Baloo Academy (“the Academy”) values your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and safeguard your information.
We collect and process the following types of personal data:
- Tutors:
- - Academic qualifications and English language proficiency.
- - Availability for scheduling lessons.
- - Feedback and performance metrics from students (if applicable).
- Students:
- - Limited demographic information (age, first language, and academic level, if required for lesson matching).
- - Lesson preferences and learning goals.
- Session Data: Recordings of lessons for safeguarding, quality control, and legal compliance.
- Communication Data: Emails or feedback shared with the Academy.
- Cookies and Tracking Data: Information collected via cookies to improve the user experience and analyze website performance.
We do not collect any special category data (e.g., health, racial, or religious information) unless explicitly required for safeguarding purposes and with your consent.
We process your personal data based on:
- Consent: For the use of recordings for marketing purposes and for non-essential cookies (explicit consent required).
- Legitimate Interests: To ensure safe and effective operation of the Academy, including safeguarding.
- Legal Obligations: Compliance with applicable safeguarding and child protection laws.
We use your data for:
- Matching tutors and students based on language proficiency, learning goals, and availability.
- Issuing certificates of achievement and managing tutor performance recognition tiers (Blue, Silver, Golden, and Black certificates).
- Organizing lesson schedules and managing the waiting list for free lessons.
- Delivering and improving our services.
- Ensuring the safety and well-being of participants.
- Conducting quality assessments of lessons.
- Analyzing anonymized data to improve service delivery.
- Complying with legal requirements and protecting our legal interests.
Your personal data will only be shared:
- With authorized administrators of Baloo Academy for safeguarding or operational purposes.
- With third-party service providers (e.g., virtual classroom platforms) for lesson delivery and technical support.
- With legal authorities if required by law.
- With marketing platforms only if you have provided explicit consent.
We ensure all third-party providers comply with UK GDPR and are contractually bound to protect your data. We will never sell your data to third parties.
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:
- Enhance the functionality of our website.
- Analyze website performance and user engagement.
You can manage your cookie preferences or disable non-essential cookies through your browser settings or our cookie consent banner.
- Lesson Recordings: Stored securely for 30 days, then permanently deleted unless required for legal or safeguarding reasons.
- Account Information: Retained for as long as you maintain an active account. Inactive accounts will be deleted after two years of inactivity.
- Certificates and performance records are retained indefinitely for verification purposes.
All data is stored on secure servers in compliance with UK data protection standards.
We may anonymize data for analysis and reporting to enhance lesson quality, tutor training, and student outcomes. Anonymized data cannot be used to identify individuals.
You have the right to:
- Access your data and request a copy.
- Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”).
- Object to processing for marketing purposes.
- Restrict the processing of your data in certain circumstances.
- Request data portability to receive your data in a structured format.
- Lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data rights have been violated.
You can manage your communication preferences by contacting us or using the unsubscribe link in emails. Parental or guardian consent is required for minors (under 18) participating in lessons.
We use industry-standard measures, including encryption, secure servers, and restricted access, to protect your data. In the event of a data breach, we will notify affected users and relevant authorities as required by law.
This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in our services or legal requirements. Users will be notified of significant changes via email or a notice on our website. Continued use of our services constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
For questions or to exercise your rights, please contact us at:
- Email: contact@thebalooacademy.com
- Address: 45 Heathfield Road, London SW18 2PH, UK