Dance Connexions GDPR Policy 2024

 

This privacy notice is in place to inform our customers of how we, Dance Connexions, may collect, use and protect their personal data.

Dance Connexions is committed to protecting any personal information you share with us.

 

We operate in accordance with the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), which replaces the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC and comes into effect on 25th May 2018.

 

Your Rights:

 

It is the right of anyone required to submit personal data to Dance Connexions to understand what personal information we collect and why, how we use and store that information and how we dispose of that information should you leave the school, no longer use our services or should any of your details change.

 

We aim to operate fairly and with complete transparency meaning you can contact the Principal at any time to confirm what personal data we hold and to ask us to remove any information you do not wish for us to have. If you ask for your data to be removed, we will keep the minimum amount of information to ensure we adhere to your request. Please note however that we may have a lawful reason to hold or use the personal data in question, which does not require consent.

 

The majority of our communications will be via email. Your email address will never be displayed within a group email. In some circumstances it will be possible to change the way we contact you, however, please note this may result in important information being missed or delayed.

It is your right to choose what communications you wish to receive from us, i.e. only information as relevant to you as an individual or company. You can opt in or out of communication for marketing purposes (such as advertising of holiday workshops and summer schools) at any time. Dance Connexions reserve the right to email you regarding invoices, payments, and show and examinations that you have committed to.

 

To view, update or remove any information please email info@danceconnexions.co.uk 

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What personal information will we collect and why?

We will not collect any information other than what is lawfully relevant to registration as a Dance Connexions pupil or for participation in any Dance Connexions related event (to include but not limited to: classes, rehearsals, exam sessions, performances, auditions, dance parties, workshops, summer school) with the child’s safety being of paramount importance.

Information required for enrolment and participation of classes:

•    Child’s Full Name (so the child can be easily identified in class. This will appear on the class register so the child’s attendance can be recorded for safety reasons and to ensure correct invoicing of classes. (For Child Protection and Safeguarding reasons we will not be able to proceed with the enrolment of a child where the responsible parent does not consent to their child’s full-name appearing on the register.)

•    Date of Birth (to ensure children are placed in the correct class and eligible for certain exams, events, competitions, workshops, auditions etc. where an age limit applies)

•    Contact Name of Parent/Guardian (so we know the legally responsible adult who should be contacted in regard to the child’s participation in classes and events, for contacting in an emergency situation and who to issue the invoice for classes and additional events, such as exams and shows)

•    Address (sometimes it may be necessary to send letters and other information via post, such as exam certificates, uniform orders etc.)

•    Telephone Number (in order to contact the responsible parent/guardian in relation to child’s participation in Dance Connexions classes and events and for emergency and medical situations that may arise in class – for instance if the child becomes unwell and we need to contact you to collect them from class early. For safety reasons this number will appear on the class register so the responsible parent/guardian can be contacted as soon as possible. (For Child Protection and Safeguarding reasons we will not be able to proceed with the enrolment of a child where the responsible parent does not consent to this number appearing on the register. For safety reasons parent contacts may be stored in the school mobile phone. This phone is accessible by the teacher only and password protected.)

•    Additional Emergency Contact Name/s and Telephone Number/s (For the safety of the enrolled child, at least one additional contact person should be appointed in the case of an emergency and we are unable to contact the main contact)

•    Medical Information (to ensure the child is kept safe and healthy within class and so that relevant information can be shared with paramedics or medical professionals should an emergency situation arise. It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to keep Dance Connexions informed and up to date with all relevant medical information, including injuries and both physical and psychological conditions. (For Child Protection and Safeguarding reasons we will not be able to proceed with the enrolment of a child where the responsible parent does not consent to medical information appearing on the register.)

If you are a company or person hiring us (for example for a school club or a dance party) we will only collect information relevant to the purpose of our business with you. The information we collect will depend on the service you require.

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Who will we share your information with?

The school will ensure your personal details will always be treated in strict confidence and will not be passed on or sold to any other organisation or third party (including other members of the school) without your consent or without a legitimate reason as is lawful and relevant to your child’s enrolment (see below).

On occasion it may be necessary to disclose student information to a 3rd party, for example for exams and events:

•    Exams: Dance Connexions is required to submit entering pupil’s names and date of births to the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing for Ballet, Tap and Modern examinations. 

•    Performance: Where licenses or license exemptions are required for a performance Dance Connexions must submit pupil names, date of births, home address and the school attended to local councils in order to comply with Child Work Enforcement and Child Protection and Safeguarding regulations

•    For Invoicing and Accounting:

We currently use DanceBiz Think Smart Software for our registration and invoicing system. This requires us to store your details including full name, home address, telephone numbers, email addresses and students full name, date of birth and medical details within the software. 

