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SSAT Privacy Notice
Updated 17th October 2024
Your personal data
“Personal data” means any information relating to an identifiable living person who can be directly or indirectly identified through that information. SSAT processes personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (the “GDPR”).
Who are we?
SSAT (The Schools Network) Ltd. is the data controller, and for any queries in relation to the handling of personal data may be contacted via email at dataprotection@ssatuk.co.uk , or by post to Data Protection, SSAT, Office 11, 295 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4HH.
Legal basis of processing
The data processing described in this notice is on the basis of GDPR Article 6(1)(f), the legitimate interests of SSAT as Data Controller to:
- provide services to customers
- evaluate service delivery
- market to potential customers
- maintain network and information security
- meet our legal obligations
Your rights
You have the following legal rights in respect of how SSAT processes your personal data:
| To access the data about you that SSAT holds | ICO Guidance | Contact SSAT using the details in the section “Who are we” above |
| To correct the details we hold | ICO Guidance | |
| To have data erased in certain circumstances | ICO Guidance | |
| To restrict the use SSAT makes of your data in certain circumstances | ICO Guidance | |
| The right to object to processing, including the right to object to marketing. | ICO Guidance | |
| To data portability in certain circumstances | ICO Guidance | |
| The right to complain to the supervisory authority (Information Commissioner’s Office) | ICO Guidance | Contact the Information Commissioner’s Office on 030 123 1113 |
When do we collect your personal data?
SSAT collects personal data in the following ways*:
- Directly from individuals who contact us via telephone, email, social media, post, web site forms, or in person
- Automatically, in the form of IP addresses, web browser details and web usage history, whenever you access any of our online services
- When a school or other employer purchases a membership or other service and provides your contact details to us**
- When you attend a group training purchased by your employer or other organisation and the data is collected for us by a delivery partner
- When you or your employer purchase a service from another organisation (such as a teaching school) that provides services which have been franchised from SSAT, and who provide your data back to us**
- From public sources such as school websites**
- Photographs, video recordings and audio recordings captured at SSAT events, or from online seminars, webcasts and training sessions.
* SSAT also collects and processes personal data from individuals who are employed by SSAT, or who are contracted by SSAT to carry out specific services; separate privacy notices are provided to those individuals detailing the context-specific processing of personal data.
** In such cases we will contact you to inform you what data we have received and from what source.
What do we use your data for?
To record whether you (either directly or via your organisation) have an SSAT membership or have purchased other services.
To enable access to relevant paid-for resources and member benefits, some of which are provided electronically via email and/or online.
To record accreditations and engagement with our various products, services and networks.
To support targeted marketing of services that we believe will be of interest to you based on the data we hold. All electronic marketing communications contain instructions on how to opt out of further marketing.
To customise the content of web pages on our site to reflect topics we think will be of most interest to you based on the data we hold.
To process transactions between SSAT and you or the organisation you represent.
To solicit feedback from you on SSAT services you have purchased or utilised.
To monitor and improve the use of our services.
Some of our CPD programmes require further use of your data, you will be provided with further relevant information at the point of becoming a participant.
Automated Decision making
SSAT services carry out automated decision-making based on your activity in relation to our websites and marketing communications in the following areas:
- Based on your activities on our websites and in response to our marketing emails, in combination with other information you have provided, we create dynamic customer profiles of your areas of interest that may be used to display alternative website content, or send individual communications
- The discussion forum may use data about your posts and activity to award you badges and calculate a trust level for your account. Your trust level may affect how you can participate in the forum, such as whether you can upload images, as well as give you access to moderation and management powers in the forum. Your trust level therefore reflects forum administrators’ confidence in you, and their willingness to delegate community management functions, like moderation. If you think your trust level has been set incorrectly, contact an administrator of your forum. They can manually adjust the trust level of your account
How do we protect your data?
SSAT takes all reasonable precautions and follows industry best practices to protect your personal information. SSAT are certified to the UK Government CyberEssentials standard.
Data exchanged with our website and third-party providers is encrypted using transport layer security (TLS).
Service providers for our applications are all subject to security and data protection assessment.
SSAT assesses the minimum period to store personal data taking into account relevant laws and has processes to ensure data is securely deleted or anonymised when there is no longer a reason to keep it for the purposes for which it was gathered.
Sharing your data
Network Members
SSAT shares contact details of network members within school and special interest networks to facilitate the sharing of good practice amongst the members, and to support school-to-school introductions.
