Under the Data Protection Act 1998, the Department and its contractors have legal obligations towards you in the way that we deal with data collected from you. We use leading technologies and encryption software to safeguard your data, and keep strict security standards to prevent any unauthorised access to it. We do not pass on your details to any third party or government department unless you give us permission to do so, or we are obliged or permitted by law to disclose it.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families' websites, with the exception of the registration systems and the Discussions facility, does not store or capture personal information, but merely logs the user's IP address (Internet Protocol: standard allowing data to be transmitted between two devices) which is automatically recognised by the webserver.

The Department's site uses cookies for collecting user information from the site; it does not collect any information about you except that required for system administration of the website. In order to continuously improve the Department's websites, we use tracking technology which monitors user sessions via a Java applet which activates a session cookie. No information is stored on your computer and no personal data is obtained from this software.

If you register to receive updates your information will be held on a secure server. It will be used only to provide you with e-mail updates on the topics you have requested or postal information if you request that service. If you respond online to a consultation exercise your data will only be used to facilitate the analysis of responses.

This privacy statement covers this Department's website at www.parentcentre.gov.uk and subsequent subsites of that domain. Other websites linked to from the Department's domain are not covered by this privacy statement.

Download the Department's Information Charter in PDF Format.

The House Rules which appear below are divided into two sections. Violation of any of the rules in the first section is likely to lead to the immediate suspension of your account and could lead to legal action being taken against you by the authorities or an aggrieved party. Be aware that in exceptional circumstances the Department could be legally obliged to reveal your registration information and/or IP address to the authorities.

Keep your contributions civil, tasteful and relevant. Please:

• Do not post defamatory comments

A defamatory comment is one that is capable of damaging the reputation of a person or organisation. If successfully sued you could be held liable for considerable damages and costs.

• Avoid contempt of court

This means not posting anything that risks prejudicing ongoing or forthcoming court proceedings.

• Do not incite people to commit any crime

This includes incitement of racial hatred.

• Avoid breaking court injunctions

For example naming an individual or speculating as to their current whereabouts after a court has issued an injunction against doing so.

• Do not post content which you've copied from someone or somewhere else and which may therefore be the copyright of a third party

• Do not post anything unlawful, harassing, defamatory, abusive, threatening, harmful, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, homophobic or racially offensive

• Do not make multiple postings

So that we can publish comments from as many different people as possible, participants should keep their number of contributions per debate to a reasonable level. Multiple posts from one individual, or small number of individuals, discourages many others who might otherwise wish to take part.

• Do not use swear words

People of all ages read and contribute to the forum. Please don't use profanities or other words which might offend them.

• Refrain from spamming or flooding

Don't repost the same message, or very similar messages, more than once.

• Do not include personal information

It is not acceptable to publicise your or anyone else's contact details including address, place of employment, name of educational establishment, telephone or mobile number, email address, etc. This is for your own safety and that of everyone who uses this service.

• Keep your posts relevant

Each thread is about a particular issue for parents. Posts which aren't relevant lower the value of the debate for everyone and may be removed. Do not advertise, promote products or services, or post unsuitable web links (URLs)
If you know of a worthy website relevant to the discussion, please inform the Department through ‘Contact Us’.

• Post in English only

Posts containing languages other than English may be removed. Common greetings and salutations in languages other than English may be acceptable.

• Do not use capital letters

This is internet style for raising your voice. You can make your point perfectly well in lower case so please take the caps lock off.

• Do not impersonate

Impersonating someone – including other members or organisations – is unacceptable.

• Do not use inappropriate usernames

(vulgar, offensive, etc.)

• Do not contravene the Markets Abuse Directive

Comments must not tip shares or make recommendations on investments.

• Do not create multiple memberships

• Do not abuse the complaints system

It exists to enable visitors to alert the forum moderators about content which breaks the above rules. The complaints system cannot be used to complain about specific services. Please do not use the complaints system to alert us to multiple postings, spelling mistakes and so on. Anyone who abuses the complaints system repeatedly may have their account suspended.