This policy explains what personal data iChem Academy collects, why we collect it, and what rights you have. It applies to our website, our advertising, and our tuition programmes.
Who we are
iChem Academy is the data controller for the personal data described here. You can contact us at i.daoud@ichemacademy.co.uk.
What we collect
- Enquiry details — name, email address, telephone number, and answers you give on our enquiry forms (whether the enquirer is a parent or student, the student's year group, exam board, current and target grades, the main difficulty they are having, and preferred start date).
- Booking details — the information you provide when booking a consultation, including your chosen time slot.
- Programme records — for enrolled students: attendance, homework, assessment results and progress notes.
- Billing details — payment mandate information, handled by our payment provider. We do not store bank card or account numbers ourselves.
- Website and advertising data — pages viewed, referring source, device and approximate location, collected through cookies and similar technologies.
Why we use it, and our lawful basis
| Purpose | Lawful basis |
|---|---|
| Responding to your enquiry and arranging a consultation | Consent, and steps taken at your request before entering a contract |
| Delivering tuition and tracking progress | Performance of a contract |
| Collecting fees | Performance of a contract |
| Sending you information about our programmes | Consent, which you can withdraw at any time |
| Measuring and improving our advertising | Consent for non-essential cookies; legitimate interests in understanding what works |
| Keeping accounting and tax records | Legal obligation |
Advertising and cookies
We advertise on Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram). If you submit an enquiry form within those platforms, Meta passes your responses to us. Our website uses the Meta Pixel to measure which adverts lead to enquiries and bookings. This may involve sharing a hashed identifier with Meta. You can control how Meta uses your data through your Facebook or Instagram ad settings, and you can control cookies through your browser settings.
Who we share it with
We use the following service providers, who process personal data on our behalf under contract:
| Provider | What it is used for |
|---|---|
| Meta Platforms | Advertising and in-platform enquiry forms |
| GoHighLevel | Storing enquiries and sending follow-up messages |
| Calendly | Consultation bookings |
| Google (Workspace, Meet) | Email, documents and online lessons |
| GoCardless | Direct Debit payments |
| Netlify | Website hosting |
Some of these providers are based outside the UK. Where data is transferred internationally, it is protected by the safeguards required under UK data protection law, such as International Data Transfer Agreements or adequacy regulations.
We do not sell your personal data, and we do not share it with third parties for their own marketing.
How long we keep it
- Enquiries that do not lead to enrolment — up to 24 months from your last contact with us, then deleted.
- Student records — for the duration of the programme and up to 3 years afterwards, so we can provide references and respond to queries.
- Financial records — 6 years, as required for tax purposes.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to:
- Ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Ask us to correct anything inaccurate
- Ask us to delete your data, where we have no ongoing reason to keep it
- Object to, or ask us to restrict, how we use your data
- Ask us to transfer your data to another provider
- Withdraw consent at any time, including by using the unsubscribe link in any marketing email
To exercise any of these rights, email i.daoud@ichemacademy.co.uk. We will respond within one month.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Children's data
We do not knowingly collect personal data directly from children under 13. Enquiries concerning students under 18 should be made by a parent or guardian. If you believe a child has given us data without appropriate consent, contact us and we will delete it.
Security
Access to student and enquiry records is restricted to those who need it to deliver our service. Our providers hold data on secure, access-controlled systems.
Changes to this policy
If we make significant changes we will update the date at the top of this page. Please check back from time to time.