THE LEARNING INSTITUTE

Privacy Notice

Last updated: September 2026

1. Who we are

The Learning Institute is an independent tutoring service operated by Fatima as a sole trader.

For the purposes of UK data protection law, Fatima Kazmi trading as The Learning Institute is the controller of personal information processed in connection with the tutoring service.

Business: The Learning Institute
Proprietor: Fatima
Email: hello@thelearninginstitute.co.uk
Correspondence address: Suite 201F, 60 Frederick Street, Birmingham, B1 3HS

2. Who this Privacy Notice applies to

This Privacy Notice applies to personal information relating to:

  • prospective students;

  • current and former students;

  • parents and guardians;

  • people making enquiries about tuition; and

  • other individuals who communicate with The Learning Institute in connection with its tutoring services.

Most students are children or young people. Their personal information will therefore be handled with particular care.

3. Information we may collect

The information collected will depend on the circumstances and will be limited to information reasonably required to provide and administer tuition.

Information about parents or guardians may include:

  • name;

  • email address;

  • telephone number;

  • relationship to the student;

  • communications;

  • booking information;

  • payment and transaction information; and

  • information provided through enquiries or consultations.

Information about students may include:

  • name;

  • age or year group;

  • subjects studied;

  • examination board where relevant;

  • current academic level or working grade;

  • target grades or academic goals;

  • areas of strength and difficulty;

  • assessment results;

  • homework and student work;

  • lesson and progress notes;

  • attendance information; and

  • information reasonably necessary to personalise tuition.

Where relevant to providing safe and appropriate tuition, a parent or guardian may provide information about a student's learning needs, disability, health or other circumstances. The Learning Institute seeks to collect only information that is reasonably necessary.

Safeguarding information may also be processed where a concern arises.

4. How information is collected

Personal information may be collected:

  • through the website enquiry form;

  • by email;

  • during an initial consultation;

  • from a parent or guardian;

  • from the student;

  • during lessons;

  • through assessments, homework and student work;

  • through booking and payment administration; and

  • through communications relating to tuition.

5. Why we use personal information

Personal information may be used to:

  • respond to enquiries;

  • arrange consultations;

  • establish and administer tutoring arrangements;

  • deliver online lessons;

  • personalise teaching;

  • understand a student's academic needs;

  • prepare lessons and educational resources;

  • assess and monitor academic progress;

  • provide homework or feedback;

  • communicate with parents, guardians and students;

  • manage lesson arrangements, cancellations and attendance;

  • receive and record payments;

  • maintain financial and tax records;

  • maintain appropriate business records;

  • protect the safety and welfare of students;

  • respond to safeguarding concerns;

  • establish, exercise or defend legal rights; and

  • comply with legal and regulatory obligations.

6. Lawful bases for processing

The Learning Institute will only process personal information where there is an appropriate lawful basis under applicable data protection law.

Depending on the circumstances, these may include:

Contract — where processing is necessary to take steps at a person's request before entering into a tutoring arrangement or to provide and administer agreed tutoring services.

Legitimate interests — where information is reasonably required to operate and improve the tutoring service, communicate appropriately, maintain suitable educational and business records or protect the legitimate interests of The Learning Institute, students and families, provided those interests are not overridden by the individual's rights and interests.

Legal obligation — where information must be processed to comply with a legal requirement.

Consent — where consent is the appropriate lawful basis for a particular activity.

7. Special category information

Some information, such as certain information concerning a person's health, disability or other sensitive circumstances, may constitute special category personal data under UK data protection law.

The Learning Institute does not seek to collect detailed medical information unless it is genuinely relevant and appropriate.

Where special category information is processed, The Learning Institute will identify both an appropriate lawful basis under Article 6 UK GDPR and an appropriate condition for processing under Article 9 UK GDPR.

Information will only be collected and used to the extent reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

8. Children's information

The Learning Institute primarily provides tuition to children and young people.

For students under 18, a parent or guardian will normally act as the primary administrative contact.

However, children have their own data protection rights. The Learning Institute will take account of the student's age, understanding and circumstances when handling their personal information.

Student information will not be collected simply because it may be useful in the future. Only information reasonably relevant to providing, administering or safeguarding tuition should be retained.

9. Safeguarding information

Where a safeguarding concern arises, information may need to be recorded and shared with an appropriate person or authority in order to protect a child or another person.

