Privacy Policy

Our Commitment

An English Tutor is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information in a lawful, fair and transparent way.

This policy explains what information may be collected, why it is needed, how it is used and the rights you have in relation to your personal data.

An English Tutor is operated by Helene Goldup, who is responsible for the personal information described in this policy.

Information We Collect

We may collect and use the following types of personal information:

• Parent or carer name and contact details.
• Student name, age, year group and educational level.
• Information about learning needs, goals, exam boards or areas requiring support.
• Lesson notes, attendance records and progress information.
• Payment and billing information where relevant.
• Information you provide about additional educational needs or learning difficulties.
• Billing details, purchase history, order information and payment confirmation.
• Customer account details, where an account is created.
• Messages sent through the website, email or other agreed communication channels.
• Limited technical information associated with website use, security and functionality.

We only seek information reasonably necessary for the relevant service.

In some circumstances, information shared about a student's learning needs may include sensitive personal information, such as information relating to health or additional educational needs. Such information will only be collected and used where it is relevant and appropriate for the provision of tuition or where there is another lawful reason for doing so.

How Information Is Collected

Personal information may be collected when:

• You complete a contact form on the website.
• You contact An English Tutor by email, telephone or message.
• You book tuition or make an enquiry.
• Information is shared during lessons or parent discussions.
• Payments are made for tuition services.
• You purchase a digital educational resource.
• You create an account or use the website's checkout.
• You interact with website systems that use essential cookies or security measures.

Information about a student may also be provided by their parent or guardian where appropriate.

How We Use Personal Information

Personal information may be used:

• To respond to enquiries.
• To arrange and deliver online lessons.
• To tailor tuition to the student's learning needs and goals.
• To communicate with parents or carers about lessons and progress.
• To manage payments, invoices and business records.
• Review submitted work and maintain appropriate educational records.
• To maintain appropriate records relating to tuition.
• Process purchases, provide digital downloads and administer customer accounts.
• Issue payment confirmations and maintain financial records.
• Maintain website security and prevent misuse.
• To meet legal, safeguarding and professional responsibilities.

We do not sell personal information or use student information for unrelated advertising.

Personal information will not be used for purposes that are incompatible with those for which it was collected unless there is a lawful basis for doing so.

Children's Information

As tuition may involve children and young people, particular care is taken when handling student information.

Parents or carers are normally the principal contact for tuition arrangements.

Student information is used only for appropriate educational, administrative and safeguarding purposes and is not shared unnecessarily.

Where information constitutes special-category personal data under UK data protection law, we will only process it where an additional lawful condition applies.

Where appropriate, information about the use of personal data will be explained to students in a way that is suitable for their age and level of understanding.

Lawful Basis for Using Information

Under UK data protection law, personal information must have an appropriate lawful basis for its use.

Depending on the circumstances, An English Tutor may rely on:

• Contract: To provide tuition, supply purchased educational resources and administer agreed services.
• Legitimate interests: To respond to enquiries, manage appropriate business communications, maintain service records and protect website security, where these interests are not overridden by individual rights.
• Legal obligation: To maintain records or disclose information where required by applicable law.
• Consent: Where specific permission is appropriate, such as for optional testimonials or lesson recordings.

Where consent is relied upon, it may be withdrawn at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing already carried out lawfully.

Where sensitive or special-category personal information is processed, it will only be used where an appropriate additional legal condition applies.

Online Lessons and Zoom

Online lessons are delivered using Zoom.

When using Zoom, certain personal or technical information may be processed by Zoom in accordance with its own privacy practices. This may include information relating to meeting access, accounts, devices and use of the service.

Lessons are not routinely recorded. If a lesson recording is proposed for educational purposes, this will only take place with appropriate knowledge and agreement beforehand.

Digital Resources and Online Purchases

Our website includes a WooCommerce shop offering downloadable educational resources.

When you make a purchase, we may collect and retain information including:

• Customer name and email address.
• Billing information provided during checkout.
• Products purchased, order dates and transaction details.
• Payment status and relevant transaction references.
• Download permissions and associated access records.

This information is used to complete transactions, supply purchased resources, support customers, manage refunds or payment disputes where applicable, and maintain required financial records.

Payments and Customer Accounts

Online payments are processed through payment services integrated with our website.

