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English Home Studies

Privacy Notice


Last updated 2nd September 2026

 

At English Home Studies, I take your privacy and the privacy of my students seriously. This notice explains what personal information I collect, why I need it, how I use and protect it and what rights you have and I have tried to keep this notice as clear and straightforward as possible.

 

1. Who is responsible for your information?

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English Home Studies is run by Catherine Potter, who is the Data Controller for the personal information used by the business.

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Data Controller: Catherine Potter, trading as English Home Studies
Email: catherine@englishhomestudies.com
Website: www.englishhomestudies.com
Business Correspondence Address: 5 Brayford Square, London, E1 0SG

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English Home Studies is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and I handle personal information in accordance with current UK data protection law, including the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

 

2. Whose information may I collect?
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I may hold personal information about:

  • students receiving tuition;

  • parents and guardians;

  • people enquiring about tuition or joining the waiting list;

  • people who purchase or download resources from English Home Studies;

  • people who contact me about the business; and

  • where relevant, teachers, schools or other professionals involved in supporting a student.

 

3. What information may I collect?​
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The information I collect will depend on your relationship with English Home Studies.

It may include:

  • names;

  • email addresses and telephone numbers;

  • a parent or guardian's contact details;

  • a student's age, date of birth, school year or key stage;

  • school, course, examination board and set texts;

  • current grades, target grades, assessment results and areas for development;

  • lesson arrangements and attendance;

  • homework, written work and other work submitted for feedback;

  • lesson notes, progress information and agreed learning targets;

  • correspondence by email or other agreed methods;

  • invoices, payment information and transaction records;

  • information supplied when joining the tuition waiting list;

  • information needed to process an order from the English Home Studies website; and

  • technical information generated when you use the website or online services, where applicable.

I only collect information that is reasonably needed for the purpose for which it is being used.

 

4. Information about learning needs, disabilities or health
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Sometimes a parent, guardian or student may provide information about a student's disability, health, SEND, learning difficulty or other needs because it is relevant to their tuition.

Some of this may be classed as special category personal data, which receives extra protection under data protection law.

I will only record or use this information where it is relevant and necessary. Where appropriate, I will normally rely on explicit consent to use this information so that I can adapt tuition to meet the student's needs.

You can withdraw consent for this use at any time. This will not affect information that was lawfully used before consent was withdrawn.

Different rules may apply where information needs to be used or shared because of a safeguarding concern or another legal responsibility.

 

5. Where do I get personal information from?
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Most information is provided directly by the Parent/Guardian or student.

I may also receive relevant information from:

  • a school, teacher, SENCO or other professional, where appropriate;

  • examination or assessment documents supplied to me;

  • payment and website service providers;

  • correspondence or enquiries sent through the English Home Studies website; or

  • information that you have specifically asked another person or organisation to share with me.

I will not normally contact a student's school or another professional without the Parent/Guardian's knowledge or permission unless there is a safeguarding or legal reason why this is not appropriate.

 

6. Why do I use personal information?
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I use personal information to:

  • respond to enquiries about tuition;

  • manage the tuition waiting list;

  • arrange and provide tuition;

  • communicate with parents, guardians and students;

  • plan lessons and tailor teaching to individual students;

  • set, receive and mark homework;

  • monitor progress and keep appropriate teaching records;

  • provide feedback;

  • arrange lessons and manage attendance;

  • issue invoices and process payments;

  • keep appropriate financial and business records;

  • process purchases and provide digital resources;

  • deal with questions, complaints or disputes;

  • keep students safe and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns;

  • protect my legal rights and the rights and safety of others; and

  • comply with legal, tax, accounting and regulatory responsibilities.

 

7. What lawful bases do I rely on?
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Data protection law requires me to have a valid reason, known as a lawful basis, whenever I use personal information.

