Privacy Notice
Who we are
World Class Education Network CIC (“WCEN“) is a registered Community Interest Company in England and Wales, company number 15006201. Our registered office is Urra House, Chop Gate, Middlesbrough, England, TS9 7HZ.
We act as a Data Controller in relation to the personal data we process, unless we have explicitly agreed in writing to act as a Data Processor. We are committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (“the Act”).
For all data protection enquiries, please contact us at: info@worldclass-schools.org
What is personal data?
Under section 3(2) of the Act, “personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable living individual. This includes identifiers such as names, ID numbers, location data, and online identifiers. It may also include data revealing physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity.
Personal data allows you to be identified directly or indirectly. Examples include your name, email address, and IP address.
Processing personal data
This Notice explains how and why we collect, use and protect your personal data, and outlines your rights. It applies to personal data we collect via:
- Our website: www.worldclass-education.org
We process data relating to:
- Schools and educational institutions
- Their staff
- Their students
- Parents/carers
- Website and email enquirers
- WCEN alumni
- WCEN suppliers and partners
- Third-party service providers
Our primary purposes are:
- Managing the WCEN accreditation and reaccreditation process
- Supporting schools and students
- Running the WCEN Alumni programme
- Enabling access to WCEN services, events, and benefits
What personal data do we collect and how?
We may collect the following categories of data:
- Personal identifiers (name, address, email, phone number, gender, date of birth)
- Professional details (title, qualifications)
- Identification documents (passport, driving licence)
- IT usage data (IP address, website usage logs, communications)
- Preferences and interactions with our services
- Financial information (bank details, payment records)
- Communications and uploaded content (e.g. emails, student reflections)
Special category data:
We may also collect sensitive data, such as:
- Health and accessibility requirements
- Criminal record checks where legally required
- Ethnicity data (for equality monitoring)
We will only process sensitive data with your explicit consent unless permitted by law.
Sources of personal data
We collect data from:
- Direct submissions (e.g. via website, app, or email)
- Schools and partner institutions
- Public databases (Companies House, social media)
- Our IT systems (e.g. BeWorldClass usage data)
Examples:
- Students using BeWorldClass: name, school, year group, reflections (WCEN sees only anonymised data unless otherwise stated)
- Staff: name, role, email, school affiliation
- Website users: IP address, submitted queries, cookies
- Alumni: contact details, voluntary profiles, reference data
- Partners/suppliers: name, contact details, bank info (if paid)
How we use your personal data
We process your data for:
- Fulfilling legal/regulatory obligations
- Performing contracts (e.g., WCEN services or platform access)
- Legitimate interests, including:
- Managing accreditation and school engagement
- Monitoring participation and platform usage
- Promoting events and services (you can opt-out)
With your consent, we may:
- Share testimonials or profiles
- Send marketing updates
- Use special category data (where required)
Use of anonymised data from BeWorldClass
BeWorldClass is operated by a separate legal entity, Be World Class Education LTD, closely affiliated with WCEN. While it functions independently, it is operated by the same team to support and enhance the World Class accreditation process.
During WCEN accreditation and reaccreditation, WCEN is granted access to anonymised, non-identifiable data from BeWorldClass. This includes anonymous individual reflections, aggregate reflection statistics and platform usage data. This access is used solely to:
- Confirm that minimum student engagement requirements are met
- Provide schools with meaningful feedback
- Identify shared trends across the WCEN network to support improvement
At no point does WCEN access individual student identities through the platform, unless a school chooses to share specific details for award or assessment purposes.
Sharing your personal data
We may share your personal data with trusted third parties, including:
- Your school or institution
- Mentors, assessors, or alumni partners during accreditation and volunteering activities
- Mailchimp – to deliver newsletters and communications (Mailchimp Privacy Policy)
- Google Workspace – to store and manage communications securely
All third parties operate under data processing agreements that ensure data is handled lawfully and securely.
Retention
We only keep personal data for as long as necessary to:
- Fulfil the purpose it was collected
- Comply with legal requirements
- Maintain accreditation and engagement records
Your rights
Under certain conditions, you have the following rights:
- Access – to request copies of your personal data.
- Correction – to have any inaccurate data corrected.
- Erasure – to ask for your data to be deleted when no longer necessary.
- Objection – to object to data processing based on legitimate interest.
- Restriction – to request suspension of data processing.
- Portability – to request transfer of your data to another provider (if processed electronically).
To exercise your rights, please contact info@worldclass-education.org. You may be asked to provide proof of identity.
You can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you feel your data rights are being breached: ico.org.uk/concerns
WCEN Alumni Association
If you are a member of the WCEN Alumni Association, we may:
- Contact you with news, events, mentoring, and volunteering opportunities
- Share your approved profile on our website
- Retain your details to offer ongoing references and support your involvement in WCEN programmes
You may opt out of alumni communications at any time.
Marketing preferences
You can unsubscribe from marketing at any time by clicking the link in our emails or contacting us directly.
Changes to this notice
We may update this privacy notice from time to time. Please check our website for the latest version. This policy was last updated June 2025.
Definitions
- “You” refers to any data subject whose personal data we process.
- “Third Parties” are organisations outside WCEN providing services or data.
- “Special Categories” include health, ethnicity, religious beliefs, and similar sensitive data.
Cookies and Web Tracking
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Understand how users navigate our site
- Improve user experience
- Monitor campaign effectiveness (e.g. via Google Analytics)
You can manage cookie settings via your browser. For full details, see our Cookie Policy.
Contact us
Email: info@worldclass-education.org
Post: World Class Education Network CIC, Urra House, Chop Gate, Middlesbrough, TS9 7HZ
