During the raid on 27 January, burglars took several laptops from the council's children and young people's services (CYPS) department - one of which contained information from one of the local authority's "school improvement databases".
A Wigan Council statement said the information was "password-protected" and that it would be of "little use" to the thieves.
The information includes names, dates of birth, postcodes and ethnicity on most children in the town who are in Year 3 and above. There are also details of special educational needs and eligibility for free school meals.
CYPS management said it was in the process of writing to the parents and carers of those affected. Police are investigating the break-in, which has been reported to the national Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO will produce a report detailing the steps that should be taken to prevent future losses of data.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here