Effective Date: 20/12/2024
Last updated: 18/12/2025

This Privacy Policy explains how The Learning Experts Ltd (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, stores and protects personal data when providing exam marking and related services to schools and educational institutions.

We are committed to complying with the UK GDPR (or EU GDPR where applicable) and the UK Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Data Controller:
The Learning Experts Ltd
Registered office: Picadilly Business Centre, Aldow Enterprise Park, Manchester M12 6AE, UK
Email: info@thelearningexperts.co.uk

For the purposes of GDPR:

• Schools and educational institutions are the Data Controllers of student and staff personal data they share with us.
• **We act as a Data Processor, processing personal data on behalf of the school and according to the school’s instructions.

2. What Data We Process

We may process the following categories of personal data when schools send exam scripts to us for marking:

Student Data

• Student names or candidate identifiers
• Exam responses and associated script content
• Grades and feedback notes
• Non-sensitive contextual information required for marking

School Staff/Contact Data

• Names and professional contact details of school staff involved in sending materials, queries, or marking instructions

We do not collect data directly from students; we only process data provided by schools for the legitimate purpose of exam assessment and marking.

3. Purpose of Processing

We process personal data only for the purposes specified by the school, including:

• Marking examination and assessment materials
• Producing feedback, grades or reports for the school
• Communicating with the school regarding marking queries, timelines or quality assurance
• Secure storage and, where agreed, return or disposal of materials after service completion

4. Lawful Bases for Processing

We process personal data on the following lawful grounds under GDPR:

• Contract – necessary for the performance of a service contract between the school and us.
• Legitimate interests – necessary for our legitimate interest in providing accurate marking services, so long as they do not override the rights of data subjects.

Where special category data is processed (if, in rare cases, this occurs), appropriate legal bases under GDPR Articles (e.g., Article 9 conditions such as processing necessary for educational assessments) will be applied.

5. How We Receive and Use Data

We receive data only from authorised school contacts and use it solely to deliver the exam marking service. We do not use student information for marketing, analytics outside of the service delivery context, or any purposes unrelated to the school’s instructions.

We minimise the amount of personal data processed and store only what is required to complete marking and any agreed follow-up tasks.

6. Data Security and Access Controls

We apply robust technical and organisational measures to protect personal data, including:

• Secure password-protected systems and devices
• Encryption where appropriate
• Restricted access to only authorised marking personnel
• Confidential handling of all exam materials

We review security measures regularly and take steps to mitigate risks of unauthorised access, loss or disclosure.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to:

• Complete the marking service,
• Resolve post-marking questions, and
• Meet any contractual record-keeping requirements

After this period, personal data is securely deleted, anonymised, or returned to the school as agreed.

8. Sharing and Third Parties

We do not sell or disclose personal data to third parties outside those required to perform marking services. We may share personal data only with:

• Sub-processors or service providers (e.g., secure data storage providers) engaged to support service delivery, under contractual GDPR obligations
• Legal or regulatory authorities if legally required

We do not use personal data for marketing purposes.

9. Data Subject Rights

Individuals whose data we process (students or school staff) have rights under GDPR, including:

• Right of access to personal data
• Right to rectification
• Right to erasure (where lawful and applicable)
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to object to processing
• Right to data portability

Requests should be made to the school as the Data Controller, who may instruct us to assist in fulfilling the request.

10. International Transfers

Data is processed and stored within the UK/EU. If any transfer outside these regions occurs, we will ensure adequate safeguards in accordance with GDPR (e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses).

11. Updates to this Policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in law or our services. The latest version will be available on our website.

12. Contact Details

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle personal data:

The Learning Experts Ltd
Email: info@thelearningexperts.co.uk
Address: Picadilly Business Centre, Aldow Enterprise Park, Manchester M12 6AE, UK