Privacy

In order for me to provide you with a safe service, I will collect personal information from you when we work together. However, in doing so, I am bound by the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). 


Please discuss any questions you may have about this prior to booking any sessions.


LESSONing the Load is registered with the ICO.


I am a sole trader and, therefore, both the Data Controller and the Data Protection Officer. My contact details are Allison Agar, email lessoningtheload@gmail.com or phone 07703757178. Please be aware that I will not be able to answer my phone when working with students, and I do not run an out-of-hours or emergency appointment service. You are welcome to send me a message via email or text and I will get back to you. If you have not had a reply within 7 days, you are welcome to contact me again.


The information that I will collect about students and their families will usually come from them or their parent/guardian directly via a phone call, email, text message, an online form or face-to-face in one of our sessions. If the student is under 18, I may require information from their parents, guardians and/or school. 


How will I be using the student's (parents'/guardians') personal data?

I will be using your personal data in the following ways:

  • to provide you with services or items you have purchased, e.g. tuition sessions, resources.
  • to reply to you if you contact me with questions about my services,
  • to contact you between sessions if necessary,
  • to allow me to collect payment from you, and maintain my records and accounts.

You have no legal requirement to share any information with me, but if you do not do so, I will not be able to offer you any services that you may want to purchase.


The data I will collect from you for sessions will include parent's/guardian's name and contact details (if student is under 18), student's name, date of birth and contact details, educational history and details, exam concessions, any conditions that may affect progress or ability to process, use or communicate information. Any other information that I, or you, see as important for our sessions/the services I am providing. These details are necessary to provide safe and effective sessions.


The lawful basis of my collecting and processing data is consent or contract or legitimate interests. You consent to my holding and using your information when you submit an online form, make contact with a query or return your client form. Clicking a PayPal button or making a bank transfer creates a contract to supply goods or services, which I cannot do without using your data. If you agree to (the student) undertaking tuition, you will sign my terms and conditions, which creates a contract. If you email, phone or contact me via social media with enquiries, it is a legitimate interest of my business to use your contact details to reply to you.


I will not rent, sell or distribute your personal information to any third party for marketing purposes. I will make all reasonable efforts to safeguard the confidentiality of your personal details and information. However, I hold no liability for the disclosure of information obtained due to errors in transmission or the unauthorised acts of third parties.


Third party services:

I use Google (GMail), Facebook, Wattsapp, Instagram and PayPal.

I am usually the only person who will have access to your/your child's information, unless the following applies:

  • you ask me in writing to share the information with someone else, such as the LEA
  • you, the student, are under the age of 18 and your parent/guardian has an appropriate reason to request it, e.g. they need to know progress in order to make a judgement about whether you are ready for your exam or need further help
  • a duty of care provision applies
  • I am working with you as part of a care team, in which case pre-arranged levels of information will be shared with these relevant parties.
  • In the event of me becoming incapacitated (temporarily or permanently), the responsibility to contact clients, and therefore to access names and contact details, will pass to Martin Agar, my husband.

I keep the information/work you give me for two years. After this time, it will be shredded or burned and disposed of securely. However, financial records are kept for seven years, for tax purposes. 


To the best of my ability, the information you give me will be kept private and confidential unless one of the following applies:

  • there is a legal requirement for me to share information (for example, a relevant court order or warrant is issued),
  • there is reasonable cause to believe that if I do not disclose information, you or others would be exposed to a serious risk of harm (for example, if you are at risk from suicide or abuse, or taking part in serious law-breaking).


I may also share anonymous examples of your work (for example, an interesting idea for a narrative) for the purposes of tutoring, supervision or training. Anonymous means your personal details are removed or changed so that you cannot be recognised. The duty of care provision applies to everyone but you can opt out of this other use of your information by dropping me an email.

 

Your Rights

  • You can ask me to send your information to someone else. I may require your written consent for this.
  • You can ask me to amend your records if you know there to be an error in them. 
  • In some circumstances, you can ask me to remove your details from my records, and in some circumstances you can request that I stop processing your information.
  • You can withdraw your permission for me to use your information at any time, which means ending your sessions.
  • You can request that any automated processes are completed by a person. If you prefer not to complete these, the information can be collected over the telephone or sometimes face-to-face during our first session,
  • You are entitled to request a copy of the information I hold about you at any time, by requesting it in writing. If you do this it will be provided free of charge and within 30 days.
  • You can unsubscribe from newsletters and emails and request that I stop sending you direct marketing.
  • If you are under 18, I will need permission from a parent or guardian before working with you. I may need to verify your date of birth through a standard ID check.
  • You can learn more about these rights on https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/individual-rights/


Cookies

Cookies are small pieces of data that can help a website work more efficiently for you by organising and storing browsing information on your computer or device.

The cookies I use on my website do not collect any personal information from you that could be used to identify you as an individual. However, they may be used to help compile reports on how visitors use the site, in order to improve the experience for them. They also improve, for visitors, how efficiently the website works and help make its functions seamless. For example, they allow movement from page to page, and interaction with the website, without you needing to keep entering search details.

My website is provided via Site123, and I may, at times, embed content from or direct you to other sites, such as Facebook, Google (inc. GMail), Amazon or PayPal. You can check with these service providers how their cookies function as their cookies are beyond my control. You can usually, if you wish to, use your browser to delete, disable or control the cookies that you want to accept from any site that you choose to visit. However, by deleting or disabling cookies, you may find certain areas or features of websites inaccessible.

By using this website, registering for or continuing to use any of the services I provide, you automatically and knowingly agree to accept all of the cookies linked to the website.

This policy was updated 12th August 2024.