Safeguarding information will be handled confidentially and stored separately from ordinary lesson and progress records where appropriate.

Confidentiality is not absolute where information needs to be shared for an appropriate safeguarding or legal purpose.

Where appropriate, information may be shared with children's social care, emergency services, police or another relevant safeguarding authority.

Data protection law does not prevent appropriate information sharing where necessary for safeguarding.

10. How information is stored and protected

The Learning Institute takes reasonable organisational and technical measures to protect personal information.

These may include:

  • password-protected accounts and devices;

  • multi-factor authentication where available and appropriate;

  • restricted access to student information;

  • secure cloud storage;

  • separation of safeguarding records from ordinary student records;

  • data minimisation;

  • avoiding unnecessary local downloads and copies; and

  • periodically reviewing and deleting information that is no longer required.

No method of electronic storage or transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but reasonable precautions are taken to reduce risk.

11. Service providers

The Learning Institute uses third-party technology providers to operate the tutoring service.

These currently include services used for:

  • website hosting and enquiry forms — Squarespace;

  • business email — Microsoft/Outlook;

  • cloud storage, student records, calendars and online lessons — Google services;

  • interactive online whiteboard teaching — Scribble Together; and

  • banking and payment administration through the relevant banking provider.

These providers may process personal information in connection with the services they provide.

The Learning Institute aims to provide service providers only with the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

Some technology providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this occurs, appropriate data-protection arrangements will be relied upon as required by applicable law.

12. Payments

Tuition fees are currently paid by bank transfer.

The Learning Institute may retain information necessary to identify and reconcile payments and maintain appropriate financial and tax records.

The Learning Institute does not request or store customers' online-banking passwords, PINs or security credentials.

If payment methods change in the future, this Privacy Notice will be reviewed where necessary.

13. Online lessons

Lessons are ordinarily delivered through Google Meet and may use Scribble Together for interactive educational work.

Lessons are not routinely recorded.

The Learning Institute does not routinely take photographs, video recordings or screenshots of students.

Educational work may be retained where reasonably necessary for tuition and progress monitoring, subject to the applicable retention arrangements.

14. Sharing personal information

Personal information will not be sold.

Information may be shared where reasonably necessary with:

  • technology and service providers supporting the tutoring service;

  • professional advisers where appropriate;

  • HM Revenue & Customs or another authority where legally required;

  • safeguarding authorities;

  • emergency services or police;

  • courts, regulators or other public authorities where required; or

  • another person where there is an appropriate legal basis for doing so.

Only information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose should be shared.

15. How long information is kept

Personal information will not be kept indefinitely simply because it has been collected.

The Learning Institute maintains a Data Retention Schedule setting out its normal retention approach.

As a general guide:

  • unsuccessful or inactive enquiry information will normally be deleted after approximately 6 months;

  • routine educational and progress information will normally be retained while tuition is active and for up to 12 months after tuition ends, unless there is a reason to retain it for longer;

  • routine parent/student administrative communications will be periodically reviewed and deleted when no longer required;

  • financial and tax records will be retained for the period required by applicable law; and

  • safeguarding information will be considered separately and may need to be retained for longer than ordinary tutoring records.

These are general periods and information may be retained for a different period where there is an appropriate legal, safeguarding or business reason.

16. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, individuals may have rights including:

  • the right to be informed about how personal information is used;

  • the right to access personal information;

  • the right to request correction of inaccurate information;

  • the right to request erasure in certain circumstances;

  • the right to request restriction of processing in certain circumstances;

  • the right to object to certain processing;

  • the right to data portability in certain circumstances; and

  • rights relating to certain automated decision-making.

These rights do not apply in exactly the same way in every situation and may be subject to legal exemptions.

Requests concerning personal information can be made using:

hello@thelearninginstitute.co.uk

17. Concerns and complaints

Questions or concerns about how The Learning Institute handles personal information should initially be sent to:

hello@thelearninginstitute.co.uk

Individuals also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if they have concerns about the use of their personal information.

Further information is available from the ICO.

18. Changes to this Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice may be updated when The Learning Institute changes its services, technology, data-processing activities or where legal or regulatory requirements change.

The latest version will be made available through The Learning Institute's website where appropriate.

Last updated: September 2026