Privacy Policy
The Blackheath School of Dance and the General Data Protection Regulations 2018
In accordance with the GPDR Statement.
GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation and replaces the previous Data Protection Act. It was approved by the EU Parliament in 2016 and comes into effect on 25th May 2018. GDPR states that personal data should be ‘processed fairly & lawfully’ and ‘collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes’ and that individuals data is not processed without their knowledge and are only processed with their ‘explicit’ consent. GDPR covers personal data relating to individuals. The Blackheath School of Dance is committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals with respect to the processing of children's, parents, visitors and staff personal data. The Data Protection Act gives individuals the right to know what information is held about them. It provides a framework to ensure that personal information is handled properly.
What we do at The Blackheath School of Dance:
· We do not disclose (other than to Official Examination bodies or All England Dance) or sell personal data to third parties.
· We do not disclose personal data to other members of the School and their families.
· The School uses contact numbers and emails for communication with and updates to parents, whole school and individual communication, invoices and general information.
· Emergency Parent contact numbers are given to The Blackheath School of Dance the use of emergency contact & for contact in respect of Dance School business only.
· Personal data is stored in a locked password protected computer database, which in turn is protected within a secure alarmed building.
· Original paper registration forms are stored in a secured filing cabinet.
· Hard copy information is destroyed via a shredding device when no longer relevant or required.
Information about individual children is used in certain documents, such as, a weekly register, medication information and examination documentation. These documents include data such as children's names, date of birth and emergency contact numbers. These records are shredded after the relevant retention period.
The Blackheath School of Dance collects personal data every year including; names and addresses, telephone contact numbers and email addresses. These records are shredded if the child does not attend or added to the child’s file and stored appropriately.
The Blackheath School of Dance stores personal data held visually in photographs or video clips or as sound recordings. No names are stored with images in photo albums, displays, on the website or on The Blackheath School of Dance social media sites without prior permission in our terms and conditions via class manager.
Access to the School Email account, Website, Personal Data, Social Media Accounts and Examination Details is password protected and is not available to members of the Public, members of the School and or it's staff. The Data Controller and Principal have sole access to all this data and the administration team has access to School Email account and the Account Database. When a member of staff leaves The School ensures these passwords are changed in line with this policy. Any portable data storage used to store personal data, e.g. USB memory stick, are password protected and/or stored in a locked filing cabinet.
GDPR includes 7 rights for individuals
1) The right to be informed
The Blackheath School of Dance is registered with the Imperial Society of Teachers in Dance (ISTD) and All England Dance (AED) and as such, is required to collect and manage certain data. The School collects parent’s and or guardian's names, addresses, emergency telephone numbers and email addresses. We also collect children’s’ full names, addresses, date of birth along with any SEN requirements and are stored via a secure electronic system and paper registration forms are stored in a secured filing cabinet at the School's offices.
This is in respect of our Health and Safety and Safeguarding Policies.
All teachers are Self Employed practitioners, The Blackheath School of Dance is required to hold data on its Teachers such as names, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers and bank details. Information such as Disclosure and Barring Service checks (DBS), First Aid Certificate's, Membership details and any qualification's. This information stored via a secure electronic system (class manager).
2) The right of access
At any point an individual can make a request relating to their data The Blackheath School of Dance will need to provide a response (within 1 month). The Blackheath School of Dance can refuse a request, if we have a lawful obligation to retain data but we will inform the individual of the reasons for the rejection.
3) The right to erasure
You have the right to request the deletion of your data where there is no compelling reason for its continued use. However, The Blackheath School of Dance has a legal duty to keep student and parents details for a reasonable time*.
* The Blackheath School of Dance holds personal data while the student is registered at the School. The School requires a written notice to leave the School to put into place the erasure of your data. If records of this is not found, The School will continue to use your data for School purposes only.
4) The right to restrict processing
Parents, visitors and staff can object to The Blackheath School of Dance processing their data. This means that records can be stored but must not be used in any way, for example School Communications, General Emails about School news and updates. In this situation, The School has no obligation to refund any classes missed or cancelled due to 'lack of communication'. It will be the parent’s responsibility to ensure they are informed about any event's happening at the school.
5) The right to data portability
The Blackheath School of Dance requires registration data, which will be shared from parent to teacher to School Principal. The School is also required to provide data such as student DOB and exam pin number's to be able to enter students in ISTD Exams and AED festivals. In this case recipients use secure file transfer systems and have their own policies and procedures in place in relation to GDPR.
6) The right to object
Parents, visitors and staff can object to their data being used for certain activities like marketing or research.
7) The right not to be subject to automated decision-making including profiling.
Automated decisions and profiling are used for marketing-based organisations. The Blackheath School of Dance does not use personal data for such purposes.
Policy review scheduled for: March 2026