1. Introduction

My Dance School ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you use our platform. We comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Data Controller

My Dance School is the data controller responsible for your personal data. For data protection enquiries, please contact us at privacy@mydanceschool.co.uk.

3. What Data We Collect

We collect the following types of personal data:

Account Information

Name, email address, and phone number
Password (encrypted)
Dance school details (for school owners)
Role within the organisation

Student/Dancer Information

Name and date of birth
Emergency contact details
Medical information (where provided for safety purposes)
Class enrolments and attendance records
Competition entries and results
Photos and videos (with consent)

Payment Information

Billing address
Payment history
Payment card details are processed securely by our payment provider (Stripe) and not stored by us

Technical Data

IP address and browser type
Device information
Usage data and analytics

4. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide and maintain our platform services
To manage your account and subscriptions
To process payments and send invoices
To communicate with you about your account and services
To send important notifications (attendance, events, payments)
To improve our platform and develop new features
To comply with legal obligations
To protect the safety and wellbeing of students

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your data based on the following legal grounds:

Contract: Processing necessary to fulfil our service agreement with you
Consent: Where you have given explicit consent (e.g., photo/video usage, marketing)
Legitimate Interests: To operate and improve our business while respecting your rights
Legal Obligation: To comply with laws and regulations
Vital Interests: For emergency situations involving health and safety

6. Data Sharing

We may share your data with:

Your Dance School: School owners and authorised staff can access data for students enrolled at their school
Service Providers: Including cloud hosting, payment processing, and email services
Legal Authorities: When required by law or to protect rights and safety

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. Our service providers are contractually bound to protect your data and only use it for the purposes we specify.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfil legal obligations. Account data is retained while your account is active and for 6 years after closure for legal and tax purposes. You may request earlier deletion subject to our legal obligations.

8. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

Access: Request a copy of your personal data
Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
Erasure: Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
Restriction: Request limitation of processing
Portability: Request transfer of your data in a machine-readable format
Objection: Object to certain types of processing
Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@mydanceschool.co.uk. We will respond within one month. Parents/guardians may exercise these rights on behalf of children.

9. Children's Data

Our platform stores data about children (students) enrolled at dance schools. This data is provided by parents/guardians or the dance school with parental consent. We take extra care to protect children's data and only collect information necessary for the dance school's operations. Parents/guardians can access, correct, or delete their children's data through the parent portal or by contacting their dance school.

10. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including: encryption in transit and at rest, access controls, regular security audits, and secure data centres. However, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. International Transfers

Your data may be processed in countries outside the UK. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions.

12. Cookies

We use essential cookies necessary for the platform to function. We may also use analytics cookies to understand how you use our platform. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via email or through the platform. The "Last updated" date at the top shows when changes were made.

14. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your data, please contact us first. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

15. Contact Us

For any privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights, contact us at:

Email: privacy@mydanceschool.co.uk

Data Protection Officer: dpo@mydanceschool.co.uk