Privacy Policy

EDUCATION WITHOUT

Last updated: 3 September 2026

Education Without provides educational activities, online classes, clubs, workshops, events and residential programmes for children and young people.

Protecting the privacy and safety of children, young people, parents and carers is important to us.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we use it, who we may share it with and the rights you have over your information.

It applies to our website, bookings, online activities, in-person activities, events, communications and other services.

1. Who is responsible for your personal information?

For data protection purposes, the organisation responsible for deciding how and why personal information is used is the data controller.

The controller is:

GIFT Courses LLP, company number OC400821

Trading as Education Without, formerly P4HE / Philosophy for Home Education.

Registered address:

7 Tower Road
Writtle
Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 3NR
United Kingdom

Privacy enquiries:

Email: enquiries@giftcourses.co.uk

Telephone: 01245 830321

2. A short explanation for children and young people

If you attend one of our activities, we may know things such as your name, age, the class you attend and information that helps us keep you safe.

We only ask for information that we reasonably need.

We may receive this information from you or from your parent or carer.

We use it to do things such as:

put you in the right class;
run activities safely;
contact your parent or carer when necessary;
understand anything we need to know to help you participate;
protect you and other people; and
deal with emergencies.

Other students must not record you during our sessions.

If you are worried about information we hold about you, you can talk to your parent or carer, one of our tutors or contact us.

Children have privacy rights too.

3. Information we collect about parents, carers and customers

We may collect:

name;
postal address;
email address;
telephone number;
account and login information;
relationship to a participant;
booking history;
payment and transaction information;
communications with us;
preferences;
marketing preferences;
complaints or feedback; and
information reasonably necessary to administer bookings and provide our services.

We generally do not receive full payment-card details where payments are processed by a specialist payment provider.

4. Information we collect about children and participants

Depending on the activity, we may collect:

name;
age or date of birth;
age group;
contact information where appropriate;
parent or carer details;
classes and activities attended;
attendance information;
interests or activity choices;
communications with tutors or staff;
accessibility or additional-support information;
emergency-contact information;
dietary requirements;
allergies;
relevant medical information;
medication information where necessary for an event;
safeguarding information;
behavioural or incident information where necessary;
photographs or video where appropriate permission or another lawful basis applies; and
other information reasonably required to provide the activity safely.

We aim to collect no more information about a child than is reasonably necessary.

5. Special category information

Some information requires additional protection under data-protection law.

For example, information about participant:

health;
disability;
allergies;
medical conditions; or
certain other sensitive characteristics

may constitute special category personal data.

We only process this information when we have both a lawful basis for processing ordinary personal data and an appropriate additional legal condition for processing sensitive information.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include explicit consent, protecting someone's vital interests, complying with legal obligations or processing necessary for safeguarding or substantial public-interest purposes permitted by UK law.

We restrict access to sensitive information to people who reasonably need it.

6. Safeguarding information

As an organisation working with children and young people, we may need to create or retain information about safeguarding concerns.

This information can include reports, observations, communications, incident information and details supplied by a child, parent, staff member or another person.

Safeguarding information will only be used where reasonably necessary to protect a child or another person, comply with our safeguarding responsibilities, investigate concerns or meet legal obligations.

Where appropriate, safeguarding information may be shared with organisations such as:

local authority safeguarding services;
children's social care;
the police;
emergency services;
healthcare professionals; or
another appropriate safeguarding organisation.

We do not need consent where the law permits or requires us to share information in order to protect a child or another person.

7. How we collect personal information

We may collect information:

when you visit our website;
when you create an account;
when you subscribe to updates;
when you contact us;
when you make a booking;
when you purchase a gift card;
when you complete a participant or medical form;
when you attend an online or in-person activity;
from a parent or carer;
from the participant;
from tutors or activity leaders;
through our booking and website providers;
through payment providers; or
from another organisation where it is lawful and appropriate for that organisation to provide the information to us.

8. Why we use personal information

We may use personal information to:

Provide our services

This includes processing bookings, maintaining registers, placing participants into appropriate groups, providing joining instructions and delivering activities.

Our lawful basis is normally that the processing is necessary to perform our contract with you or take steps at your request before entering a contract.

