PRIVACY POLICY
Last updated June 11, 2026
Hello there!
Thank you for checking out our privacy policy, which details how we look after your data when you visit our site or when you receive tutoring services from us. We take your privacy seriously. We're committed to protecting your privacy and handling your information in a responsible way while you use our website and receive tutoring services from us.
We encourage you to read this policy alongside any other privacy notices we might provide, so you're fully in the loop about how and why we use your, and your child's information. We also have a version of this which is aimed at children and young people if you would like to share it with them: https://www.veritysmathsplace.co.uk/childrens-privacy-policy
In this policy:
"Client" means the individual or organisation that contracts with us for tutoring services, for example parents of a child studying with us. In some cases, the client and the student may be the same person.
"Student" means the child or adult learner receiving tutoring services.
"You" may refer to the client, student, or website visitor, depending on the context.
"Website visitor" means any individual who accesses our website without engaging our services.
Who's in charge of your data?
The controller of your data is Verity Hawthorn-Thwaites Trading as Verity's Maths Place and we can be contacted by email via this address: info@veritysmathsplace.co.uk.
Not happy with something?
We're committed to treating your personal data with respect, transparency, and care. If you ever have questions or concerns about how your data is used, we want to hear from you, and we'll do our best to resolve things quickly and fairly. Under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, you have the right to raise a complaint about how your personal data is handled. Here's how:
Step 1: Email us at info@veritysmathsplace.co.uk with a brief description of your concern. You don't need to use legal language — just tell us what's worrying you.
Step 2: We'll acknowledge your message and respond without undue delay, usually within 10 working days.
Step 3: If you're not satisfied with our response, you can escalate your concern to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk.
What data do we collect?
'Personal data' is information that identifies you. If we've removed your identity (by making the data anonymous), it won't be classed as personal data.
Data we collect about you — the client (including parents, guardians, or adult students)
We might collect, use, store, and share various types of personal data about you as follows:
Identity details such as first and last name.
Contact details such as your billing address and delivery address, email address and telephone number.
Financial information such as your bank account and payment card details.
Information about transactions like details about payments to and from you, and other details of tutoring services you have purchased from us.
Usage information about how you use our tutoring services.
Marketing information such as your preferences on receiving marketing from both us and third-parties, along with your communication preferences.
Data we collect about the student and their education
We might collect, use, store, and share various types of personal data about the student as follows:
Identity details such as first and last name, date of birth and gender.
Contact details such as your email address and telephone number (if not in the parent's name).
SEN and Mental Health Data: Information about learning difficulties, diagnoses, mental health conditions affecting learning, EHCPs, required adjustments, and support strategies. Some of this information we collect may be classed as special category personal data under UK GDPR and is subject to additional legal protections.
Technical information such as your internet protocol (IP address), your login data, browser type, version, browser plug-in types and versions, time zone setting and location, operating system and platform and other technology on the devices you use to access our tutoring services.
Account details such as your username and password.
Learning profile such as school subjects, study goals, academic strengths, and areas for academic improvement.
Assessment data such as the student's baseline, their academic progress, and feedback given by the tutor.
Learning data such as homework submissions, learning plans, personalised education programmes, reports or progress summaries, tutor observations, and notes on a session.
Safeguarding and Welfare Information: Identity details for contacting parents/guardians, health/medical information for safe session planning, and session notes (including observations about behaviour, mood, or attendance). This data may be shared with external agencies such as schools or local authority children's services only when necessary, lawful and proportionate to protect a child or vulnerable person from harm.
Student Work and Tutor Feedback: As part of our tutoring services, we may collect and store work submitted by the student, such as homework, coursework, essays, assessments, or practice exercises. We may also create and retain tutor feedback, annotations, progress notes, and learning materials linked to that work. This information is used solely for the purposes of delivering tutoring services, monitoring progress, and supporting the student's learning, and is handled in accordance with this privacy policy.
Special Category Data: We require your specific consent to process Special Category Data (such as information about your health, SEND and additional needs including reports such as EHCPs). When you submit your details, we will ask you to confirm your consent to this processing.
Data we collect about our website visitors
Identity details such as first and last name.
Contact details such as your email address and telephone number.
