As a parent you are probably used to being able to go into the school and ask about your child's progress, although it is likely that in the 6th form the school will increasingly have wanted to provide information via your son or daughter, as it is expected that young people are treated more as young adults from 16 onwards.
At university it is very clear that we must treat students and prospective students as independent adults so our relationship is with them and not with you as their parent. This means that we cannot provide you with information such as examination results or course attendance, nor may we contact you with any information about them without their permission.
The nature of our relationship with students is governed by the legal principle of confidentiality, which is defined by legislation, including the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act.
One of the consequences of this is that if you contact any part of the University the staff you talk to will not be able to confirm that your son or daughter is a student here. This can seem silly and frustrating, but please bear in mind that very occasionally we do receive enquiries from people who may mean to harm the person they are seeking, so it is not a trivial policy.
However we are committed to offering appropriate help and support to students and we recognise that not all students are good at asking for help when they need it. Therefore if you are worried about your son or daughter we would like to hear from you and we have some guidance about how best to discuss your concerns with us: go to: if you are concerned about a student
Last amended SP/July 2008/ Legal statement