Architecture: work in progress
Data Architecture principles
- Last reviewed
- 4 June 2026
- Owner
- Head of Architecture
How DfE manages, protects, shares and uses data to deliver value and remain secure, accessible and ethical.
Data architecture principles set out how to manage, use and protect data across the department so it is valuable, secure and easy to use.
They emphasise that data should be treated as a shared asset, protected appropriately, and made available to those who need it. Services should reuse and share data where possible, avoid duplication, and ensure data is high quality, well governed and clearly understood.
Teams must make data easy to access and analyse, while balancing this with security and legal responsibilities.
All use of data must be ethical, lawful and transparent, maintaining public trust and ensuring data is only collected and used where necessary.