palm scans.”

“Do not use any body‑based identification for me or my child.”

When you do this:

the school must stop using biometrics for you or your child

the school must provide a different way to do the same thing (for example: a card, a number, a paper list, or a manual check)

the school cannot punish you or your child for this

the school cannot refuse food, books, access, or lessons because you said no to biometrics

This step only stops future use of biometrics. It does not show you what they have already collected or who they shared it with.

That is what the next stage is for.

Step 2: Deleting the apps and telling the school

The second step is to deal with the apps on phones and devices.

If you were not clearly told:

how much information the app would take

which companies were involved

how long they would keep the information

what they would do with it

then you can decide to delete these apps from your phone or your child’s phone.

After you delete the apps, it is important to tell the school in writing that:

you have deleted the school‑related apps from your devices

you no longer agree to use those apps

you want a different way to receive information, pay for things, book meals, see homework, or do whatever the app was used for

For example, you can ask for:

email instead of an app

paper letters

a website login that does not require an invasive app

a card or number instead of a biometric system

The school should then arrange another method. Again, they cannot punish you or your child for this.

Deleting the apps stops future data collection from your devices. But it still does not show you what has already been taken or who has it.

That is where the next stage comes in.

Step 3: Asking the school for all information they hold (this is the “access request”)

The third step is to ask the school for every piece of information they hold about you or your child.

This is often called a “subject access request,” but on this page we will call it simply:

“Asking for all information they hold about you.”

In this request, you are saying:

“Please send me a copy of all information you hold about me / my child, and tell me who you have shared it with.”

This should include:

biometric information (fingerprints, face patterns, palm scans, etc.)

photographs

videos

files

information collected through apps

information taken from your devices through those apps

logs of when information was used (for example, when a fingerprint was used to pay for lunch)

a list of all companies the information was shared with

a list of all subcontractors

where the information is stored (including cloud storage)

how long they plan to keep it

whether there have been any data breaches involving your information

The school normally has one month to reply.

This step is different from withdrawing from biometrics:

withdrawing from biometrics = stops future use

asking for all information = shows you what has already been collected and shared

You need both.

Step 4: Understanding what the school sends back

When the school replies, you may receive:

copies of biometric records

copies of photos and videos

records of when your child used the system (for example, lunch payments, library use)

lists of companies and systems used by the school

information about apps and platforms you did not realise were involved

information about where data is stored (including other countries)

information about how long they keep everything

This can feel overwhelming, especially if there are many companies and technical terms.

On this page, below, we will:

explain the common terms in simple language

show you what to look for

help you spot when too much information has been taken

help you see which companies you may want to contact next

The important thing is:

do not ignore the list of companies.

That list tells you who else has your information.

Step 5: Asking the outside companies for all information they hold

Once you know which companies are involved (for example: app companies, biometric system providers, cloud storage companies, and other service providers), you can then send the same type of request to each of them:

“Please send me a copy of all information you hold about me / my child, and tell me who you have shared it with.”

Each company normally has one month to reply.

From these companies, you may learn:

what information they received from the school

what information they took directly from your devices through the apps

whether they shared it with other companies

whether they stored it in other countries

how long they plan to keep it

whether there have been any data breaches

This is how you uncover the full chain of where your information has gone.

Step 6: What you can do after you have all the replies

Once you have replies from:

the school

the app companies

the biometric companies

any other companies listed

you can then decide what to do next.

You may choose to:

ask them to delete certain information (for example: biometric records, photos, app‑collected data) where the law allows

ask them to stop using your information for certain purposes

challenge anything that looks wrong or excessive

complain if they did not explain things properly in the first place

On this page, below, we will provide:

simple explanations of what each type of reply means

guidance on what you might want to ask them to delete or change

ready‑made letters you can copy and edit to request deletion or raise concerns

After you read the steps on this page in order, you will then go to our separate page called Data & Biometrics Opt‑Out Hub. That page contains all the ready‑made letters and emails you will need. You will find versions for parents, teachers, pupils, schools, colleges, universities, app companies, biometric companies, processors, and subcontractors. On that page, you can simply copy the text, change the names and details, and send it from your own email. This means you do not have to write anything yourself or understand legal language. Everything you need to protect yourself and your children is already prepared for you on the Data & Biometrics Opt‑Out Hub page.