Payment providers may receive information necessary to authorise and process transactions, undertake fraud prevention and comply with their legal responsibilities.

An English Tutor does not intentionally collect or store complete payment-card details in ordinary website order records.

Customers may complete purchases without creating an account. Where an account is created, the website may retain account information, associated orders and access to purchased downloads.

Customers can contact us regarding their account information and applicable privacy rights.

Contact Forms and Website Security

Information submitted through our contact form is used to respond to enquiries and manage any resulting correspondence.

The website also uses security and anti-spam measures, including Cloudflare Turnstile, to help protect forms against automated misuse.

These systems may process limited technical information, such as device, browser and network information, for security purposes.

Sharing Information

We do not sell personal information or share it with third parties for their independent marketing.

Information may be shared where reasonably necessary:

• With parents or carers in relation to a student's tuition.
• With service providers used to operate the business, such as website, email, cloud storage, payment and online lesson providers.
• Website hosting, email and technical service providers.
• Payment processing and e-commerce service providers.
• Zoom and other services used to deliver online lessons.
• With professional advisers where reasonably necessary.
• With safeguarding professionals or relevant authorities where there is a concern about a child's safety or welfare.
• Where disclosure is required by law.

Service providers are expected to handle personal information appropriately and in accordance with applicable data protection obligations.

Service providers are only given access to personal information where necessary for the services they provide.

International Data Processing

Some third-party services used to operate An English Tutor may process or store personal information outside the UK.

Where this involves an international transfer of personal data, appropriate safeguards will be relied upon as required by UK data protection law.

Further information about relevant safeguards can be requested using the contact details below.

How Information Is Stored

Reasonable technical and organisational measures are taken to protect personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse or disclosure.

Information may be stored using password-protected devices, email systems, secure cloud storage, website systems or administrative records.

Access is restricted where appropriate, and accounts and devices are protected using suitable security measures.

No online system can guarantee absolute security.

How Long Information Is Kept

Personal information is not kept for longer than is reasonably necessary.

The length of time information is retained depends on why it was collected and whether it needs to be retained for legal, accounting, safeguarding or business purposes.

• Enquiries that do not result in tuition.
• Active and former tuition records.
• Customer accounts and purchase histories.
• Accounting and transaction records.
• Safeguarding information, where applicable.
• Website security and technical records.

Retention decisions take account of legal requirements, accounting responsibilities, safeguarding considerations and legitimate operational needs.

Enquiry information that does not lead to tuition will normally be deleted when it is no longer reasonably required.

Records relating to tuition will be retained only for as long as they remain reasonably necessary for the provision and administration of tuition and any associated legal or professional purposes.

Financial and transaction records may be retained for the period required for tax, accounting or other legal purposes.

Safeguarding information may be retained for longer where this is necessary or appropriate.

Information that is no longer required will be securely deleted or disposed of where reasonably practicable.

Information is deleted or anonymised when it is no longer required, subject to applicable obligations.

Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have rights in relation to your personal information, including:

• The right to access personal information held about you.
• The right to ask for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected.
• The right to ask for information to be deleted in certain circumstances.
• The right to request restriction of certain uses of your information.
• The right to object to certain processing.
• The right to data portability in certain circumstances.
• The right to withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis being relied upon.

These rights do not apply in exactly the same way in every circumstance.

Requests relating to personal information can be made using the contact details below.

Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies and related technologies to support essential functionality, including shopping baskets, checkout, customer accounts, security and user preferences.

This website may use cookies and similar technologies to enable it to function and, where applicable, to understand how visitors use the website.

Cookies that are strictly necessary for the operation of the website may be used without consent where permitted by law.

Where consent is required for non-essential cookies or similar technologies, they will not be used until the visitor has been given appropriate information and has made a choice.

Visitors will be able to manage their cookie preferences where applicable.

Further information is available in our separate Cookie Policy.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal information is handled, please contact An English Tutor so that the matter can be reviewed.

You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent regulator for data protection.

Website: https://ico.org.uk

Policy Review

This Privacy Policy may be reviewed and updated from time to time to reflect changes to the services provided, the way personal information is used or applicable legal requirements.

The date at the beginning of this policy indicates when it was last updated.

Contact

For questions about this Privacy Policy, to exercise your data protection rights or to ask how personal information is handled, please contact:

Helene Goldup
An English Tutor
Email: contact@anenglishtutor.com