Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

QnS Academy London respects privacy and is committed to protecting personal information. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it and how individuals can contact us about their data.

2. Information We May Collect

• Student name, parent or guardian name and contact details.
• Age or date of birth where needed for children's courses.
• Course enrolment, attendance and assessment information.
• Payment and order information.
• Messages, enquiries and communication records.
• Safeguarding or wellbeing information where necessary.
• Technical information from website use, forms and online platforms.
• Photographs, recordings or testimonials where permission has been given.

3. How We Use Personal Information

• To process enrolments and payments.
• To provide courses, classes and learning resources.
• To communicate with students, parents and guardians.
• To manage attendance, progress, certificates and support.
• To protect children and handle safeguarding concerns.
• To respond to enquiries, complaints and refund requests.
• To improve our website and services.
• To comply with legal, payment gateway and regulatory requirements.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Our legal justifications under UK GDPR for handling your data are:

• Contractual Obligation: Necessary to administer your account and deliver our educational services.
• Legal Obligation: Required to comply with UK tax, corporate, and statutory laws.
• Legitimate Interests: Necessary for operational communications and continuous service improvement.
• Consent: Relied upon where you explicitly opt into marketing materials, photographs, or public testimonials.
• Vital Interests and Safeguarding Obligations: Applied where processing is necessary to protect the welfare, safety, or wellbeing of students, particularly children, and to meet safeguarding responsibilities.

5. Payment Processing

Payment details are processed entirely by secure, third-party payment gateways. QnS Academy London does not store full payment card details on its internal systems. Customers are advised to review the relevant terms and privacy policies of the payment providers during checkout.

6. Children's Information

Where QnS Academy London collects information regarding minors under the age of 18, we aim to keep data collection limited, relevant, and secure. Enrolment for students under 18 must be completed or explicitly approved by a parent or legal guardian.

7. Sharing Personal Information

We do not sell your personal data. We only share information with third parties in the following strictly necessary scenarios:

• With instructors and internal staff directly involved in delivering your specific courses.
• With verified website hosting providers, IT platforms, and database tools required to maintain operations.
• With relevant legal and statutory authorities where we have a legal obligation or a critical safeguarding concern regarding a child at risk.

8. Data Security and Retention

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure or alteration.

We retain personal records only for as long as necessary to fulfil our educational services or comply with UK statutory regulations (such as keeping financial transaction records for up to 6 years to comply with UK tax laws). Safeguarding records may be preserved longer in accordance with statutory safeguarding guidelines.

9. Your Data Protection Rights

Under UK data protection law, you hold rights regarding your personal information, including the right to request access, seek rectification of errors, request data deletion, or restrict processing under certain conditions. To exercise any of these statutory rights, contact us at info@theqnsacademy.com.

10. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website utilizes cookies and performance tracking technologies to optimize system performance, analyse web traffic patterns, and improve user experiences. You can manage or disable cookie preferences directly through your browser settings.

11. Contact, Enquiries and Complaints

For any questions regarding this policy, or if you wish to file a formal complaint about how your data is handled, please reach out to us at info@theqnsacademy.com.

If our response does not resolve your concern, you maintain the right to escalate your complaint directly to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) via https://www.ico.org.uk.