Recordings of webinars and online training that is available to all members may be shared in whole or part with all members.
Event Delegates
If you attend an SSAT event we will share your name, school and job role via a delegate list given to all attendees to facilitate networking. In the case of online events, webinars and online training sessions we make recordings available to all delegates.
Delivery Partners
SSAT delivers some services using external partners and consultants. If you are attending an event or training delivered by a partner SSAT will provide them with attendee lists.
Some services delivered by SSAT involve third-party venues or other services such as transportation or accommodation. Where SSAT is contractually required to supply delegate lists to these partners then we will do so.
Third Party Services
SSAT uses the following third-party services that may contain your personal data:
| Supplier / Service | Details | Location | Supplier Security and Privacy Information |
| Microsoft Office365 | Email, document management, collaboration tools, CRM | Europe | Trust and Privacy information |
| Microsoft Azure | Cloud platforms | Europe | Security Information |
| Amazon Web Services | Web content storage | Europe | Privacy Security |
| Web content caching | Worldwide | ||
| Force 24 | Email marketing | UK | Privacy |
| Google Analytics | Web activity tracking | Worldwide | Data Privacy and Security |
| L-Soft | Hosted email discussion lists | Worldwide | Privacy Policy |
| Typeform | Web forms | USA and Europe | Privacy / GDPR |
| Xero | Accounting software | USA | Security / Privacy |
| Stripe | Online payment processing | Worldwide | Privacy |
| ApprovalMax | Purchase management | USA | Privacy |
| SendGrid | Transactional email (e.g. password resets) | USA | Privacy / Security |
| Discourse Hosting | Managed hosting of Discourse forum software | Netherlands | Privacy |
| Mentimeter | Online engagement tools in seminars | Sweden | Privacy |
| Trustpilot | Customer reviews | Denmark | Privacy |
| Hotjar | Page usage heatmaps | UK | Privacy – note SSAT only uses the Heatmaps feature |
Other data sharing
Some programmes require us to share participant data, for example with funding bodies such as Department for Education. In such cases participants will be informed of this further sharing at or before the point of sign-up.
Cookies and usage tracking
Please see our separate Cookie Policy page
Changes to this privacy policy
We reserve the right to modify this privacy notice at any time, so please review it frequently. Changes and clarifications will take effect immediately upon their posting on the website. If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated, so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.
Marketing opt-out
If you prefer not to receive marketing material from SSAT or receive information from our sponsor partners, please inform us of your name, organisation, address and whether you prefer not to receive this material by email, post or telephone, by sending an email to: dataprotection@ssatuk.co.uk
Membership terms and conditions
Full terms and conditions of SSAT (The Schools Network) membership can be found here.
Event terms and conditions
Fees will be invoiced at the point of booking. Payment is required in advance of delivery of the course, programme or service. We reserve the right to deny access if payment has not been received at the point of delivery.
Purchases of SSAT CPD products including courses, training, consultancy services, resources or publications can be cancelled without charge within seven days of submitting a booking form, an order form, signed agreement or agreeing to a formal quote unless:
- The customer has already attended or accessed the course, programme or service.
- The start date is within seven days of booking.
- The invoice has been paid, which will be deemed to be confirmation of the request or order.
Cancellation requests need to be made in writing by email.
Replacement delegates may be nominated in writing at any time prior to the start of a course.
If, for any reason, SSAT needs to cancel the CPD purchased, customers will be notified in writing and fees, if paid, will be fully refunded. SSAT will not reimburse any pre-booked travel costs for cancelled events.
A request from the customer to change the agreed delivery date(s) may be treated as a cancellation. SSAT reserves the right to charge an administrative fee if delivery dates(s) are changed by the customer.
Photography, Filming and Audio Recording
SSAT may record photographs / videos / audio recordings at events. In the case of online events, webinars and training courses SSAT may record the event in audio, video and digital form. These may be used for the following purposes:
- reporting the event via social media
- reporting the event via SSAT websites and publications, or in SSAT press releases
- promoting similar events in future, via any medium, including publication in third-party journals or other media
- general marketing and promotion of SSAT’s business, via any medium, including publication in third-party journals or other media
- transferred to your employer for their own promotional purposes.
- shared with other delegates as part of the event record
- in the case of whole-network events, shared with all members of the network
You have the legal right to object to any or all of the above uses of your image. To do so please speak to any member of SSAT staff at the event (who will ask you to record your objection in writing), or contact SSAT via dataprotection@ssatuk.co.uk.
