Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Acourze Education ("we", "us", or "our") is the data controller for the personal data you provide. We are a UK-based online education provider delivering OTHM-accredited qualifications and pathway courses to learners worldwide. Our registered correspondence address is in the United Kingdom and we can be contacted at info@acourze.com.

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you provide directly to us, including: your name, date of birth, contact details, postal address, and phone number; your education and employment history; supporting documents such as proof of identity, proof of address, academic certificates, CV, reference letters, and personal statements; and information generated while you study with us, including course progress, assessment marks, and communications with staff.

We also collect technical information automatically when you use our website, such as IP address, browser type, device information, and pages visited, through cookies and analytics tools.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data to: process and evaluate your course applications; manage your enrolment and academic records; deliver course content and assessments; communicate with you about your studies, account, and related services; comply with legal and regulatory obligations as an education provider; improve our website, courses, and services; and send you marketing communications where you have given your consent.

4. Lawful Bases for Processing

Under UK data protection law, we process your personal data on the basis of: (a) performance of a contract — to provide the educational services you have enrolled in; (b) legal obligation — to comply with our duties as an accredited education provider and with applicable laws; (c) legitimate interests — to operate, maintain, and improve our services, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights; and (d) consent — where required, for example for marketing emails or certain types of data sharing. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us at info@acourze.com.

5. Who We Share Data With

We share personal data only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards in place. This includes: awarding bodies such as OTHM and partner universities, for registration, certification, and quality assurance; regulators and government bodies where required by law; trusted service providers who act as our data processors, including cloud hosting, payment processing, email delivery, and analytics providers, all under written contracts that require them to protect your data; and other third parties only with your explicit consent.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties under any circumstances.

6. International Transfers

Where data is transferred outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, we rely on adequacy decisions, Standard Contractual Clauses, or other approved transfer mechanisms to ensure your information remains protected to UK GDPR standards.

7. Data Security

We use industry-standard technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including encryption in transit (TLS/SSL), access controls, role-based permissions, secure document storage, and regular security reviews. While we take every reasonable precaution, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Data Retention

Application data is retained for up to 2 years if no enrolment results. Enrolled learner records and academic results are retained for at least 7 years after course completion, in line with awarding-body and regulatory requirements. Marketing data is retained until you withdraw your consent or we determine it is no longer needed.

9. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to: access the personal data we hold about you; request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data; request erasure of your data in certain circumstances; restrict or object to processing of your data; request data portability; and withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

To exercise any of these rights, please email info@acourze.com. We will respond within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

10. Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience, analyse site traffic, and personalise content. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. For more information, please see our Terms & Conditions or contact us.

11. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

This Privacy Policy and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any such dispute. Consumers resident outside England and Wales retain the benefit of any mandatory rights under their local law.

Before commencing legal proceedings, we encourage you to contact us at info@acourze.com so we can attempt to resolve any concerns informally and promptly.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Material changes will be notified by email or on our website. The date of the latest revision will be indicated at the top of this page.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us at info@acourze.com or by post at our registered UK address.