Technical information such as your internet protocol (IP address), your login data, browser type, version, browser plug-in types and versions, time zone setting and location, operating system and platform and other technology on the devices you use to access our website.
Usage information about how you use our website, products and services.
Marketing information such as your preferences on receiving marketing from both us and third-parties, along with your communication preferences.
Aggregated data
We may also use any of the above information, without any of your identifiable details, to produce aggregated data. For example, we may aggregate data to understand which subjects are most in demand, what age groups we support most frequently, or which exam boards our students typically study. If we combine this data with your personal data at any point so you do become identifiable, we treat this as personal data and use this in accordance with this policy.
Children's data and age-appropriate design
We're committed to protecting the privacy of children and young people who use our tutoring services or access our resources. If our website, services or content are likely to be used by children under 18, we follow the Age-Appropriate Design Code and the updated rules under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
Here's what that means in practice:
We design our services with children's safety and understanding in mind.
We avoid using unnecessary tracking or profiling tools.
We explain things clearly, using child-friendly language wherever possible.
We ask for parental or guardian consent when needed.
We give children meaningful choices about their data.
If you're a parent and have questions about how we handle children's data, just email us at info@veritysmathsplace.co.uk.
How do we collect your personal data?
We use different methods to collect data from and about you and your child. The majority of the time, our information is collected directly when you contact us in the following ways:
When you complete any forms before or during tutoring;
When you instruct us to provide tutoring services;
Verbally during discussions and during tutoring sessions;
From our platform, you may connect to external services to enhance your tutoring experience. This includes external calendars (such as Google, iCloud, or Office365) to synchronise sessions with your calendar — our website will read events from your calendar to provide availability (Free/Busy times) and write calendar events to keep your external calendar updated. You may also use interactive whiteboard platforms (such as Bitpaper, Bramble, Miro, or Explain Everything) during tutoring sessions. We do not collect your usernames and passwords used to sign into these external services;
Correspondence with us via post, phone, email or otherwise;
When you subscribe to our email newsletter;
When you request marketing communications to be sent to you; or
When you give us feedback or contact us.
We may also receive your personal data from the following third-parties:
Online tutoring directories where you have posted your interest in tutoring services.
Social media sites where we have publicised our information.
Third-parties who refer you to us, such as fellow tutors or previous clients.
Session recordings
Where tutoring sessions are recorded, these recordings constitute personal data and are processed in accordance with this privacy policy. Recordings are stored securely, access is restricted, and retention is limited to what is necessary for the stated purpose. Further details about session recordings are set out in our tutoring terms and conditions.
Automated technologies
Another method we may use to collect data includes the use of automated technologies or interactions, like website cookies or other similar technologies. This includes information about your equipment, browsing actions and patterns and information about your browsing activity if you visit another website that uses the same cookies as us. This means we receive information about how you use these third-party websites.
This data collection helps us to improve user experience, and to gather information about how you use our website. For more information, please refer to our Cookie Policy, which can be accessed here.
We may also receive data from third-parties such as:
Technical information from Analytics providers such as Google.
Advertising networks such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
Search information providers such as Google.
Publicly available sources, such as Companies House and the Electoral Register.
What are the purposes for which we use your personal data?
The purposes for which we will be using your data include:
To register you as a new client and/or student.
To plan and deliver effective tutoring sessions tailored to the student's individual learning needs, goals, and abilities.
To track and assess student progress, including creating progress reports, monitoring academic development, and evaluating the effectiveness of teaching strategies.
To create personalised learning materials and plans based on the student's learning profile, strengths, and areas for improvement.
To communicate with parents/guardians about session attendance, student progress, homework, and any concerns that may arise.
To fulfil our safeguarding responsibilities, including monitoring student welfare and wellbeing, and sharing information with appropriate agencies where necessary to protect a child or vulnerable person from harm.
To maintain accurate session records and notes for continuity of teaching and to track topics covered.
To provide appropriate support for students with SEN or additional learning needs, including implementing reasonable adjustments and accommodations.
To comply with our professional obligations as members of tutoring associations or regulatory bodies (where applicable).
To manage our relationship with you e.g., to notify you about changes to our terms or this privacy policy or to ask you to leave a review.
To send you relevant marketing information about our services.