 

Depending on the circumstances, I may rely on:

 

Contract
Where information is needed to arrange or provide a service that you have asked for, manage our tuition agreement, process an order or take steps before entering into an agreement.

Legitimate interests
Where using the information is reasonably necessary to run English Home Studies, provide effective tuition, maintain appropriate educational records, communicate with families, manage the waiting list, protect the business or deal with queries and complaints, provided these interests do not override your rights and interests.

When I use information about a child on this basis, I take particular care to consider the child's interests and privacy.

Legal obligation
Where I need to keep or use information to comply with a legal requirement, for example tax and accounting responsibilities.

Consent
Where you have freely chosen to give consent for a particular use of your information. This may include some uses of special category information or optional communications.

Safeguarding and protecting people
Where information needs to be used to protect a child or another person, I may rely on legitimate interests, a legal obligation or another lawful basis permitted by data protection law. Where special category information is involved, I will also ensure that an appropriate additional legal condition applies.

I do not sell personal information.

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8. Do I have to provide personal information?
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Some personal information is needed so that I can arrange and provide tuition, process a purchase or meet my legal and financial responsibilities.

For example, I will normally need appropriate contact details, information about the student and tuition arrangements, and the information needed to invoice or process payment.

If you do not provide information that is necessary for the service you have requested, I may not be able to provide that service.

Other information is optional and you do not have to provide it unless it is necessary for a particular service or support that you have asked me to provide.

 

9. Children's personal information
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Most English Home Studies students are children, so I take particular care when handling their information.

I only collect information about a child that I reasonably need to provide tuition, support their learning, communicate appropriately or meet safeguarding responsibilities.

The Parent/Guardian will normally be the main contact for students under 18. However, data protection rights belong to the individual whose information is being used. As students become older and more able to understand how their information is used, I will take their views, age and understanding into account where appropriate.

Privacy information will be explained in a way that is appropriate to the child's age and understanding where necessary.

 

10. Safeguarding
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If I have a safeguarding concern, I may need to make a confidential record of relevant information.

In some circumstances, I may also need to share information with an appropriate person or organisation, such as a parent or guardian, school safeguarding lead, local authority, police or another relevant safeguarding service.

I will only share information that is relevant and necessary.

Consent is not required where information needs to be shared in accordance with the law to protect a child or another person from harm.

 

11. Who might I share information with?
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I do not share personal information unnecessarily.

Where necessary, information may be shared with organisations that help me provide and administer English Home Studies services, including:

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  • Zoom or another agreed online lesson platform;

  • Stripe and banking/payment providers;

  • website, e-commerce and online service providers;

  • email and cloud-storage providers;

  • accounting, bookkeeping or professional advisers where necessary;

  • schools, teachers, SENCOs or other professionals where this has been agreed or is otherwise lawful;

  • HM Revenue & Customs or another public authority where required by law; and

  • safeguarding or law-enforcement organisations where sharing is necessary and lawful.

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Where a service provider processes personal information on my behalf, I use providers that are required to protect it appropriately and handle it in accordance with applicable data protection law.

 

Card payments

Where you pay by card using Stripe or another payment provider, payment-card information is handled by the payment provider. I do not need to receive or store your full card details.

 

12. Information stored or processed outside the UK
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Some of the online services used by English Home Studies may store or process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where this involves an international transfer of personal information, I use services that provide an appropriate mechanism for protecting personal information under UK data protection law, such as UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards.

You can contact me if you would like further information about the safeguards applying to a particular service provider.

 

13. How long do I keep personal information?
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I do not keep personal information indefinitely. How long I retain it depends on why it was collected and whether I have a legal or legitimate reason to keep it.

 

As a general guide:

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Tuition enquiries
Enquiry information will normally be deleted within 12 months if tuition does not begin, unless there is a reason to keep it for longer or you have asked to remain on the waiting list.

Waiting list information
Information will be kept while you wish to remain on the waiting list and will normally be deleted within 12 months after you leave the waiting list or tell me you are no longer interested.

