Privacy Notice

1. Who we are

This website, Practical English Work, is operated by Sophia Thomas, an independent English Language and Communication Specialist working as a sole trader in the United Kingdom. Sophia Thomas is the data controller responsible for personal information collected and used in connection with the services described on this website.

For questions about this notice or your personal information, please contact me at sophia@practicalenglishwork.com.

2. Personal information I collect

When you contact me, book a trial lesson, attend an online session or purchase lessons, I may collect:

• Contact and booking details: Your name, email address, appointment date and time, preferred availability and intended start date.
• English language and communication needs: Areas you want to improve, situations in which you feel less confident and your learning goals.
• Personal and professional circumstances: Information you provide about living in the UK or using English in a professional or academic environment.
• Learning records: Relevant objectives, lesson plans, progress notes, completed exercises, written work and feedback.
• Billing and payment information: Your name, billing address, invoices, payment amounts and dates, transaction references and payment status, where applicable.
• Additional information: Anything else you choose to share in booking forms or correspondence.
• How you found my services: Your response to the question about how you heard about my services.
• Newsletter information: Your email address and subscription preferences if you separately subscribe to Monthly Briefing.
• Online sessions: Your Zoom display name and information you voluntarily share during consultations and lessons.
• Correspondence: Emails and messages relating to enquiries, bookings and lessons.

I do not routinely request your age, date of birth or other demographic details. Please avoid including sensitive personal information in booking forms unless necessary for your enquiry.

3. How and why I use your personal information

I use your personal information for the following purposes and lawful bases under UK data protection law:

• Responding to enquiries and arranging bookings — Contract: To communicate with you, arrange trial lessons and manage appointments through Calendly, including taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.
• Preparing and delivering lessons — Contract: To understand your communication needs and provide personalised consultations and lessons through Zoom.
• Maintaining learning records — Contract: To prepare materials, monitor progress, give feedback and maintain continuity of learning where necessary to deliver lessons.
• Retaining limited records after lessons — Legitimate interests: To support reasonable administration and address potential disputes, subject to your rights and freedoms.
• Managing invoices and payments — Contract and legal obligation: To issue invoices, receive payments and keep financial records required by applicable tax and accounting law.
• Managing enquiries and improving services — Legitimate interests: To understand how people find my services and make proportionate improvements.
• Sending Monthly Briefing — Consent: To email resources, updates and occasional information about my services if you have separately subscribed through Kit (formerly ConvertKit).

Newsletter subscription is optional and separate from booking lessons. Calendly bookings do not automatically subscribe you. You may withdraw consent at any time using the unsubscribe link in each newsletter or by contacting me.

Your name, email address and relevant booking details are generally necessary to arrange and provide services; without them, I may be unable to fulfil your request. Additional background details and newsletter subscriptions are voluntary unless explained otherwise.

4. How I share your personal information

I do not sell your personal information or share it with unrelated third parties for their own marketing purposes. I use selected services to support teaching, administration and communications:

• Cloudflare Pages: Hosting and delivering this website. Cloudflare may process technical information associated with website delivery, performance and security.
• Calendly: Booking forms, appointments, confirmations and reminders.
• Zoom: Online consultations and lessons.
• Kit (formerly ConvertKit): Separate Monthly Briefing newsletter subscriptions and emails.
• Google Drive: Private storage of invoices and learner records, such as learning objectives, lesson plans, progress notes, written work and feedback. Learners are not given access to my folders containing these records.
• Wise and PayPal: Receiving and managing lesson payments.
• Banks: Receiving direct bank transfers.
• Email provider: Enquiries, appointments, lesson communications and invoices.

Invoices contain your name and billing address and may be issued through a payment platform or by email. Providers and banks may process information as necessary for their services, sometimes outside the UK. I may also disclose information where required by law or necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

Third-party privacy notices:

• Calendly Privacy Notice
• Zoom Privacy Statement
• Kit Privacy Policy
• Google Privacy Policy
• Wise Privacy Notices
• PayPal Privacy Statement
• Cloudflare Data Processing Addendum

5. How long I keep your personal information

I keep information only as long as reasonably necessary for its purpose:

• Enquiries and trial bookings: Normally up to 12 months after our last contact if you do not become an ongoing learner.
• Ongoing learners: Normally up to 24 months after your final lesson for relevant learning records, lesson information and correspondence.
• Financial and tax records: For the periods required by applicable UK tax and record-keeping law.
• Monthly Briefing: Subscription details while you remain subscribed, unless earlier deletion is appropriate.

I do not currently record Zoom consultations or lessons. If recording is introduced, I will explain its purpose, handling and retention before recording takes place.

Information may be retained longer where necessary to meet legal obligations or resolve disputes. When no longer needed, I will securely delete or anonymise it where reasonably possible.

6. International transfers of personal information

Some providers, including Cloudflare Pages, Calendly, Zoom, Kit, Google Drive, Wise and PayPal, may process or store information outside the United Kingdom. Cloudflare operates global infrastructure and may use subprocessors in other countries. Its Data Processing Addendum includes terms addressing international transfers from the UK.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, I take reasonable steps to ensure that transfers comply with applicable UK data protection law, including relying on recognised adequacy arrangements or appropriate safeguards where required. You may contact me for further information about applicable transfer protections.

You can read Cloudflare’s Data Processing Addendum.

7. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law gives you rights to access your information, correct inaccurate information, request erasure, restrict processing, object to certain processing (including direct marketing), request data portability and withdraw consent where consent is relied upon.

These rights are subject to legal conditions and exceptions. To make a request, please contact me at sophia@practicalenglishwork.com. I will respond in accordance with applicable UK law, normally within one calendar month.

If you are dissatisfied with my handling of your information, you may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

8. Cookies and website analytics

Cloudflare Web Analytics is disabled for this website. I do not intentionally use non-essential analytics or advertising cookies.

Cloudflare may use technical or security-related cookies or similar technologies when delivering and protecting this website.

The website links to external services, including Calendly and Kit. When you visit those services, they may use their own cookies or similar technologies under their respective policies.

If I introduce non-essential cookies or similar technologies in the future, I will assess whether consent is required under UK law and provide appropriate consent controls where necessary.

9. How I protect your personal information

I take reasonable steps to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure.

Learner records, invoices and relevant documents are stored privately in Google Drive. My Google account is protected by two-step verification, and the computer I use for teaching and administration is password-protected. I restrict access to information to what is necessary to manage and provide my services; learner records are not publicly accessible.

No electronic storage or internet transmission method can be guaranteed completely secure.

10. Changes to this Privacy Notice

I may update this notice to reflect changes to my services, providers or applicable data protection requirements. Updates will be published here with the date of the latest revision. Where changes significantly affect how I use personal information, I will take appropriate steps to inform those concerned.

Last updated: 19th October 2026