DanceBiz, Think Smart software is an Australian based company which has been deemed adequate by the EU and as such is compliant with the GDPR guidelines. 

We will regularly review this and at any time should the use of this service become non-compliant or we feel they are not doing enough to protect your data we will immediately change to a new invoicing and accounting system. 

All information stored in DanceBiz is password protected and/or encrypted and accessible by the teachers only. Only the Principal can see all students data, class teachers can only see date relevant to their class.

Our website domain and webmail (info@danceconnexions) provider is 1 & 1 Internet who adhere to the GDPR guidelines. All information posted on and collected through our website (such as our online contact form) are password protected. 

All collected information is used and stored purely for what is relevant to your request or enrolment. All information is processed in line with the GDPR guidelines and deleted in the appropriate manner and time limit as relevant to the individual. 

 

Photos and Video:

All photos and videos published on social media or the Dance Connexions website will be handled in accordance with our photographic policy. This means we will never post media without permission (as directed on the Dance Connexions enrolment form, terms and conditions) and furthermore we will never name a child or provide any personal details without obtaining parental consent. We will remove or edit any media containing images of your child that you ask us to.

All social media sites and websites used within the EU are also required to adhere to strict data protection protocols in line with the GDPR guidelines. As such all personal information stored, collected pr processed there will be handled with the upmost security and accessible by necessary persons only.

 

Accurate Information:

Our aim is to keep all information up to date and as accurate as possible and we therefore kindly ask your assistance in this matter by ensuring you always inform the Principal of any changes to important details such as names, contact details (telephone number, emergency contact, address, email address), medical conditions/injuries and any other information that could be relevant to the admin team and teachers (for example, a bereavement or school related incident that could affect the child physically or emotionally in class and requires extra care by the teacher).

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How will your information be stored securely?

All electronic information is retained on Dance Connexions approved devices only and password protected and/or encrypted.

For the safety of the children class registers contain an emergency contact telephone number and relevant medical information. This information will be handled by the Dance Connexions Principal and, where necessary, appropriate Dance Connexions team members (ie teachers during classes) only. Medical information will only ever be shared in the case of an emergency, ie to inform the attending paramedics of a relevant injury or allergy. It is your job to inform us immediately and in full of any new medical conditions/injuries and any changes to pre-existing conditions. This includes physical and psychological conditions.

Paper enrolment forms are handled with the upmost security and locked away where they can be accessed by approved Dance Connexions teachers only. Once received by the Principal they are destroyed appropriately after being entered onto our Dance Biz software.

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What happens to your information if you leave Dance Connexions?

When a child leaves the school all personal information (paper and electronic) is retained until the end of the following term in case of return. After this time all personal information is deleted and/or destroyed. Names are retained on past registers for 5 years (for the purposes of our tax returns) and invoices remain within our system but personal information and telephone numbers will be blacked out or deleted. These are accessible by the Principal only and accountant where required. All such information continues to be held in accordance with the GDPR.    

Parental Permission and Independent Pupils:

Following GDPR regulations as pertain to the UK, parental permission is required in all cases for enrolling (and enrolled) pupils under the age of 16. Dance Connexions may continue to require parental knowledge and consent in some situations until the pupil is 18 years of age.

Pupils between the ages of 13 and 16 will only be invoiced or contacted directly with parental consent. Pupils below the the age of 13 can not be contacted or invoiced personally regardless of consent.

Personal contact details (ie mobile phone numbers and email addresses) of pupils will not be accepted as the sole form of communication of Dance Connexions information until the pupil reaches 16 years of age. At this point it will be the pupil and parent/s’ decision whether the parent should also continue to be contacted and/or invoiced. Where the pupil is to take over full responsibility of their enrolment a new Independent Enrolment Form will need to be completed. The data on that form will be handled in the manner as dictated above. All irrelevant parental information will be deleted/destroyed in accordance with the GDPR guidelines.

 

Responsibilities of the Principal and Teachers at Dance Connexions:

It is the aim of the school that all appropriate dance teachers are properly trained, fully informed of their responsibilities under the GDPR and are aware of their personal liabilities and all policies related to the processing of customer data.

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This Notice:

Any substantial changes I this notice that affect your rights will be provided to you directly as far as is reasonably practicable.

 

If you have any questions related to privacy, please do not hesitate to contact the Principal Miss Carla Weedon at info@danceconnexions.co.uk