Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

 

Buckswood Overseas Summer School (BOSS), Rye Road, Guestling, East Sussex, TN35 4LT, part of Buckswood School.

 

We are the data controller for the personal information described in this policy, which means we decide how and why it is used.

 

If you have any questions about this policy or your information, contact us at summerschool@buckswood.co.uk or +44 (0)7596 609400.

 

2. Children’s information

 

Most of our students are under 18. Bookings must be made by a parent/guardian or by an agent acting with their permission, and parents/guardians provide information and give consents on the student’s behalf. We handle children’s information with particular care and in line with our safeguarding responsibilities.

 

3. Information we collect

 

About students

 

• Name, date of birth, nationality and gender

• Contact details and emergency contacts

• Passport, visa and travel details (where required)

• Medical conditions, medication, allergies and dietary needs

• Learning or additional support needs, where you choose to tell us

• Academic information, placement test results, exam results and reports

• Course choices, including BOSS Pathway and Academy bookings

• Welfare and safeguarding records, where needed to keep students safe

• Photographs and videos taken during school activities (with consent)

 

About parents/guardians and agents

 

• Names, relationship to the student, postal and email addresses, and telephone numbers, including a 24-hour emergency number

• Level of English, so we can arrange translation support if needed

• Payment and billing information

 

When you use our website

 

• Information you enter into our booking, enquiry, availability and application forms

• Your email address, if you join our mailing list

• Information collected through cookies and similar technologies (see section 12)

 

About job applicants

 

• The details you give in your application, including right to work in the UK, employment history, qualifications and references

• Information needed for the pre-employment checks required for working with children

 

4. How we use your information

 

• To enrol students and provide our courses, accommodation, activities, excursions and Academies

• To look after students’ health, safety and welfare, and to meet our safeguarding duties

• To process payments and keep financial records

• To arrange transfers and support visa or entry applications

• To register students for exams and issue certificates and reports

• To communicate with parents/guardians and agents before, during and after the course

• To manage student, staff and agent records

• To recruit and vet staff

• To meet our legal, accreditation and inspection obligations

• To improve our courses and the student experience

• To promote BOSS, where you have given permission

 

5. Our legal basis for using your information

 

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) we rely on:

 

• Contract: to provide the course you have booked

• Legal obligation: for example tax, immigration, safeguarding and accreditation requirements

• Vital interests: to protect a student’s life or health in an emergency

• Legitimate interests: to run and improve our courses and to tell existing families about future courses, where this does not override your rights

• Consent: for photographs and videos, marketing emails and non-essential cookies. You can withdraw consent at any time.

 

6. Health, safeguarding and other sensitive information

 

Some information, such as health details, is special category data and receives extra protection. We use it only where it is needed, and our legal basis is one of the following:

 

• Explicit consent given by a parent/guardian, usually on the booking form

• Safeguarding children, as permitted by the Data Protection Act 2018

• Protecting a student’s vital interests where consent cannot be given, such as in a medical emergency

• Establishing or defending legal claims

 

This information is shared only with staff who need it to care for the student, and with medical professionals where necessary.

 

7. Who we share your information with

 

We never sell or rent your information. We share it only where necessary with:

 

• Buckswood School, with whom we share our campus and some staff

• Trinity College London, to register students for exams and issue certificates

• The Leadership Skills Foundation, to issue Young Leader Award certificates

• Academy partners, when a student books football, tennis or horse riding

• Transport providers, for airport and station transfers

• Excursion venues and attractions, where they require group details

• Doctors, hospitals and other medical services

• The agent who made the booking, where applicable

• Service providers who run systems for us, such as our website host (Wix), email and payment providers. They may use your information only to provide their service to us.

• The British Council and other inspectors, as part of our accreditation

• Government bodies, the police or local safeguarding authorities, where the law requires it or a child is at risk

 

8. International transfers

 

Because our students come from over 60 countries, some information is sent outside the UK: for example to parents and agents abroad, and to service providers such as our website host, whose systems may be based in the United States. Where we transfer information outside the UK, we make sure it is protected by UK adequacy regulations or other safeguards approved under UK data protection law.

 

9. How long we keep your information

 

• Student and booking records: five years after the end of the student’s last course

• Financial records: six years, to meet tax requirements

• Safeguarding records: for the period set out in statutory safeguarding guidance, which may be longer than five years

• Applications from people we do not employ: six months after the recruitment decision

• Mailing list details: until you unsubscribe

 

After these periods, information is securely deleted or destroyed.

 

10. Photographs and videos

 

Photographs and videos may be taken during lessons, activities and excursions and used on our website, social media and printed materials, but only where a parent/guardian has given permission on the booking form. We never publish a student’s full name alongside their photograph. Consent can be withdrawn at any time by emailing us, and we will stop using the images in new materials.

 

11. Marketing and our mailing list

 

We send marketing emails only to people who have signed up for them, or to families who have booked with us before, about similar courses. Every email includes a link to unsubscribe, and you can also email us to be removed at any time.

 

12. Cookies

 

Our website uses cookies. Essential cookies are needed for the website to work. Other cookies, such as those for analytics or embedded social media content, are used only if you accept them through the cookie banner. You can change your choice at any time in your browser settings.

 

13. Keeping your information secure

 

• We protect personal information both online and offline.

• Only staff who need the information to do their job have access to it.

• Information is stored on secure, password-protected systems, and paper records are kept locked away.

• All staff receive data protection and safeguarding training before each course.

 

14. Your rights

 

You have the right to:

 

• Ask for a copy of the information we hold about you

• Ask us to correct information that is wrong or incomplete

• Ask us to delete your information, unless we are legally required to keep it

• Ask us to restrict or stop using your information

• Ask for your information in a format you can take elsewhere

• Withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent

 

Parents/guardians may exercise these rights on behalf of their child. To make a request, email summerschool@buckswood.co.uk. We will respond within one month.

 

We do not make decisions about you using only automated processing.

 

15. Complaints

 

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, please contact us first at summerschool@buckswood.co.uk so we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

 

16. Changes to this policy

 

We review this policy every year and will post any changes on this page, with the date it was last updated.