To administer and protect our business and this website (including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, system maintenance, support, reporting and hosting of data).
To deliver relevant website content and advertisements to you and measure or understand the effectiveness of the advertising we serve to you.
To use data analytics to improve our website, products/services, marketing, client relationships and experiences.
To make suggestions and recommendations to you about services that may be of interest to you.
We rely on one or more of the following lawful conditions to process your data as outlined above:
To fulfil our contract with you;
For our legitimate interests; or
To comply with legal obligations.
In some scenarios, we'll ask for your consent, especially for collecting sensitive data. In most circumstances, generally, we do not obtain your consent for processing your personal data. If we send you marketing communications and you no longer wish to receive them, you can opt out anytime by contacting us or clicking on the 'unsubscribe' button on our marketing communications.
We may process your personal data for more than one lawful reason at a time, depending on the specific purpose for which we are using your data. If you'd like more information on the specific legal ground we are relying on, on occasions where we rely on more than one legal ground, please feel free to contact us.
Our lawful basis: recognised legitimate interests
We sometimes process your personal data under what's called a "recognised legitimate interest". This is a lawful basis introduced by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. This means we use your data in ways that support important public or organisational aims, while respecting your rights and freedoms.
Examples include:
Helping to prevent fraud or misuse of our services.
Supporting safeguarding and professional standards.
Responding to emergencies or protecting wellbeing.
Improving accessibility and inclusion in our resources.
We always carry out a balancing test to make sure our interests don't override yours. You have the right to object to this type of processing at any time, and we'll explain your options clearly.
If you'd like to know more or raise a concern, just email us at info@veritysmathsplace.co.uk. We're committed to transparency and respectful data use.
Do we use cookies?
Cookies help make our website work better for you, remembering your preferences and improving your experience. You can control cookie settings in your browser. Cookies make your browsing experience on our site as smooth as possible, because they remember your preferences.
Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. Please refer to our Cookie Policy here to learn more: https://www.veritysmathsplace.co.uk/cookies-policy
AI usage
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to assist with the provision of our tutoring services, including but not limited to lesson planning, data analysis, drafting documents and notes, responding to inquiries, and taking notes in lessons. Any AI tools we employ are used in compliance with applicable data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
When using AI tools, we ensure:
Personal data is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently.
Data minimisation principles are upheld, meaning we only provide AI tools with the information strictly necessary for the intended purpose.
Robust security measures are in place to protect your personal data during any processing involving AI tools.
Personal data is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in our policy, after which it is securely deleted or anonymised.
We have listed below the specific AI tools we are using within our business, the purpose, the types of data we are collecting and our legal basis for this processing:
Claude — Anthropic (Generative AI Assistant)
Purpose: To support business administration, draft client and parent communications, and assist with day-to-day operational tasks.
Types of data used: Limited and anonymised data only.
Legal basis for processing: Legitimate interest.
Privacy policy: https://privacy.claude.com/en/
Gemini — Google (Generative AI Assistant)
Purpose: To support lesson planning, generate teaching resources and worksheets, and assist with business administration tasks.
Types of data used: Limited and anonymised data only.
Legal basis for processing: Legitimate interest.
Privacy policy: https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/13594961?hl=en
YesGenie (Online maths resource platform)
Purpose: To provide curriculum-aligned maths worksheets, exam questions, and video tutorials used within lessons and as a homework source.
Types of data used: No personal data is shared with YesGenie by Verity's Maths Place.
Legal basis for processing: Not applicable.
Privacy policy: https://yesgenie.com/privacy
Zoom AI Companion — Zoom Workplace Pro (AI notetaker used during meetings and virtual sessions on Zoom)
Purpose: To generate meeting notes and summaries during online tuition sessions, to support session records and continuity.
Types of data used: Audio and transcript content from online tuition sessions. We use Zoom AI Companion with the setting that prevents our content being used to train Zoom's models. Students are supported through AI literacy guidance to minimise additional identifying information (such as full names, addresses, or school names) being spoken during sessions.
Legal basis for processing: Legitimate interest.
Privacy policy: https://www.zoom.com/en/trust/privacy/
For further inquiries on our AI usage or to exercise your rights, please contact us using the details provided in this policy.
Do we use automated decision-making?
