Privacy Notice

# West End Academy Privacy Notice

**Last updated: July 2026**

## 1. About This Privacy Notice

West End Academy respects the privacy of its students, parents, guardians, staff and website visitors.

This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act 2018 and other applicable data protection laws.

West End Academy is responsible for deciding how the personal information described in this notice is used.

For questions about this notice or the way we handle personal information, please contact:

**Email:** [info@westend.academy](mailto:info@westend.academy)
**Website:** [www.westend.academy](http://www.westend.academy)

## 2. Who This Notice Applies To

This Privacy Notice applies to:

* students attending West End Academy classes, trials, workshops, productions and events;
* parents, legal guardians and emergency contacts;
* people making enquiries or joining a waiting list;
* customers purchasing classes, memberships or activities;
* people subscribing to West End Academy news and marketing;
* visitors using the West End Academy website.

Because many of our students are children, we take additional care when collecting and using their information. The welfare and best interests of the child are a primary consideration when handling children’s personal data.

## 3. Information We May Collect

We only collect information that is reasonably necessary to operate West End Academy and provide our services.

This may include:

### Student information

* full name;
* date of birth;
* age or school year;
* home postcode;
* class, programme or location;
* attendance information;
* authorised collection arrangements;
* information about whether a student may leave independently;
* relevant medical conditions, allergies or medication requirements;
* disabilities, access requirements or additional support needs;
* emergency and safeguarding information;
* photographs or video recordings where appropriate permission has been provided.

### Parent or guardian information

* name;
* relationship to the student;
* email address;
* telephone number;
* enrolment and payment information;
* communications with West End Academy;
* policy agreements and permissions.

### Emergency contact information

* name;
* relationship to the student;
* telephone number.

Parents and guardians should make sure that any emergency contact knows their information has been provided to West End Academy.

### Website and enquiry information

When someone uses our website, sends an enquiry or completes a form, we may collect:

* their name and contact details;
* the contents of their enquiry;
* the date and time of the submission;
* basic technical information collected through website security, analytics or cookies.

Further information about website cookies may be provided through our website cookie settings or cookie notice.

## 4. Medical and Other Sensitive Information

Information about a person’s health, disability or support requirements may be considered special category personal data.

We only request information that is relevant to the safe participation and support of the student.

This information may be made available to appropriate teachers, assistants, safeguarding staff or emergency services where necessary to protect the student’s health, safety or welfare.

## 5. How We Collect Information

We may collect personal information:

* through student registration and trial forms;
* through website contact and interest forms;
* through email, telephone, text message or WhatsApp;
* during classes, workshops, productions or events;
* through attendance, accident, incident or safeguarding records;
* through payment and booking systems;
* from a parent, guardian or emergency contact;
* from a school, venue, partner or professional where there is a lawful and appropriate reason to receive it.

## 6. Why We Use Personal Information

We may use personal information to:

* process enquiries and trial bookings;
* register students for classes and activities;
* confirm class places, schedules and locations;
* manage attendance and authorised collection arrangements;
* communicate with parents and guardians;
* collect and manage payments;
* provide appropriate support to students;
* protect the health, safety and welfare of students;
* respond to accidents, emergencies or safeguarding concerns;
* manage behaviour and apply our policies;
* organise performances, productions, workshops and events;
* maintain appropriate business, insurance and financial records;
* improve our services and understand participation;
* send marketing communications where permission has been given;
* comply with legal, regulatory, safeguarding and insurance requirements.

We do not sell students’ or families’ personal information.

## 7. Our Lawful Bases

Data protection law requires us to have a valid reason, known as a lawful basis, for using personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on:

### Contract

We use information where it is necessary to provide a trial, class, membership, workshop or other service requested by a parent, guardian or student.

### Legitimate interests

We may use information where it is reasonably necessary to operate and protect West End Academy, provided that these interests do not override the rights and interests of the individual.

This may include managing enquiries, attendance, class administration, security and ordinary business communications.

### Legal obligation

We may use or retain information where necessary to comply with legal, tax, accounting, employment, health and safety, safeguarding or regulatory responsibilities.

### Vital interests

We may use or share information where necessary to protect someone’s life or physical safety, particularly during a medical emergency.

### Consent

We may rely on consent for specific optional activities, including:

* promotional photography or video;
* optional marketing communications;
* other uses where a genuine choice is provided.

Consent can be withdrawn by contacting West End Academy. Withdrawing consent does not affect any processing that was lawful before consent was withdrawn.

### Special category information

Where we use health, disability or other special category information, we will also identify an appropriate additional legal condition. This may include explicit consent, protecting vital interests, establishing or defending legal claims, or meeting safeguarding and other substantial public-interest responsibilities.

## 8. Photography and Video

Photographs and video recordings may be created during classes, rehearsals, productions, workshops and events.

We will manage these materials in accordance with our Photography, Video and Image Use Policy.

Where consent is the basis for promotional image use, a parent or guardian may refuse or withdraw that consent by contacting us.