Student tuition and progress records
Routine lesson notes, submitted work and progress information will normally be kept while tuition is taking place and for up to 2 years afterwards. Information that is no longer useful or necessary may be deleted sooner.

Tuition agreements and important business correspondence
Information that may reasonably be needed to demonstrate what was agreed, deal with a complaint or protect legal rights may be kept for up to 6 years where appropriate.

Invoices, payments and financial records
Financial and tax records will be kept for the period required by HM Revenue & Customs and other applicable legal requirements.

Safeguarding information
Safeguarding records may need to be kept for longer. The retention period will depend on the nature of the concern, relevant safeguarding guidance and any legal requirements. Safeguarding information will not be kept longer than reasonably necessary.

Website purchases
Order and transaction information will be kept for as long as necessary to fulfil the order, deal with queries and refunds, maintain appropriate business records and meet tax or legal requirements.

When information is no longer needed, it will be securely deleted or destroyed.

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14. Waiting lists and marketing
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If you join the English Home Studies tuition waiting list, I will use your details to manage your enquiry and contact you about tuition availability.

Joining the waiting list does not automatically mean that you have agreed to receive unrelated marketing emails.

If I offer an optional mailing list or other direct marketing, I will make it clear what you are signing up for. You can unsubscribe or ask me to stop sending marketing communications at any time.

 

15. Website and cookies
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When you visit the English Home Studies website, the website provider may collect limited technical information such as IP address, device or browser information and information about how the website is used.

Cookies and similar technologies may also be used.

Some cookies and similar technologies require your consent, while others may be used without consent where an exception under applicable privacy law applies. Where consent is required, the relevant technology will not be used unless you have given your consent.

Further information about the cookies and similar technologies used on the website, together with the choices available to you, can be found through the website's cookie notice or cookie settings.

 

16. Automated decision-making
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I do not use personal information to make solely automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on students or clients.

 

17. Keeping information secure
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I take reasonable steps to keep personal information secure and to prevent unauthorised access, loss, alteration or disclosure.

These measures include using password-protected accounts and devices, reputable service providers and appropriate access controls.

Personal information is only kept for as long as it is reasonably needed.

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18. Your data protection rights
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Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis being used, you may have the right to:

  • ask what personal information I hold about you;

  • receive a copy of your personal information;

  • ask me to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;

  • ask for information to be deleted in certain circumstances;

  • ask me to restrict how information is used in certain circumstances;

  • object to certain uses of your information;

  • receive certain information in a portable format;

  • withdraw consent where consent is the basis for using information; and

  • complain about how your information has been handled.

Not every right applies in every situation, but I will explain this if it affects a request you make.

There is normally no charge for exercising your data protection rights.

To make a request, please email: catherine@englishhomestudies.com

I may need to ask for enough information to confirm your identity before releasing personal information.

 

Your right to object

Where I rely on legitimate interests to use your personal information, you have the right to object to that use.

If you object, I will consider your circumstances and whether there is an overriding lawful reason why the information still needs to be used.

You can object by emailing catherine@englishhomestudies.com

If I use your personal information for direct marketing, you have an absolute right to object to this at any time. If you object, I will stop using your personal information for that purpose.

 

19. Data protection complaints
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If you are concerned about how English Home Studies has collected, used, stored or shared personal information, please contact me in the first instance:

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Catherine Potter
Email: catherine@englishhomestudies.com
Business Correspondence Address: 5 Brayford Square, London, E1 0SG

I will acknowledge a data protection complaint within 30 days, investigate it appropriately and communicate the outcome without undue delay.

 

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office:

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Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.org.uk

 

20. Changes to this Privacy Notice

I will review this Privacy Notice periodically and update it where necessary, for example if the law changes or I change the way personal information is used.

If I make an important change that affects existing tuition clients, I will bring it to their attention.

 

Last updated: 2nd September 2026

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