Privacy and Cookies

ChemistryCore

Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2026

ChemistryCore Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, herein referred to as "ChemistryCore", "we", "us" or "our", has created this Privacy Policy ("Policy") to demonstrate our firm commitment to the privacy of the personal information you provide to us when using our website and services (the "Site" and "Services"). We are the data controller for the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation ("UK GDPR") and the Data Protection Act 2018.


In this Policy, references to "you" and "your" are to any user of the Site, whether you are a Student, Parent/Guardian, or Tutor. This Policy describes what personal information we collect from you, how and when it is used, how we protect it, and who has access to it.

We reserve the right to modify this Policy at any time by posting the updated version on this page. Your continued use of the Site following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Policy.


1. What Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide to Us

To use ChemistryCore's Services, we require you to provide certain personal information. Without this information we may not be able to provide our Services. This includes:


Account information

To create an account on the Site, we collect your name, email address, telephone number, postal address, and date of birth. Depending on whether you register as a student, parent/guardian, or tutor, additional information may be required.


Tutor application details

To process your application to become a tutor with ChemistryCore, we collect details including your educational background and chemistry qualifications, a profile picture and optional video introduction, your availability, pricing, and any relevant DBS or identity verification documents.


Communication history

To enable communication between users and with the ChemistryCore team, we store your messages, requests, and interactions with our team (including call recordings where applicable).


Booking and session history

To facilitate tutoring sessions, we collect information on booking requests, session status, subjects and levels, and recordings of sessions (where consented to by the parties involved).


Identity verification information

When applying as a tutor, we may request verification of your academic credentials, valid identification, and a satisfactory DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. We also collect information confirming your right to work in the UK.


1.2 Information We Automatically Collect

We collect certain information automatically from all users of the Site to fulfil our contract with you and to support our legitimate interests in operating and improving our Services. This includes:

  • Cookie data and your IP address

  • Details of the device and browser used to access the Site

  • Pages visited, actions taken, and time spent on the Site

  • Your interactions with our email, text, and in-app notifications

  • The source of your visit and referring web pages

  • Page load and response times


1.3 Information We Collect from Third Parties

  • Student progress information: if a student is enrolled through a school partnership, their teacher may share information such as year group, current grades, target grades, and learning development areas. Tutors may share progress updates with schools where authorised.

  • Reviews and ratings: students and parents may leave reviews of tutors, which may be displayed on a tutor's public profile.

  • DBS check outcomes: if ChemistryCore sponsors a tutor's DBS application, our DBS partner will share the outcome with us.

  • Other sources: we reserve the right to collect information from third party providers where permitted by law.


1.4 Financial Information

To process payments and pay tutors for their Services, we may collect financial information including bank account details, invoices, payment history, and payment card details. This information is passed to authorised third-party payment processors (such as credit card companies and banks) solely for the purpose of processing transactions. This data is processed under our contract with you.

Except as described above, we will not share your financial information with third parties without your prior consent.


2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 To Provide and Improve Our Services

We use your information primarily to fulfil our contract with you and to deliver the Services you have requested. This includes:

  • Creating and managing your account

  • Enabling tutors to build and promote a profile on the Site

  • Matching students and parents with suitable chemistry tutors

  • Facilitating communication between users and with ChemistryCore

  • Enabling bookings and tutoring sessions

  • Processing payments

  • Providing customer support

  • Ensuring safeguarding and child protection obligations are met


We also use your information to support our legitimate interests in developing and improving the Site and Services, including:

  • Technical administration and security of the Site

  • Quality assurance and service improvement

  • Product development and user experience research

  • Prevention of fraud, spam, and abusive behaviour

  • Compliance with our legal and regulatory obligations


2.2 Marketing Communications

With your consent, we may contact you by email, telephone, or other electronic channels with information about our Services, upcoming promotions, referral offers, or surveys. You will always have the option to opt out of marketing communications.

To unsubscribe from marketing emails, click the unsubscribe link in any marketing email, or email us at support@chemistrycore.co.uk with "UNSUBSCRIBE REQUEST" in the subject line.


2.3 Third-Party Marketing

Where you have given explicit consent, we may share your contact information with carefully selected third parties whose products or services may be of interest to you. You may withdraw this consent at any time by emailing support@chemistrycore.co.uk with "THIRD PARTY UNSUBSCRIBE REQUEST" in the subject line.


2.4 Legal Bases for Processing (UK GDPR)

The legal bases under UK GDPR on which we process your personal data are:

  • Performance of a contract: processing necessary to provide you with our Services or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract.

  • Legitimate interests: processing necessary for our legitimate interests (such as fraud prevention, safeguarding, improving our Services, and cybersecurity) where these are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.

  • Consent: where you have given us explicit consent, such as for marketing communications or session recordings.

  • Legal obligation: where we are required to process your data to comply with applicable law.

  • Vital interests or public interest: in exceptional circumstances where processing is necessary to protect someone's life or is required in the public interest.


