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Privacy Notice

1. Your privacy

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (“ISI”) is committed to protecting your privacy. We aim to ensure that any information you give us or which we receive or gather in the course of inspection and inspection- related activities is held securely and safely.

Please read the following carefully to understand our practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it.

2. Controller

ISI is the controller responsible for your personal data.

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, including any requests to exercise your legal rights, please contact the Data Protection Compliance Manager at dp@isi.net

You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK regulator for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk). We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO so please contact us in the first instance.

3. Third party links

This website may include links to third-party websites, plug-ins and applications. Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. When you leave our website, we encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.

4. The personal data we collect about you

Personal data means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data).

We may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you which we have grouped together as follows:

Identity Data such as title and name.

Contact Data includes address, email address and telephone numbers.

Technical Data includes internet protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, time zone setting and location, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform, and other technology on the devices you use to access this website.

Usage Data includes information about how you use our website, for example how long you spend on a given page.

Marketing and Communications Data includes your preferences in receiving marketing from us and our third parties and your communication preferences.

5. Lawful bases we rely on for the collection of your data

We only process your personal data where: (i) we have your consent to do so or the consent of the person with parental responsibility; (ii) the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you; (iii) the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in ISI; (iv) the processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the ISI is subject; (v) for the legitimate interest of ISI or of any party to whom the data is being disclosed.

6. Collection and use of your personal data

ISI is likely to hold information about you if any of the following apply:

  • you have provided information about yourself when writing to us or telephoning us, and we have a legitimate interest in processing this personal data or the processing of this personal data is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest;
  • we have received or gathered information about you in the course of our inspection work and inspection related activities, and the processing of this personal data is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest;
  • you are an inspector, former inspector or at any stage of training to be an inspector and therefore have a contract with or have made a declaration to ISI;
  • you work or have worked for or with ISI in any other capacity and have a contract with ISI or have given your explicit consent; or
  • you are a named contact at a school we inspect and therefore the processing of your personal data is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.

Your personal data may be processed by (or on behalf of) ISI for any of the following purposes:

  • planning, scheduling and delivery of inspections;
  • training and recruitment of inspectors and ISI employees;
  • communication of information and guidance to inspectors, schools, and colleges;
  • receiving and reporting concerns and information relevant to inspections;
  • promotion and safeguarding of the health, welfare and safety of children;
  • support and/or improvement work relating to IT services (please see our Cookie Policy for further detail on how personal data submitted via the website will be handled); and/or
  • for any other purpose which you have consented to at the time of provision of your personal data.

Your personal data will be retained in accordance with ISI’s retention schedule; this schedule is available from ISI: please contact dp@isi.net if you would like to receive a copy.

7. Special category data

Some of the personal data we process is sensitive; in such circumstances we consider additional conditions (see paragraph 8 below).

Safeguarding children is at the centre of ISI’s role as a school inspectorate. A key part of this is the work of the Safeguarding Team. The Safeguarding Team is available as a point of contact for parents, teachers, pupils and other stakeholders to express any concerns in relation to schools.  Such contact may be made via online form, or email. Concerns may include personal data including special category personal data (for example, information relating to protected characteristics, sensitive data such as family situation including social services or local authority involvement, safeguarding information, and information  about  special educational needs) and/or criminal offence data.

8. Children’s personal data

Some of the personal data we process relates to individuals under the age of 18. Our systems and processes are designed to cater for the particular protections required when collecting and processing children’s personal data.

9. How we treat your personal data

The processing of personal data is governed by the UK General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR) and the associated UK data protection legislation, and other relevant legislation. We follow this legislation when handling your personal data and will:

  • only ask for personal data we need, and not collect too much or irrelevant information;
  • protect your information, ensuring appropriate security;
  • take every reasonable step to ensure that your personal data is accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date;
  • ensure you are aware of your rights in relation to the personal data we hold about you;
  • make sure we do not keep it longer than necessary.

ISI does not sell, rent or pass on any information about you to other organisations, other than:

  • if necessary, we may share your information with our consultants, inspectors, contractors, service providers or partners during the course of their work with us. Such third parties will be required to protect your privacy just as we would ourselves.  We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes and only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.
  • we may need to pass on information to other agencies such as local authorities, when required by law or by a regulatory body (for example, the Department for Education, Home Office, Ofsted) or if asked for details by a law enforcement agency.

10. Transfer of data outside the EEA

ISI may transfer personal data outside the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA) for legitimate business purposes, for example in connection with inspections of British Schools Overseas. Where we do so, we will ensure that transferred data is fully protected and safeguarded as required by the UK GDPR.

11. Respecting your individual rights

ISI acknowledges and respects your rights in relation to the personal data we hold about you, specifically:

  • the right to be informed;
  • the right of access;
  • the right to rectification;
  • the right to erasure;
  • the right to restrict processing;
  • the right to data portability;
  • the right to object;
  • rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling;
  • the right to withdraw any consent you have previously provided to ISI; and
  • the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

ISI acknowledges and respects that these rights apply equally to children whose personal data we collect.

You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal data (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee or refuse to comply if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive.

We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to exercise any of your rights. This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to a person who has no right to receive it. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request if we need any clarification.

We will 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.

ISI acknowledges that in some circumstances the information provided to ISI (generally in relation to safeguarding concerns) includes personal data, which may be special category, about individuals who are not aware of ISI’s processing. It is unlikely to be appropriate for ISI to inform such individuals of the processing as doing so could disrupt the management of the concern and safeguarding of children. Such processing is considered by ISI to be in the substantial public interest. However, ISI operates a personal data minimization approach. ISI requests that if personal data is provided to us in relation to individuals who are not aware of the processing, the information is kept to what is necessary, and that any irrelevant personal data is redacted.

12. Exercising your individual rights

If you would like to exercise any of the rights listed above including a subject access request, or if you no longer wish to receive information from ISI, please write to us or email us using the contact details provided below.

Data Protection Compliance Manager: dp@isi.net

Or:

Independent Schools Inspectorate

CAP House, 9-12 Long Lane

London  EC1A 9HA

For complaints or issues around your personal data which we are unable to resolve to your satisfaction, please refer to the ICO website: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/personal-information.

13. Security

ISI has strict requirements in relation to: entry controls to the office; secure lockable desks and cupboards; limited access to files; methods of document disposal and deletion; use of computer equipment; and network security.

14. Freedom of Information Act

As a private company, ISI is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act. You may find the information you seek on our website and sometimes we are able to supply additional information on a voluntary (non-statutory) basis.

Requests may be made in writing to the address provided above.

15. Registration

ISI is registered as a data controller on the Information Commissioner’s Office’s data protection register. ISI’s registration number is ZA138661 and the registered address is: CAP House, 9-12 Long Lane, London, EC1A 9HA.

16. Enquiries

Questions, comments and requests concerning this privacy statement are welcome – please contact us using the contact details provided above.

17. Updates to this Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice was last updated in August 2023.  ISI reserves the right to vary this Privacy Notice from time to time. When we make significant changes we will publish a notification on our website.

ISI is formally approved by the Secretary of State for Education to inspect association independent schools in England. This approval is outlined in section 87A of the Children Act 1989 and section 106 of the Education and Skills Act 2008.
Department for Education
British School Overseas