King's Bruton

About King's Bruton

King’s Bruton is an independent school in the UK dedicated to helping students excel both academically and personally. Renowned for its high standards, the school is committed to fostering a supportive environment that encourages students to reach their full potential.

Situation

King’s Bruton approached 9ine with two main objectives: to strengthen their defences against digital threats and to enhance their data protection compliance. James Pearce, Director of Information Systems at King’s Bruton and Hazlegrove Prep School, explained, “Our initial goal was to improve data security. 9ine conducted an audit which gave us immediate prioritised targets. By addressing the highest priority issues first, we achieved quick wins and significantly improved our security.”

The need for enhanced security became evident after a sophisticated attempt to defraud parents. This incident highlighted the importance of understanding the methods used by fraudsters and securing personal data in compliance with GDPR requirements.

Solution

To tackle these challenges, King’s Bruton utilised 9ine’s Systems & Security Essentials subscription service, which included a comprehensive audit with a thousand-point checklist to evaluate their systems and identify vulnerabilities. Pearce noted, “The periodic audits and testing of systems have been immensely useful in prioritising effort, demonstrating progress, and giving confidence. They have also helped in securing affordable insurance and supporting the governance of the school.”

The school also benefited from 9ine’s Data Protection Office Essentials subscription, which provided consultancy time to advance their data protection program. Pearce highlighted, “The key benefit has been scoping the problem and then providing a plan and structure to tackle the issues systematically and progressively, all backed up by expert advice and support.”

Results 

Working with 9ine led to improved productivity and a stronger data privacy culture at King’s Bruton. Pearce explained, “Productivity has been improved because the analysis of how data moved through our processes meant we had a much better understanding of how we are actually doing business and where inefficiencies lie. The audit of our processes identifies areas for improvement, and subsequent audits prove that governance is in place when the number of issues declines.”

Prior to 9ine’s involvement, the school’s data privacy culture relied on staff’s limited understanding of the Data Protection policy. 9ine’s engagement ensured that the Heads of both schools became involved, leading the process from the top. This comprehensive approach led to detailed data assessments and increased staff engagement reinforced by training.

King’s Bruton has significantly improved its data privacy culture. Pearce stated, “There are still occasional minor data breaches, but they are reported immediately, assessments are conducted, and processes are adjusted to eliminate recurrence. We now have a system of continuous improvement because most staff appreciate the importance of the issue and know they have to report breaches.”

Having effectively tackled their pain points and advanced their compliance program, King’s Bruton exemplifies the proactive use of 9ine’s resources. Pearce’s advice is clear: “The key advice is not to hide from what is a very complex subject but to engage and start the journey. 9ine will provide the appropriate level of support as it is needed.” Through their partnership with 9ine, King’s Bruton has successfully strengthened their IT security and data protection measures, ensuring a safer and more compliant environment for their community.

www.kingsbruton.com
www.9ine.com