3. Who Has Access to Your Information

3.1 Other Users of the Site

Your personal information may be shared with other users of the Site to the extent necessary to provide the Services. For example:

  • If you are a Student or Parent/Guardian, your first name and initial surname, message content, and requested subject and level may be shared with Tutors in connection with a booking request.

  • If you are a Tutor, your public profile — including your first name and surname initial, chemistry qualifications and background, profile picture, tutoring subjects, price band, and reviews — may be visible to any user of the Site.

You acknowledge that ChemistryCore may monitor messages between users to fulfil our safeguarding obligations and to protect our legitimate interests.


3.2 Third-Party Service Providers

We work with a number of trusted third-party providers to deliver our Services. Where we share personal data with these providers, we do so only to the extent necessary. Our third-party providers include:

  • Analytics providers

  • Payment processing providers

  • Email, SMS, and in-app communications platforms

  • Marketing platforms

  • Identity verification services

  • Customer support platforms

  • Accounting and finance platforms

  • Surveys and research providers


3.3 Legal Disclosures

We may disclose your personal or financial information where required to comply with applicable law or regulation, to assist law enforcement authorities, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of ChemistryCore, our users, or others. We may also share data with the Department for Education or other governing bodies on request.


3.4 Transfers Outside the UK

We may transfer personal data to countries outside the UK. Where we do so, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:

  • Transferring only to countries with an adequacy decision from the UK Secretary of State;

  • Ensuring recipients are bound by data transfer agreements providing equivalent protection to UK standards; or

  • Limiting transfers to the minimum amount necessary and seeking your consent where required.

You may contact us at any time to request information about the safeguards in place for international transfers.


3.5 Third-Party Websites

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites. ChemistryCore is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies independently.


4. How We Protect Your Information

The security of your personal information is important to us. We use industry-standard Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption (128-bit) to protect information transmitted via the Site, including any payment details.

While we take all reasonable steps to protect your information once received, we cannot guarantee the security of data transmitted over the internet. You acknowledge that email is not a fully secure medium, and you transmit information at your own risk. If you have concerns about communicating sensitive information by email, please contact us by telephone or post to arrange an alternative.


5. Cookies

Our Site uses cookies to improve your browsing experience, analyse Site usage, and support our marketing activities. By continuing to use our Site, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.

Cookies we use include strictly necessary cookies (which cannot be disabled), performance cookies, functionality cookies, and targeting/advertising cookies. You can control your cookie preferences through your browser settings, although disabling certain cookies may affect your experience on the Site.

For full details on the cookies we use and how to manage them, please refer to our Cookie Policy available on our website.


6. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet any legal, regulatory, or reporting requirements.

  • By default, we retain personal data for six years after your last activity on the Site, to accommodate the typical lifecycle of a ChemistryCore user and to comply with statutory record-keeping obligations.

  • Following that period — or earlier if you request deletion — we will delete your personal data, unless there is a specific legal reason to retain it.

  • Records you have shared publicly (such as tutor reviews or messages) may remain on the Site after your personal data has been deleted, but will no longer be linked to identifying information.

  • We may retain certain records where necessary to fulfil regulatory or statutory duties.


7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:


Right of access

You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (a Subject Access Request) free of charge. To do so, please email irr@chemistrycore.co.uk with the subject line "Subject Access Request".


Right to rectification

You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.


Right to erasure

You may request that we delete your personal data where there is no lawful reason for us to continue processing it. To request deletion, please email support@chemistrycore.co.uk with the subject line "Personal data deletion". Note that we may be unable to comply in certain legally prescribed circumstances.


Right to data portability

Where we process your data by automated means on the basis of your consent or a contract, you may request that we provide your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format, or that we transfer it to another organisation. Please email support@chemistrycore.co.uk to make such a request. We will respond within one month.


Right to restrict or object to processing

You may request that we restrict or cease processing your personal data in certain circumstances, or object to our processing where we rely on legitimate interests. Please note that restricting processing may affect our ability to provide our Services. Contact us at support@chemistrycore.co.uk with any such request.


Right to withdraw consent

Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing prior to withdrawal. You can update your preferences in your account settings or by emailing support@chemistrycore.co.uk.


8. Automated Decision-Making and Profiling

To provide our Services, ChemistryCore carries out limited profiling and automated decision-making, including:

  • Screening tutor applications to verify qualifications and right to work in the UK;

  • Filtering user messages to protect the privacy of contact details;

  • Analysing tutor availability and on-site behaviour to determine which tutoring requests are shown to which tutors.

You have the right to request human review of any automated decision that significantly affects you. Please contact us at support@chemistrycore.co.uk to exercise this right.


9. Complaints and Contact

ChemistryCore is committed to handling your personal information fairly and transparently. If you have any concerns about how we collect or use your data, or if you would like to exercise any of your rights, please contact us:


By email: support@chemistrycore.co.uk

By post: ChemistryCore Ltd, Data Protection Team, [Registered Address]


If you are not satisfied with our response, or if you believe we are processing your personal data unlawfully, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.


This Policy is reviewed regularly. Last updated: April 2026.