We may use automated systems to help us make certain decisions. For example, to streamline onboarding, assess suitability for tutoring programmes, match students with appropriate tutors, or tailor learning resources to student needs. These decisions are made using technology that analyses the information you provide, without direct human involvement.
Under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, you have rights when decisions are made solely by automated means that significantly affect you. This includes the right to:
Understand how the decision was made.
Request human review.
Challenge the outcome.
Share additional information that may influence the result.
We only use automated decision-making where it helps us deliver faster, fairer, or more consistent service, and we always build in safeguards to protect your rights.
If you'd like to know more or raise a concern, just email us at info@veritysmathsplace.co.uk. We're here to help, and we'll always make sure a real human listens.
Digital identity and smart data schemes
We may use secure digital identity services to verify who you are — especially when accessing online tutoring platforms or signing tutoring agreements. These services help protect your data and streamline your experience. We also participate in Smart Data schemes, which allow you to share your information safely and easily between trusted providers (for example, when switching tutoring services or accessing educational benefits). These schemes are regulated under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 and are designed to give you more control over your data.
Whenever we use these services:
We'll explain what data is shared and why.
You'll have the right to opt out or withdraw consent.
We'll only use providers who meet strict security and privacy standards.
If you'd like to know more or see which services we use, just email us at info@veritysmathsplace.co.uk.
Do we use third-party links?
Our website might link to third-party websites, tools and apps. Clicking on these links may allow third-parties to collect or share your data.
We do not control said websites and are not responsible for said websites' privacy policies. When you leave our website, we encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.
Do we use third-party tutoring platforms?
We may also provide tutoring services through third-party platforms such as TutorBird or similar online tutoring marketplaces.
Where tutoring sessions are arranged and delivered through a third-party platform, that platform acts as the data controller in relation to any personal data it collects and processes about you. This includes account details, platform communications, session recordings, and payment information.
Each platform has its own privacy policy, and you should review their privacy notices to understand how your personal data is handled when using their services.
This privacy policy applies only to personal data that we collect and process independently of those platforms, such as data collected through our own website, direct communications, or private tutoring arrangements.
Do we ever share your personal data?
We take your data's security seriously and only allow certain people to access it. We may share your personal data with the parties set out below for the purposes as stated further above:
Parents/Guardians: If we tutor children or young people, we share progress updates, attendance information, and relevant learning data with parents or legal guardians.
Schools and Educational Institutions: With your consent, we may share relevant information about student progress, learning needs, or academic performance with your child's school to support continuity of learning.
Safeguarding Authorities: If we have serious concerns about a child or vulnerable person's safety or wellbeing, we may share relevant information with schools, local authority children's services, or police. This is a legal requirement and done without consent where necessary to protect from harm.
Online Tutoring Platforms: Service providers such as Zoom, Google Meet, Bitpaper, Bramble, or other virtual classroom tools that host our tutoring sessions and may process technical data.
Scheduling and Booking Systems: Providers like Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, or similar tools that manage session bookings and calendar integrations.
Service providers: IT and system administration services, including website hosting, email providers (e.g., Google Workspace, Microsoft 365), and cloud storage providers.
Payment Processors: Card merchants such as PayPal, Stripe, GoCardless, or bank payment systems that securely process your transactions.
Professional advisers: Lawyers, accountants, auditors, and insurers who provide consultancy, legal, insurance, and accounting services to our business.
Professional bodies: Organisations such as The Tutors' Association, DBS Update Service, or other regulatory bodies who we are members of for professional standards, training, and verification purposes.
HM Revenue & Customs and other authorities: Government bodies and regulators who require reporting of processing activities in certain circumstances.
Sub-contracted tutors: If your session is delivered by an associate tutor working with us, we will share relevant learning information, progress notes, and student needs to ensure continuity and quality of teaching.
Outsourced administrative support: We work with an external virtual assistant provider who supports the day-to-day administration of our business. They may have access to relevant client information solely for the purposes of carrying out administrative tasks on our behalf, and are bound by a written agreement to handle your personal data securely and only on our instructions.
Session notes and sensitive observations remain confidential and are not shared with third-parties except where required for safeguarding purposes or with your explicit consent. All third parties are required to respect the security of your personal data and process it only for specified purposes in line with our instructions and data protection laws.
