Our Privacy Policy

Privacy Notice

Clerks of London Limited (“we”, “us”, “our”) provides professional governance and clerking services to academy trusts, schools, and panels across the UK. In the course of our work, we collect and process personal information. This Privacy Notice explains how we use, store, and protect that information, and the rights of individuals whose data we handle.

Who we are

Clerks of London Limited is a company registered in England and Wales. We act both as a data controller (where we decide how and why data is processed) and as a data processor (where we process information on behalf of a school or trust). Which role applies depends on the nature of the service we are providing.

Our contact details are:

Email: Info@clerksoflondon.com

Postal address: 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ

Data protection registration

Clerks of London Limited is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as required under data protection law. Our registration took effect in September 2025. Our ICO registration number is ZB986411.

What personal data we collect

The type of information we collect depends on the service provided, and may include:

  • Governance data: names, contact details, declarations of interest, meeting attendance, and role history of governors, trustees, and panel members.

  • Casework data: names, contact details, written submissions, evidence, and minutes relating to exclusion hearings, complaints, or independent review panels.

  • Professional contacts: correspondence with headteachers, CEOs, school staff, and external advisers.

  • Administrative data: invoices, contracts, and payment details for clients and suppliers.

We will not collect more information than is necessary for the purpose of our work.

Special category data

In some cases, we process information that is considered “special category” under data protection law. This may include information about:

  • Safeguarding concerns

  • Allegations of misconduct, including sexual misconduct or peer-on-peer abuse

  • Health or medical needs

  • Ethnicity or religion (where relevant to the case)

  • Special educational needs or disabilities (SEND)

We process this information only where strictly necessary to fulfil our role in managing complaints, exclusions, and independent review panels.

Our lawful bases for processing special category data are:

  • Substantial public interest – particularly safeguarding of children and individuals at risk (Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1, Part 2).

  • Legal claims – where information is required to establish, exercise, or defend legal rights.

  • Explicit consent – in limited circumstances, where an individual has given clear consent.

We will only share special category information with those who need to see it for the purposes of the Hearing or Panel, and it will be stored securely and deleted in line with our retention policy.

 

How we use your data

We process personal data for the following purposes:

  • Providing clerking and governance services under contract.

  • Preparing, circulating, and securely storing agendas, minutes, and case papers.

  • Facilitating independent hearings and panels in line with statutory and trust procedures.

  • Complying with legal and regulatory obligations (e.g. company records, safeguarding requirements).

  • Managing our own business operations, such as invoicing and client correspondence.

Legal basis for processing

We rely on one or more of the following legal bases under the UK GDPR:

  • Contract: processing is necessary to deliver the service you have requested or engaged us to provide.

  • Legal obligation: processing is necessary to comply with the law (e.g. safeguarding, education law, HMRC).

  • Public task: processing is necessary for work carried out in the public interest or under official authority, where acting on behalf of schools and trusts.

  • Legitimate interests: processing is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided these are not overridden by your rights.

Who we share your data with

We may share personal information with:

  • The relevant school, academy trust, or panel.

  • Independent panel members engaged to hear a case.

  • Professional advisers, where required (e.g. legal, HR, safeguarding).

  • Regulators, auditors, or statutory bodies if legally required.

  • Trusted third-party service providers who support our work, such as secure cloud storage platforms and professional printing companies. Where these involve international transfers, appropriate safeguards are in place in line with UK data protection law.

We do not sell personal data.

How long we keep your data

We retain information only for as long as necessary, taking into account legal requirements, contractual obligations, and statutory guidance (e.g. exclusion papers are typically retained for 6 years). After this period, information will be securely deleted or destroyed.

How we keep your data safe

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. This includes password protection, encryption, and secure file storage.

Your rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal data we hold about you.

  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.

  • Request erasure of your data, where this is not required by law or contract.

  • Object to or restrict processing in certain circumstances.

  • Request transfer of your data to another organisation (data portability).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [insert email].

Complaints

If you are concerned about how your personal data is being handled, please contact us in the first instance. You also have the right to raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): www.ico.org.uk.

Updates to this notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. The latest version will always be available on request.

Contact us.

info@clercksoflondon.com
0208 058 0636