Privacy Notice and Data Protection Policy
Khalsa Panth Academy®
Registered Charity in England and Wales, Charity Number 1219689
Version: October 2026
Approved by trustees: October 2026
Next review: 12 months from approval, or sooner if required
1. Our commitment
Khalsa Panth Academy® respects the privacy of learners, parents, carers, staff, tutors, volunteers, trustees, donors, supporters and website users. We collect and use personal information only where we have a proper reason to do so, and we keep it as safe as reasonably possible.
This notice explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, who we may share it with, and what rights people have.
For data protection matters, contact: info@khalsapanthacademy.com / 0121 8190 311 / 07424 590 311.
2. Who we are
Khalsa Panth Academy® is a registered charity in England and Wales, Charity Number 1219689. We operate as an after-school and weekend supplementary education and tuition centre. We provide Sikh education, Gurmat Sangeet, Punjabi language, Sikh heritage learning, Gatka as heritage learning, youth learning and supplementary academic tuition.
Khalsa Panth Academy® is the data controller for information it collects and uses for its own activities.
3. Information we may collect
We may collect and use the following information where needed:
- names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses;
- learner date of birth, age, class details and attendance information;
- parent, carer and emergency contact details;
- medical, allergy, access, SEND or support information where needed to keep a person safe and support learning;
- payment records, donation records and Gift Aid declarations;
- registration forms, consent forms and class records;
- safeguarding records and concern records where required;
- DBS, recruitment, training and volunteer records for staff, tutors and volunteers;
- photographs, videos and media consent records;
- emails, website forms, WhatsApp messages and other communications sent to or from us;
- website information such as IP address, browser data, cookie preferences and pages visited.
4. Why we use information
We use information to:
- register learners and manage classes;
- keep attendance and emergency contact records;
- provide safe teaching, supervision and learner support;
- communicate with parents, carers, learners, staff, volunteers, donors and supporters;
- manage fees, donations, receipts, Gift Aid and financial records;
- keep safeguarding, health and safety, accident and incident records;
- recruit, check, train and supervise staff, tutors and volunteers;
- handle complaints, concerns and feedback;
- promote Khalsa Panth Academy® where suitable consent has been given;
- meet charity, safeguarding, tax, accounting, legal and insurance duties.
5. Legal basis for using information
Depending on the reason, we may rely on one or more lawful bases:
- consent, for example photo consent or some marketing communications;
- contract, for example managing class registration, fees or services;
- legal obligation, for example safeguarding, accounting, Gift Aid, tax and employment records;
- legitimate interests, for example running classes safely, responding to enquiries, managing volunteers and improving services;
- vital interests, where information is needed in an emergency to protect someone’s life or safety;
- special category conditions, where sensitive information is needed for safeguarding, health, equality or support reasons.
6. Children’s information
We take extra care with children’s information. We collect only what is needed for registration, learning, safeguarding, health and safety, attendance, communication and support.
Where a child is under 18, parent or carer consent will normally be required for registration, emergency contacts, photography, videos and certain communications. Children’s information will not be sold or used for unrelated marketing.
7. Sharing information
We do not sell personal information. We may share information only where needed and lawful, including with:
- parents, carers or emergency contacts;
- tutors, teachers, volunteers and trustees who need the information for their role;
- payment providers, banks, accountants or payroll services;
- HMRC for Gift Aid, tax or payroll purposes;
- insurers, professional advisers or auditors;
- safeguarding agencies, local authority, LADO, police, DBS, NHS or emergency services where required;
- Charity Commission, HMRC or other regulators where required;
- website, email, booking, payment or IT service providers who help us run our systems.
8. Safeguarding and emergency sharing
Where we believe a child, young person or adult at risk may be at risk of harm, we may share relevant information with safeguarding agencies, police, emergency services, local authority or another appropriate organisation without consent where the law allows or requires it.
Safeguarding records are kept securely and shared only with people or agencies who need to know.
9. Keeping information safe
We use reasonable steps to protect personal information. This includes access controls, secure storage, password protection, limited access, careful email use, secure disposal and trustee oversight.
Staff, tutors, trustees and volunteers must not access or share information unless needed for their role.
10. How long we keep information
We keep information only as long as needed for the reason it was collected, legal duties, safeguarding duties, accounting rules, insurance requirements or proper charity records.
As a general guide:
- financial and accounting records are normally kept for at least 6 years;
- safeguarding records may need to be kept longer depending on the nature of the concern;
- DBS certificate numbers and check details are recorded, but copies of certificates will not normally be kept longer than necessary;
- registration and class records are reviewed regularly and securely deleted when no longer needed.
11. Photos, videos and social media
Photos and videos of children will only be used where suitable consent has been obtained. We will avoid publishing a child’s full name with their image unless there is a clear reason and consent.
If consent is withdrawn, we will stop new use of that image where practical. We may not always be able to remove images already printed, shared or published by others.
12. Individual rights
People may have rights to:
- ask for a copy of their personal information;
- ask us to correct inaccurate information;
- ask us to delete information where the law allows;
- object to certain uses;
- ask us to restrict use in some cases;
- withdraw consent where we rely on consent.
To make a request, contact info@khalsapanthacademy.com. We may need to verify identity before responding.
13. Concerns or complaints
If someone is unhappy with how we use their information, they should contact us first so we can try to resolve it.
People also have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office if they remain unhappy.
14. Review
This policy will be reviewed at least annually, or sooner if the law, guidance, systems or activities change.
