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Freedom of information and subject access requests

Advice for governance professionals responding to requests for information.

Guidance
27/10/2025

Anyone has a right to raise a freedom of information (FOI) request to access information held by a public authority - such as a school or trust - under the Freedom of Information Act. 

A subject access request (SAR) is a request made by or on behalf of an individual for copies of personal information held by a public authority. Individuals are entitled to ask for such information under UK GDPR.

Our FAQs are intended to help governance professionals respond to FOI requests and SARs that relate to governance in their school or trust. The questions include:

  • how to respond to a request
  • whether a request can be refused
  • how to find and retrieve relevant information

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