Do we ever transfer your data internationally?
We may transfer your data outside of the United Kingdom/EEA, but only when we can be sure it is protected.
Many of our external third-parties are based outside the United Kingdom/EEA and so their processing of your personal data will involve a transfer of data outside the United Kingdom.
Whenever we transfer your personal data out of the United Kingdom, we make sure it is protected by at least implementing one of the following safeguards:
We will only transfer your personal data to countries that have been deemed to provide an adequate level of protection for personal data by the United Kingdom.
Where we use certain service providers, we may use specific contracts approved by the UK Information Commissioner's Office and the European Commission which give personal data the same protection it has in Europe.
Please contact us if you want further information on the specific process used by us when transferring your personal data out of the United Kingdom.
How secure is your data with us?
We have strong security measures in place to keep your personal information safe. Only authorised individuals who have a need to know are granted access to your data, such as our team members or trusted partners. They will process your data in accordance with our confidentiality terms.
In the rare circumstances that there is a personal data breach, we have procedures in place and will notify you, along with any applicable regulator, when we're legally required to.
We store data securely in Google Drive and a lockable filing cabinet for physical documentation.
What is our process for retaining your data?
We only keep your data as long as necessary for the reasons we collected it, and we apply different retention periods depending on the type of information:
Financial Records: By law we must keep basic information about you (including contact information, identity details, financial information and data relating to your transactions with us) for six years after you cease to be a client for tax purposes.
Child-Specific Tutoring Data: For children we tutor, we retain educational information including learning profiles, assessment data, progress notes, tutor observations, session notes, homework submissions, and student work for up to 6 years after tutoring services end. This allows us to provide continuity if you return to our services, or require information to support any diagnostic processes and maintain appropriate educational records.
Safeguarding Information: Any safeguarding-related information is retained for up to 6 years after tutoring ends, or longer where a specific concern requires extended retention to protect a child or vulnerable person from harm. This is in line with safeguarding best practice and ensures we maintain appropriate records should any future concerns arise.
Other Personal Data: For information that does not fall within the categories above, we determine the appropriate retention time by considering what kind of data it is, how sensitive it is, the risks if it's misused, why we need it, and whether there are other ways to achieve the same goals. We also consider applicable legal, regulatory, tax, accounting and other requirements.
Once the retention period expires, we securely delete or anonymise your personal data in accordance with data protection laws.
What are your legal rights in relation to your data?
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
Access
You have the right to ask us what personal data we hold about you and to receive a copy of that data. This is called a Subject Access Request (SAR).
We'll respond within one calendar month, but if we need to verify your identity first, we may pause the clock while we do so. This helps protect your data and ensures we're sharing it with the right person. If your request is complex or repetitive, we may apply proportionality rules under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, which allow us to limit the scope or extend the response time. We'll always explain why and keep you informed. To make a request, just email us at info@veritysmathsplace.co.uk with the subject line "DSAR Request". You don't need to use legal language — just let us know what you'd like to see or understand. If you're unhappy with how we handle your request, you can raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk.
Correction
If the personal data we have about you is incomplete or incorrect, you can ask us to correct it.
Erasure
You can ask us to delete your personal data. It's important to note, however, that there might be legal reasons that prevent us from fulfilling this request. If such reasons exist, we will inform you when you make your request.
Objection
In certain situations, you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data.
Restriction of processing
You can request that we restrict the processing of your personal data under specific circumstances.
Data portability
You have the right to request the transfer of your personal data directly to you or to a third-party of your choice.
Withdrawal of consent
At any point where we rely on your consent to process your personal data, you have the right to withdraw this consent. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the legality of the processing done before the consent was withdrawn. Should you withdraw your consent, we might be unable to provide you with certain products or services. We will inform you if that is the case when you withdraw your consent.
If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please contact us.
We won't charge any fees for you to request access to your personal data. However, a reasonable fee may be charged if your request is clearly unjustified, repetitive or excessive. We also reserve the right to not comply in this scenario. We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it could take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated.
Changes and contact
We regularly review our privacy policy. Please keep us updated if your personal data changes. If you have any questions or need to exercise your rights, just get in touch.
Thanks for reading our privacy policy. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact us.