Compliance & GDPR

Education data built
on trust and legal expertise

Like you, we take data compliance seriously. When you market to schools through Target Education, you need to know that the data behind your campaign was collected lawfully, is processed transparently, and respects the rights of every individual in the database. Here's exactly how we do that.

Smiling teacher in glasses sitting at a desk in a library, with GDPR Compliant (verified) and ICO Registered (active) badges

At a glance

Our compliance position

  • Legal basis – Legitimate interest under UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f)

  • Legal review – Independent oversight from specialist data protection solicitors

  • Data sources – Publicly available sources including school websites and government datasets

  • Data freshness – Full database rebuild every quarter

  • Email verification – All email addresses verified before entering the platform

  • PECR status – School staff emails classified as corporate subscriber communications

  • ICO registration – Registered with the Information Commissioner's Office

  • Data subject rights – Full rights honoured - access, rectification, erasure

  • Client isolation – Each customer operates in a separate environment; no data shared between clients

  • DPA – Comprehensive Data Processing Agreement provided to all customers

Transparency

How we collect and verify school staff data

Editorial engagement signals

As the organisation behind Teach Primary, Teach Secondary, and Teachwire, we interact with hundreds of thousands of educators every month. When teachers subscribe to our publications, register on Teachwire, or download resources, they provide professional information that helps us verify and enrich our understanding of who works at which school in which role.

Publicly available school websites

School websites routinely publish staff lists, including names, job titles, and in many cases email addresses or email conventions. This information is placed in the public domain by the schools themselves for the purpose of enabling contact with their staff. We compile this publicly available information as the foundation of our database.

Government datasets

We use publicly available government data sources - including Get Information About Schools (GIAS), the DfE school census data, published performance tables, and Ofsted inspection records - to build comprehensive school profiles. These provide school identification details (name, URN, address, type, phase), pupil demographics, performance data, and structural information such as MAT membership.

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ICO registration

Information Commissioner's Office registration

Target Education is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a data controller. Registration with the ICO is a legal requirement for organisations that process personal data, and our registration confirms that we have notified the ICO of our data processing activities.

Our registration details can be verified through the ICO's public register at ico.org.uk.

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Data processing agreement

Comprehensive DPA for all customers

Every Target Education customer is provided with a comprehensive Data Processing Agreement (DPA) before gaining access to the platform.

The DPA sets out the terms under which personal data is handled and establishes the responsibilities of both parties. The DPA covers:

  • The nature and purpose of the data processing
  • The categories of personal data involved
  • Data security measures and obligations
  • Breach notification procedures and timelines
  • Sub-processor arrangements (where applicable)
  • Data retention and deletion terms
  • Cross-border transfer safeguards (where applicable)
  • Obligations upon termination of the agreement

FAQs

Compliance FAQs

Where does the data come from?

School staff names, job titles, and email addresses are compiled from publicly available sources - primarily school websites and government datasets such as Get Information About Schools (GIAS). Email addresses are verified through our proprietary process. The database is fully rebuilt every quarter.

Has Target Education's approach been legally reviewed?

Yes. Our data collection and processing practices have been reviewed by specialist data protection solicitors, who have confirmed that our use of legitimate interest as a legal basis is appropriate for the type of data we hold and the purposes for which we process it. We have also completed a Legitimate Interest Assessment and a Data Protection Impact Assessment, both of which are reviewed periodically.

What happens if a teacher asks to be removed from the database?

If a teacher unsubscribes from a specific customer's email, they are removed from that customer's mailing list only. If they contact Target Education directly and request full removal from the platform, we will honour that request and remove their data entirely. We will also take steps to ensure they are not re-added during future database rebuilds.

Is it legal to send marketing emails to teachers without their consent?

Yes, in most cases. School staff receiving emails at their work addresses are classified as 'corporate subscribers' under PECR. Corporate subscriber communications do not require prior consent - they are governed by the UK GDPR, and our processing is based on legitimate interest. However, every email must include an unsubscribe mechanism, and every opt-out request must be honoured.

Is the data shared between different customers?

No. Each customer operates in a completely isolated environment. Your mailing lists, campaign results, and engagement data are entirely separate from every other customer on the platform.

Do I need my own GDPR compliance in place to use the platform?

Yes. As an independent data controller, you are responsible for ensuring your own marketing campaigns comply with the UK GDPR and PECR. This includes maintaining accurate sender information, honouring unsubscribes, and ensuring your campaign content is lawful. Target Education provides the data and the tools; you control what you send and to whom.

What if I receive a complaint from a teacher about an email I sent through the platform?

You should respond to the complaint promptly and professionally. If the teacher wishes to unsubscribe from your emails, honour the request immediately - the platform handles this automatically. If the complaint relates to the data itself (e.g., the teacher did not expect to be in the database), please forward the details to our data protection contact so we can investigate and respond appropriately.

Questions about compliance?

We know that compliance is a deciding factor when choosing a data provider. If you have specific questions about our legal basis, data collection methods, PECR classification, or any other aspect of our compliance framework, we're happy to walk you through it in detail.

Book a Call to discuss compliance

Or call us directly on 01206 505931 to speak with an education marketing specialist.