“[Judicium] is cost-effective and provides genuine legal assurance and confidence. Whatever the scenario, we know we have the right professional advice behind our decisions.”

The 3-18 Education Trust is a multi-academy trust of 10 schools – and more than 5,100 children and young people – which will soon expand to 14.

The Shrewsbury-based trust has a mix of primary and secondary schools across the county and includes a boarding school, international boarding provision and a sixth form.

Tim Goodman is IT Director at The 3-18 Education Trust – a wide-ranging role which includes leadership of all aspects of the trust-wide IT infrastructure, digital strategy, data governance and cyber security.

As the trust expanded the Data Protection Officer role that formed part of the central team’s responsibilities was becoming increasingly intensive. As the trust grew from six schools towards double figures Tim and his team realised that in-house management of this role was no longer manageable and he began looking into specialist external support.

“We were seeing a significant rise in Freedom of Information requests and Subject Access Requests,” he said. “This was alongside a growing requirement for stricter data controls and professional advice on policies and compliance. Managing this through a lean central team was neither sustainable nor appropriate given the level of expertise required.” explains Tim. 

After a search he chose the Judicium Data Protection service. The service is designed to give schools and trusts practical support where it’s needed most, from annual audits and policy updates to straightforward staff training. With expert guidance and best-practice advice, schools and trusts can simplify compliance, reduce risks, and ensure everyone follows the same high standards.

Judicium has taken on every aspect of the DPO function; staff at the trust’s individual schools across the trust can contact Judicium directly for support with data protection impact assessments, subject access requests, and freedom of information requests — without everything being routed through the central team. “It's a significant operational improvement,” says Tim.

Tim says the working relationship with Judicium is highly effective. “The relationship is both professional and personal in the best sense,” he says. “Emails and enquiries from our schools are responded to directly, so school admins and staff feel they have genuine, accessible support rather than a distant service. Communication is prompt and responsive.”

Would Tim recommend the service to other trusts? “Absolutely,” he says.  When demand spikes, whether seasonally or because of a specific organisational or operational situation, it doesn't place pressure on our central team in a way that could compromise other services.

“Beyond that, it's cost-effective and provides genuine legal assurance and confidence. Whatever the scenario, we know we have the right professional advice behind our decisions.”

"My preference for third-party professional relationships is grounded in resilience — and Judicium consistently delivers that."

If you’d like to learn more about Judicium’s Data Protection services, please feel free to contact enquiries on enquiries@judicium.com or 0345 548 7000