Communicate with parents, carers and participants

We use contact information to provide booking confirmations, timetable changes, joining details, information about an activity and other service communications.

This is normally necessary for our contract or our legitimate interests in administering our services.

Keep participants safe

We use relevant participant, health, emergency and safeguarding information to provide activities safely.

Depending on the information and circumstances, our lawful basis may be contractual necessity, legal obligation, legitimate interests, vital interests or another lawful safeguarding basis.

Manage our organisation

We process information for accounting, record keeping, administration, fraud prevention, security and management.

We rely on legal obligations and our legitimate interests in operating and protecting our organisation.

Improve our services

We may use feedback, attendance information and appropriate aggregated or limited usage information to understand and improve our activities.

Our lawful basis is normally our legitimate interests in improving our services.

Deal with complaints and legal matters

We may use relevant records to investigate complaints, resolve disputes, establish or defend legal claims and comply with legal requirements.

Our lawful basis may include legal obligation and legitimate interests.

Send marketing communications

We may send information about new classes, events or related Education Without services where you have asked to receive it or where applicable electronic-marketing law otherwise permits us to do so.

You can unsubscribe from marketing at any time.

Service messages about an existing booking are not marketing and may still be sent where necessary.

9. Our legitimate interests

Where we rely on legitimate interests, those interests may include:

operating and improving our educational services;
administering our organisation;
keeping our systems and activities secure;
communicating with customers;
preventing fraud or misuse;
dealing with complaints;
maintaining appropriate records; and
protecting children, staff and participants.

When relying on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on the person concerned and, particularly where children are involved, give appropriate weight to the child's rights and best interests.

10. Consent

Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us.

Withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before consent was withdrawn.

We will not make participation in a core service conditional upon consent to unrelated optional uses of personal information.

For example, permission for promotional photographs should be separate from the ability to attend an activity.

11. Children and consent

Most bookings for children are made by a parent or carer and we generally communicate with the responsible adult about the booking.

Where data-protection law requires parental authorisation for a consent-based online service offered directly to a child, we will take appropriate steps to obtain that authorisation.

We recognise that privacy rights belong to children as well as adults.

Whether a parent or carer can exercise a privacy right on behalf of a child may depend on the child's age, understanding and circumstances.

12. Online classes and video platforms

We may use third-party video conferencing or communications platforms to provide online activities.

Information processed through these platforms may include:

participant name;
profile or account information;
video;
audio;
messages;
technical connection information; and
information voluntarily shared during an activity.

Participants must not record or photograph other participants without permission.

If Education Without intends to record a session in circumstances where participants can be identified, we will provide appropriate information beforehand and obtain consent where consent is the appropriate lawful basis.

13. Third-party gaming and educational platforms

Certain activities may use third-party services, games or educational platforms.

For example, a participant may occasionally need to create an account with another service to participate in a particular activity.

Those providers may process information independently under their own privacy policies.

Parents and carers should review the relevant provider's privacy information before allowing a child to create an account.

We aim to use private or appropriately controlled areas of third-party services for Education Without activities where available.

14. Who we share information with

Where necessary, we may share personal information with carefully selected organisations or individuals such as:

website and booking-system providers;
IT and cloud-service providers;
video-conferencing providers;
payment processors;
email and communications providers;
tutors, instructors and activity leaders;
venues and accommodation providers;
caterers where dietary information is necessary;
activity providers;
professional advisers such as accountants, insurers and legal advisers;
safeguarding professionals;
local authorities;
police and emergency services;
regulators and government authorities; and
other organisations where you ask us to share information or the law permits or requires us to do so.

We only provide information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

Our website is currently hosted using Wix services and online classes may use platforms such as Zoom. Other platforms may be identified when you book a particular activity.

15. Service providers

Some organisations process personal information on our behalf as data processors.

We require appropriate contractual and security arrangements with processors where required by law.

Other organisations, such as certain payment providers or third-party platforms, may act as separate controllers for information they collect directly.

Their own privacy policies will apply to that processing.

16. International transfers

Some of our technology providers may store or process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we take reasonable steps to ensure that an appropriate legal transfer mechanism is used.