Withdrawing consent may not always allow us to remove material that has already been lawfully printed, distributed or included within completed productions. However, we will take reasonable steps to stop further use where practicable.

## 9. Essential Communications and Marketing

We may contact parents and guardians with essential information about:

* registrations and trial classes;
* class dates, times and venues;
* cancellations or timetable changes;
* attendance;
* payments;
* student welfare or behaviour;
* emergencies;
* performances and activities connected to the student’s enrolment.

These operational messages are not marketing and may be necessary for us to provide our services safely.

We will only send optional promotional emails, text messages or similar electronic marketing where we have an appropriate lawful basis.

People may unsubscribe from marketing at any time by:

* using the unsubscribe option provided in a message; or
* contacting [info@westend.academy](mailto:info@westend.academy).

Unsubscribing from marketing will not prevent essential communications about an active registration or class.

## 10. Who We May Share Information With

We only share personal information where necessary and appropriate.

Information may be shared with:

* authorised West End Academy teachers, assistants and administrators;
* the organisation operating West End Academy;
* venues hosting our activities;
* booking, payment, website, email and technology providers;
* accountants, insurers, legal advisers and other professional advisers;
* photographers, videographers or production partners where appropriate permission and safeguards are in place;
* schools or partner organisations involved in delivering an activity;
* emergency services and healthcare professionals;
* local authorities, safeguarding organisations, the police or other appropriate authorities where there is a safeguarding, legal or safety concern;
* regulators, courts or government bodies where required by law.

We require service providers handling personal information on our behalf to protect it and use it only for the agreed purpose.

Data protection law does not prevent appropriate information sharing where it is necessary to protect a child from harm.

## 11. Safeguarding Information

West End Academy may record and share information where there is a concern about the safety or welfare of a child or another person.

Where appropriate, information may be shared without consent with safeguarding professionals, local authorities, emergency services, the police or other relevant organisations.

Any decision to share safeguarding information will be based on the circumstances, the welfare of the child and our legal and safeguarding responsibilities.

## 12. International Data Transfers

Some of the technology services used by West End Academy may store or process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate legal protections and safeguards are in place.

These may include adequacy regulations, approved contractual protections or other safeguards recognised under UK data protection law.

## 13. How We Protect Information

We take reasonable organisational and technical measures to protect personal information.

These may include:

* password-protected accounts and systems;
* limiting access to authorised people;
* secure website and form providers;
* appropriate staff confidentiality;
* secure storage of records;
* reviewing and deleting information when it is no longer required;
* taking care when communicating information electronically;
* maintaining appropriate agreements with service providers.

No online or electronic system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we take proportionate steps to reduce the risk of unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.

## 14. How Long We Keep Information

We keep personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was collected and to meet any legal, safeguarding, insurance, accounting or contractual requirements.

Retention periods may depend on the type of information and the circumstances.

In general:

* unanswered or inactive enquiries may be deleted after a reasonable period;
* waiting-list and unsuccessful trial information will be reviewed regularly and removed when it is no longer needed;
* active student and parent records will normally be kept while the student attends West End Academy;
* financial and transaction records may be kept for the period required by tax and accounting law;
* accident, incident, insurance and safeguarding records may be retained for longer where required by law, guidance, insurance requirements or the welfare of the child;
* optional marketing contact information will be kept until consent is withdrawn, the person unsubscribes or the information is no longer required;
* photographs and video will be reviewed periodically and retained only while there remains a legitimate and appropriate reason to use them.

We may retain limited information after a student leaves where it is needed to respond to a complaint, establish or defend a legal claim, meet an insurance requirement or comply with a legal obligation.

## 15. Data Protection Rights

Depending on the circumstances, individuals may have the right to:

* be informed about how their information is used;
* request access to their personal information;
* ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;
* ask for information to be deleted;
* ask us to restrict how information is used;
* object to certain uses of their information;
* receive certain information in a portable format;
* withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis;
* complain about the way their information has been handled.

These rights are not absolute and may depend on the lawful basis and circumstances involved.

Children have data protection rights in their own name. A parent or guardian may exercise those rights on behalf of a child where appropriate, but the child’s age, understanding and best interests will be considered.

To make a request, contact:

**Email:** [info@westend.academy](mailto:info@westend.academy)

We may need to confirm the identity and authority of the person making the request before releasing or changing personal information.

## 16. Complaints

Please contact West End Academy first if you have a concern about how personal information has been handled.

**Email:** [info@westend.academy](mailto:info@westend.academy)

You also have the right to raise a concern with the UK data protection regulator:

**Information Commissioner’s Office**

Further information is available through the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

## 17. Other Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms, booking systems or payment services.

Those organisations are responsible for their own privacy practices. We recommend reading their privacy notices before providing personal information.

## 18. Changes to This Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice when our services, systems or legal responsibilities change.

The latest version will be published on the West End Academy website with the date it was last updated.