Privacy Notice (UK GDPR)

1. Who We Are

This Privacy Policy explains how Empowering Learners (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal information when providing tutoring, educational assessment, and related services.

Data Controller

Business name: Empowering Learners - Ruth Paterson
Email: info@empoweringlearners.co.uk

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we use your personal data, please contact us using the details above.

2. The Information We Collect

Depending on the services we provide, we may collect:

Personal Information

• Name
• Address
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Date of birth (where relevant)
• Parent or guardian details (for children)

Educational Information

• School or educational setting
• Academic history
• Assessment results
• Learning needs
• Progress reports
• Tutor notes

Special Category Data

Where necessary and with an appropriate legal basis, we may collect information relating to:

• Special educational needs (SEN)
• Medical information relevant to learning
• Disabilities
• Other information necessary to provide appropriate educational support

Financial Information

• Payment records
• Invoice information

We do not store full payment card details.

3. How We Collect Information

We collect information when:

• You contact us by phone, email or our website.
• You complete enquiry or registration forms.
• You book tutoring or assessment services.
• You provide documents or reports.
• Schools or professionals share information with your consent.
• We produce assessment reports during our work.

4. Why We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide tutoring services.
• Carry out educational assessments.
• Produce assessment reports.
• Communicate about appointments.
• Manage bookings.
• Issue invoices and receive payments.
• Monitor student progress.
• Meet legal and safeguarding obligations.
• Improve our services.

We will only use your personal information where we have a lawful basis to do so.

5. Our Lawful Bases

Under the UK GDPR, we rely on one or more of the following lawful bases:

• Contract – to provide tutoring and assessment services you have requested.
• Legal Obligation – where required by law.
• Legitimate Interests – to operate and improve our business.
• Consent – where we ask for your permission, particularly when processing special category data or sharing reports with third parties.

You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis.

6. Children’s Information

As we provide services to children and young people, we collect personal information about children with the knowledge and involvement of a parent, guardian or another person with legal responsibility, unless the young person is legally able to make their own decisions.

We take additional care to protect children’s personal information.

7. Who We Share Information With

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share information with:

• Parents or legal guardians.
• Schools or colleges (with permission where appropriate).
• Educational psychologists or other professionals (with consent).
• Examination or awarding organisations where required.
• Accountants or professional advisers.
• Secure cloud service providers used to operate our business.
• Legal or regulatory authorities where required by law.

All third-party providers are expected to protect your personal information appropriately.

8. How We Store Your Information

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to keep your information secure. These include:

• Password-protected computers.
• Secure cloud storage.
• Encrypted devices where appropriate.
• Restricted access to personal information.
• Regular software updates and security measures.

9. Report Delivery and Confidentiality

Assessment reports are confidential documents containing personal and sensitive information. Reports will be issued using the secure delivery method agreed with the client during the booking process.

Clients are responsible for providing accurate contact details for all intended recipients. Once a report has been securely transmitted to the agreed recipient(s), responsibility for the ongoing security and confidentiality of the document rests with those recipient(s).

10. Data Retention

We keep personal information only for as long as necessary to provide the services you have requested, or as required by law.

Assessment papers and accompanying information with responses are shredded or deleted within six weeks of the date of the assessment.

The final report is stored electronically and is password encrypted for 6 years, or until a child turns 25.

Information that is no longer needed is securely deleted or destroyed.

11. Your Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access your personal information.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion of your information in certain circumstances.
• Restrict processing.
• Object to certain processing.
• Request transfer of your information where applicable.
• Withdraw consent where consent has been relied upon.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us via email.

12. Cookies and Website Data

If we operate a website, it may use cookies to improve functionality and understand website usage.

Where required, you will be given the opportunity to accept or reject non-essential cookies.

13. Marketing

We will only send marketing communications if you have agreed to receive them or where otherwise permitted by law.

You can opt out at any time.

14. Data Breaches

If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms, we will investigate promptly and notify the appropriate authorities and affected individuals where required by law.

15. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we use your personal information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK data protection regulator (ICO), if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully.

16. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

The latest version will always be available upon request and, where applicable, published on our website.

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