Privacy Policy

1. About this policy

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information handled by City Thames College Ltd, company number 17363893, through this website and related enquiry, learning or application-support communications.

Our registered office is Unit F, 1 Taylor Place, Fondant Court, Ground Floor, London, United Kingdom, E3 2FX. For privacy enquiries, contact admin@citythames.com or +44 7777 719330.

2. What personal information may be collected

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us and the service you request. It may include:

• Contact information: your name, email address, telephone number, postal address and preferred contact details.
• Study interests: the course, subject, study level, preferred location or progression route you are interested in.
• Educational information: previous study, qualifications, academic history, transcripts or other information relevant to a course or application discussion.
• Application information: information and documents you provide when asking us to support an application or assess what information may be relevant to your chosen route.
• Eligibility-related information: information such as immigration or residency status, previous study or student-finance history where it is relevant to the guidance or application-support service you request.
• Communication information: messages, enquiry details, preferred contact times and records of relevant communications with us.
• Technical information: limited website, device, security or analytics information that may be generated through normal website operation where such technologies are used.

3. How information may be collected

Personal information may be collected when you complete an enabled website form, contact us by email, telephone or WhatsApp, make an enquiry, request course or application support, provide documents, or otherwise communicate with our team.

We may also receive relevant information from an external education provider or another party involved in an application where there is an appropriate reason and lawful basis for doing so.

4. Why we may use your information

Depending on the circumstances, personal information may be used to:

• respond to enquiries and provide information about City Thames College Level 2 and Level 3 courses or student services;
• support administration connected with City Thames College learning or enrolment;
• discuss study interests and possible progression routes;
• support an application or enquiry relating to an external university or education provider;
• communicate with you about information or support you have requested;
• maintain appropriate administrative, enquiry and application-support records;
• protect our website, users and services from misuse or security risks;
• meet legal, regulatory or compliance obligations where applicable; and
• improve our website, communications and student-support processes.

5. Lawful bases for using personal information

Where UK data-protection law applies, the lawful basis depends on the purpose and circumstances. We may process information where it is necessary to take steps you request before entering an arrangement, where we have a legitimate interest that is not overridden by your rights, where you have given consent, or where processing is required to meet a legal obligation.

If information requires an additional legal condition because of its nature, we will only use it where an appropriate condition applies.

6. When information may be shared

We do not need to share every enquiry with another organisation. Where sharing is necessary for the service you request, relevant information may be shared with:

• Universities and education providers: where you ask for application or progression support involving that provider.
• Service providers: organisations supporting functions such as website hosting, communications, IT, administration or secure data handling, subject to appropriate arrangements.
• Professional or legal advisers: where advice is reasonably required.
• Public authorities or regulators: where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

We aim to share only information that is relevant to the particular purpose.

7. External education providers

If you ask City Thames College to support an application to an external university or education provider, that provider may process your information under its own privacy policy for admission, enrolment, compliance or related purposes. You should review the provider's privacy information before information is submitted to it.

8. How long information may be kept

We aim not to keep personal information for longer than is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, taking account of relevant administrative, legal, regulatory and record-keeping requirements. Retention periods may differ depending on the type of information and the service involved.

9. Data security

We take reasonable organisational and technical measures intended to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure. No online or electronic system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, so information should only be submitted through channels you are comfortable using.

10. International transfers

If a service provider or relevant organisation processes personal information outside the United Kingdom, appropriate safeguards should be considered where required by applicable data-protection law. The circumstances depend on the organisation, destination and processing arrangement involved.

11. Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may have rights relating to your personal information, including the right to be informed and rights to request access, correction, deletion, restriction or objection. In some circumstances, a right to data portability or rights relating to automated decision-making may also apply.

These rights are not absolute and can depend on the purpose and lawful basis for processing. To make a privacy request, contact admin@citythames.com. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

13. Consent and marketing communications

Where we rely on your consent, you may withdraw that consent. Where optional marketing communications are sent, you can ask us to stop sending them. Communications needed to respond to an active enquiry, course administration or application-support request may be treated differently from optional marketing.

14. Cookies, analytics and external links

The website may use essential technical functions and may use analytics or similar technologies where configured. If non-essential cookies or tracking technologies are introduced, appropriate information and choices should be provided where required.

Our website may link to external websites. City Thames College does not control the privacy practices of third-party websites, so you should review their privacy information separately.

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our services, website features, data-handling practices or legal requirements change. The current version will be published on this page.

16. Contact and complaints

If you have a question, concern or request relating to personal information, please contact us at admin@citythames.com.

You may also have the right to raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner's Office if you are dissatisfied with how a data-protection matter has been handled.