Depending on the destination and provider, this may include:

a country covered by UK adequacy regulations;
the UK International Data Transfer Agreement;
the UK Addendum to approved standard contractual clauses; or
another lawful transfer mechanism.

17. How long we keep information

We do not keep personal information indefinitely.

We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting, safeguarding, insurance and dispute-resolution requirements.

Retention periods depend on the type of information.

For example:

Booking and contractual records may be retained after an activity has finished where necessary for accounting, legal or dispute-resolution purposes.

Financial and accounting records are retained for the periods required by tax and accounting law.

Safeguarding information may need to be retained for longer periods where safeguarding guidance, insurance requirements or the circumstances of a concern make this appropriate.

Medical and participant information is kept only for as long as reasonably required for the activity and any appropriate follow-up, unless there is another reason requiring longer retention.

Marketing information may be kept until you unsubscribe or we determine that it is no longer appropriate to retain it.

Consent records may be retained for an appropriate period so that we can demonstrate the permissions that applied.

When information is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise or otherwise dispose of it.

18. Security

We take reasonable organisational and technical measures to protect personal information against:

unauthorised access;
accidental loss;
inappropriate disclosure;
alteration;
destruction; and
misuse.

Measures may include access controls, password protection, appropriate staff procedures, restricted access to sensitive records and use of reputable service providers.

No internet-based service can guarantee absolute security, but we take appropriate steps based on the nature and sensitivity of the information involved.

19. Photographs and promotional material

We may invite parents, carers or participants to consent to the use of photographs or video for purposes such as our website, newsletters or promotional material.

Refusing promotional photography consent will not prevent a participant from taking part in our services.

Consent may be withdrawn for future use by contacting us, although we may not always be able to recall material that has already been lawfully printed, published or distributed.

20. Email newsletters and marketing

You can unsubscribe from promotional emails at any time by:

using the unsubscribe facility in the message; or
contacting us.

We may continue to send essential service communications relating to an active booking even after you unsubscribe from marketing.

We do not sell personal information to third parties for their own marketing.

21. Cookies and website technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies.

Some cookies are necessary for functions such as:

website security;
account login;
bookings;
shopping baskets; and
core website functionality.

We may also use optional cookies for purposes such as analytics or other non-essential functionality.

Where required by law, optional cookies will not be used until you have made an appropriate choice through our cookie controls.

You can review or change your cookie choices using the cookie settings available on the website.

Further information about individual cookies may be provided through our cookie banner or cookie settings.

22. Website analytics

We may collect information about how visitors use our website, such as:

pages visited;
approximate device and browser information;
referring website;
general interaction information; and
technical information required to operate and secure the website.

Where analytics require consent under applicable cookie rules, we will request that consent before activating them.

We aim to avoid unnecessary tracking of children.

23. Automated decision-making

We do not ordinarily use personal information to make decisions about children or customers solely by automated means where the decision produces legal or similarly significant effects.

If this changes, we will provide the information and safeguards required by data-protection law.

24. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

ask us for access to personal information we hold about you;
ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
ask us to delete information;
ask us to restrict how information is used;
object to certain uses of information;
receive certain information in a portable format;
withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
complain about how your personal information has been handled.

These rights are subject to legal conditions and exceptions.

Children have data-protection rights in relation to their own personal information.

To exercise a right, contact us using the details in this Policy.

We may need to verify your identity before responding.

25. Complaints to the Information Commissioner's Office

If you are unhappy with the way we have used your personal information, we would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns first.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data-protection regulator.

Information about making a complaint is available from the ICO at www.ico.org.uk.

26. Links to other websites

Our website may link to services operated by third parties.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites or services.

Parents and carers should consider the privacy arrangements of any third-party site that a child is asked to use.

27. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our organisation, services, technology or legal obligations change.

The latest version will be published on our website and the “Last updated” date will be changed.

Where a change materially affects how we use existing personal information, we will take appropriate steps to bring the change to the attention of affected people.

28. Contact us

For questions about privacy or to exercise your data-protection rights, contact:

Education Without

7 Tower Road
Writtle
Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 3NR
United Kingdom

Email: enquiries@giftcourses.co.uk

Telephone: 01245 830321