1. Who we are
Schools Plus Ltd ("Schools Plus", "we", "us", "our") is a social enterprise that partners with UK schools to let their unused facilities to local communities outside of school hours.
Schools Plus Ltd is the Data Controller for the personal data we collect and process in connection with the Services.
Contact details:
- Email: enquiries@schoolsplus.co.uk
- Phone: 0345 222 2323
- Website: www.schoolsplus.co.uk
2. The legal framework
We process your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it and what rights you have.
3. Personal data we collect
3.1 Hirers and community bookers
When you search for, book or enquire about a venue through our Services, we may collect:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Billing and/or delivery address
- Payment information (processed securely via our payment provider — we do not store full card details)
- Booking history and preferences
- IP address and device/browser information
- Communications you send us (e.g. enquiries, support messages)
3.2 Schools and partner contacts
If you are a school administrator or staff member using our lettings management service, we may collect:
- Name and job title
- Work email address and phone number
- School name and address
- Bank account details (for payment of lettings income)
- Correspondence and records relating to the management of your school's lettings
3.3 Website visitors
When you browse our website we automatically collect:
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Pages visited and time spent on the site
- Referring website
- Cookie data (see Section 9 below, and the full Cookie Policy)
4. How and why we use your personal data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
4.1 To provide and manage bookings
Lawful basis: Performance of a contract (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(b)).
- Processing and confirming venue bookings
- Managing payments and issuing receipts or invoices
- Communicating booking confirmations, reminders and updates
- Handling cancellations and refunds
4.2 To operate our partnership with schools
Lawful basis: Performance of a contract; legitimate interests.
- Administering school lettings agreements
- Transferring lettings income to partner schools
- Providing reporting on venue usage and income generated
4.3 To ensure safeguarding and compliance
Lawful basis: Legal obligation; legitimate interests.
- Verifying the identity of hirers where required
- Enforcing our Guest Code of Conduct
- Complying with safeguarding obligations relating to school premises
- Responding to requests from law enforcement or regulatory authorities
4.4 To improve our services
Lawful basis: Legitimate interests.
- Analysing usage patterns to improve the website and booking platform
- Conducting customer satisfaction surveys (where you have consented)
- Developing new venue types and service offerings
4.5 To send marketing communications
Lawful basis: Consent (for new contacts); legitimate interests (for existing customers).
- Sending newsletters, venue recommendations or promotional offers where you have opted in, or where we have a legitimate interest as an existing customer
- You may opt out at any time — see Section 7 (Your Rights)
6. How long we keep your data
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy, or as required by law:
- Booking records: 7 years (to comply with financial/accounting regulations)
- School partnership records: duration of the partnership plus 7 years
- Marketing contact lists: until you withdraw consent or opt out
- Website analytics data: up to 26 months
- Support and enquiry correspondence: 3 years from the date of last contact
7. Your rights under UK GDPR
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access — to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Right to rectification — to have inaccurate data corrected
- Right to erasure (right to be forgotten) — to request deletion of your data where we no longer have a lawful basis to hold it
- Right to restrict processing — to ask us to limit how we use your data
- Right to data portability — to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Right to object — to object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing
- Right to withdraw consent — at any time, where processing is based on consent
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at enquiries@schoolsplus.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month. We may need to verify your identity before actioning a request.
If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
- Website: ico.org.uk
- Helpline: 0303 123 1113
8. Data security
We take the security of your personal data seriously. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures, including:
- Encryption of data in transit (TLS/HTTPS)
- Access controls limiting data access to authorised staff only
- Regular security reviews of our systems and third-party suppliers
- Staff training on data protection obligations
In the event of a data breach that is likely to affect your rights and freedoms, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours and inform affected individuals without undue delay.
10. International data transfers
We aim to store and process your data within the UK and European Economic Area (EEA). Where we use third-party service providers based outside the UK/EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (such as UK Adequacy Regulations or Standard Contractual Clauses) before transferring your data.
11. Children and safeguarding
Our Services are directed at adults (aged 18 and over) and at schools as organisations. We do not knowingly collect personal data directly from children.
Because our services operate on school premises, we take safeguarding extremely seriously. If you have any safeguarding concerns, please visit the Safeguarding section of our website or contact us directly.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top of this document will reflect any revisions. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Where changes are material, we will notify you by email (if we hold your address) or via a prominent notice on our website.
13. Contact us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please get in touch:
Schools Plus Ltd
- Email: enquiries@schoolsplus.co.uk
- Phone: 0345 222 2323
- Website: www.schoolsplus.co.uk