Spanish House London Customer Privacy Notice

Registered name: Spanish House England Ltd.

We are the controller of your personal data. For more information on controllers and their responsibilities please see our guidance on data protection principles, definitions, and key terms.

This privacy notice tells you what to expect us to do with your personal information.

Contact details

Telephone: 07775583740

Email: info@spanishhouselondon.com

What information we collect, use, and why

We collect or use the following information to provide services and goods, including delivery:

  • Names and contact details
  • Addresses
  • Payment details (including card or bank information for transfers and direct debits)
  • Records of meetings and decisions

We collect or use the following information for service updates or marketing purposes:

  • Names and contact details
  • Recorded images, such as photos or videos

We collect or use the following personal information for dealing with queries, complaints or claims:

  • Names and contact details
  • Payment details

Lawful bases and data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, we must have a “lawful basis” for collecting and using your personal information. There is a list of possible lawful bases in the UK GDPR. You can find out more about lawful bases on the ICO’s website.

Which lawful basis we rely on may affect your data protection rights which are set out in brief below. You can find out more about your data protection rights and the exemptions which may apply on the ICO’s website:

  • Your right of access – You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. You can request other information such as details about where we get personal information from and who we share personal information with. There are some exemptions which means you may not receive all the information you ask for. Read more about the right of access.
  • Your right to rectification – You have the right to ask us to correct or delete personal information you think is inaccurate or incomplete. Read more about the right to rectification.
  • Your right to erasure – You have the right to ask us to delete your personal information. Read more about the right to erasure.
  • Your right to restriction of processing – You have the right to ask us to limit how we can use your personal information. Read more about the right to restriction of processing.
  • Your right to object to processing – You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data. Read more about the right to object to processing.
  • Your right to data portability – You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you. Read more about the right to data portability.
  • Your right to withdraw consent – When we use consent as our lawful basis you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. Read more about the right to withdraw consent.

If you make a request, we must respond to you without undue delay and in any event within one month.

To make a data protection rights request, please contact us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice.

Our lawful bases for the collection and use of your data

Providing services and goods

  • Consent – we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
  • Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.
  • Legitimate interests – we’re collecting or using your information because it benefits you, our organisation or someone else, without causing an undue risk of harm to anyone. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to portability. Our legitimate interests are:We collect basic contact information (names, emails, and phone numbers) when individuals submit website enquiries, take our Spanish level tests, or request course details. This allows us to respond accurately to their requests, provide appropriate course recommendations, and offer student support. The primary benefit is to the individuals, who receive the specific information or level placement they asked for. The data collected is minimal, non-sensitive, and limited entirely to what is necessary to answer their query. Because this processing matches the explicit expectations of the user and carries negligible risk to their privacy, our legitimate business interest does not override their rights and freedoms.

Service updates or marketing purposes

  • Consent – we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
  • Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.
  • Legitimate interests – we’re collecting or using your information because it benefits you, our organisation or someone else, without causing an undue risk of harm to anyone. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to portability. Our legitimate interests are:We use the contact details of our existing students and active enquirers to send essential service updates (such as class schedule changes or course restarts) and highly relevant information about our upcoming Spanish courses, cultural social events, and referral discounts. The benefit to our students is that they stay informed about the courses they are taking, retain continuity in their language learning, and can access exclusive discounts. The benefit to our school is maintaining student engagement. The impact on privacy is minimal because we only contact individuals who have already shown a direct interest in our classes, we do not share their data with third-party marketers, and we provide a clear, instant way to opt out or unsubscribe in every communication.

Dealing with queries, complaints or claims

  • Consent – we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
  • Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.
  • Legitimate interests – we’re collecting or using your information because it benefits you, our organisation or someone else, without causing an undue risk of harm to anyone. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to portability. Our legitimate interests are:We retain and process communication records, booking details, and contact information to effectively resolve student queries, manage complaints, and address potential legal or financial claims. The benefit to individuals is that we can investigate their issues thoroughly, provide fair resolutions, and process refunds or scheduling adjustments efficiently. The benefit to our school is the ability to protect our business, maintain high-quality service, and fulfill our legal and administrative responsibilities. The impact on privacy is minimal and completely aligned with customer expectations, as the data used is strictly limited to the historical facts of their interaction with us, is kept secure, and is only accessed when an active issue or claim arises.

For more information on our use of legitimate interests as a lawful basis you can contact us using the contact details set out above.

Where we get personal information from

  • Directly from you

Who we share your information with

We do not sell your personal data. However, to operate our language school effectively, we share your personal data with trusted third-party service providers who process it on our behalf. These include:

  • Payment Processors: To securely handle transactions (e.g., Stripe, PayPal, or bank transfer facilitators).
  • Email Marketing Platforms: To manage our newsletters and communications (e.g., Mailchimp), only where you have not opted out.
  • Cloud Storage & IT Services: To securely host our website, emails, and student records (e.g., Google Workspace, website hosting providers).

How we protect your data

We are committed to keeping your personal information safe. We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. These measures include:

  • Password protection and secure access controls for all internal systems.
  • Restricting access to personal data to staff who need it to perform their duties.
  • Using secure, encrypted connections (HTTPS) on our website.

How long we keep information

We only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Our retention periods are:

  • Financial and Transactional Data: Kept for 6 years from the end of the last financial year they relate to, to comply with UK tax law (HMRC).
  • Student and Contractual Data: Kept for the duration of your active engagement with our school, plus 3 years, in case of disputes, queries, or if you choose to return for further courses.
  • Marketing Data: Retained until you withdraw your consent or unsubscribe. Once you opt out, your contact details are immediately suppressed/deleted from our active marketing lists.
  • General Enquiries and Level Tests: Kept for up to 12 months if they do not result in a course booking, after which they are securely deleted.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a data protection complaint to us:

Email: info@spanishhouselondon.com
Telephone: 07775583740
Post: 4 Scout Lane Clapham Old Town SW4 0LA London

If you remain unhappy with how we’ve used your data after raising a complaint with us, you can also complain to the ICO.

The ICO’s address:
ICO Head Office
4th Floor, No.3 Circle Square
5 Hawkshaw Street
Manchester
M1 7BL

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
Website: https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint