Privacy Notice

Taal Examinations provides graded music examinations and assessments.

For applicable UK data protection law, the organisation responsible for deciding how and why personal information is processed is Sachin Khetani, trading as Taal Examinations.

Email: admin@taalmusicacademy.com
Correspondence address: HA7 2NJ
Website: taalmusicacademy.com

Depending on your relationship with Taal Examinations, we may collect:

Candidate information:

• full name, date of birth and age;
• postal address, email address and telephone number;
• candidate identification number;
• examination level, history, date and location;
• teacher or music-school information;
• results, marks, examiner comments and certificate information; and
• examination correspondence.

Parent or guardian information: name, contact information, address where necessary, relationship to the candidate and examination correspondence.

Teacher information: name, contact information, school or academy, associated candidates and examination correspondence.

Payment information: fees, payment status, transaction references, refunds and required financial records. Card or banking information may be processed directly by a third-party payment provider rather than stored by Taal Examinations.

Access and reasonable-adjustment information: information relating to a disability, medical condition, learning difficulty or other need where necessary to consider a requested arrangement. We collect only what is reasonably necessary. Special-category information is handled with additional care and only under an appropriate lawful basis and condition.

We may use personal information to:

• register candidates, verify identity and schedule examinations;
• communicate arrangements, allocate examiners and deliver assessments;
• record marks, results and examiner comments;
• carry out moderation and quality assurance;
• issue certificates and maintain examination histories;
• process payments and refunds;
• consider reasonable adjustments and access arrangements;
• investigate complaints, appeals, malpractice or administration issues;
• prevent fraud and protect examination integrity;
• maintain financial and administrative records;
• improve examination services; and
• meet legal, regulatory and safeguarding responsibilities where applicable.

The lawful basis depends on the purpose. We may process information where necessary for a contract, to comply with a legal obligation, for legitimate organisational interests that are not overridden by individual rights, or with consent where appropriate.

Where special-category information such as health or disability information is processed, Taal Examinations will also identify an appropriate condition under applicable law.

Many candidates may be under 18. We recognise that children’s information requires particular care. Where appropriate, entries and important decisions concerning younger candidates will be handled through a parent, guardian or authorised adult. We aim to explain our use of information clearly.

Most information is provided directly by candidates, parents or guardians, teachers, examination centres, or authorised representatives. Information is also generated during examination, including marks, comments, assessment records and results. Where another person supplies information, appropriate privacy information will be made available to the candidate or parent/guardian.

Where necessary for examination administration, information may be shared with authorised Taal Examinations staff, examiners, moderators, quality-assurance personnel, venues or centres, appropriately authorised teachers or music schools, payment providers, website/database/email/IT providers, professional advisers, insurers, safeguarding professionals, and public authorities or regulators where legally required or permitted.

We do not sell candidates’ personal information. Processors acting for us are expected to handle information appropriately and securely.

Taal Examinations may keep a permanent or long-term record of a candidate’s examination history where necessary to verify qualifications, results or certificates. This may include candidate number and name, examination and date, result, final mark or classification, and certificate details. Other documents are kept only as long as reasonably necessary for legal, accounting, complaints, appeals or quality-assurance purposes.

Different information may be kept for different periods. Taal Examinations will establish and review a retention schedule for candidate records, assessment materials, financial information, reasonable-adjustment information, complaints and other records. Information will not be retained longer than reasonably necessary unless a legal or legitimate reason applies, after which it will be securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised.

Taal Examinations takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure and destruction. Access is limited to people who reasonably require it for their role.

Some technology or service providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this occurs, appropriate steps and safeguards will be used in accordance with applicable UK data protection law.

Examination administration is separate from promotional marketing. Necessary examination communications do not require agreement to marketing. Where electronic marketing needs consent, it will be requested separately, and individuals can unsubscribe from optional marketing at any time.

Examination entry is not automatic consent to use a candidate’s photograph, video or performance promotionally. Appropriate permission will be requested separately for identifiable promotional material.

Depending on the circumstances and lawful basis, individuals may have rights to request access, correction, deletion or restriction; object to certain processing; request portability; and withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.

These rights are not absolute. Requests should be sent to admin@taalmusicacademy.com. Identity verification may be required before information is provided or a request is acted upon.

If you have concerns, contact Taal Examinations first so the matter can be investigated. You may also raise a concern with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

The website may use cookies and similar technologies. Where cookies are not strictly necessary, appropriate information and choices will be provided under applicable requirements. Further information may be provided through a separate Cookie Policy or management tool.

Taal Examinations does not intend to make examination results solely through automated decision-making. Candidate assessment decisions involve appropriately authorised human assessment and/or review. This notice will be updated if that changes.

This notice may be updated as services, systems or legal obligations develop. The latest version will be published with its update date. Where a significant change materially affects existing information use, appropriate steps will be taken to bring it to affected individuals’ attention.

For questions about this notice or how personal information is handled, contact Taal Examinations at admin@taalmusicacademy.com, correspondence address HA7 2NJ, or visit taalmusicacademy.com.