Privacy Notice

Walton Under Fives Pre-School

Registered Charity No. 1048513

Last updated: October 2026

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

At Walton Under Fives, we take the privacy and security of children's and families' personal information seriously.

This notice explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Who We Are

Walton Under Fives Pre-School is a registered charity providing early years education and breakfast club childcare in Walton, Somerset.

We are responsible for the personal information we collect and use in connection with our services.

For questions about how we handle personal information, please contact us using the details on our Contact Us page.

What Information We Collect

We may collect and hold the following information:

Children's names, dates of birth and contact details.
Parent and carer names, addresses and contact information.
Emergency contact details and authorised collection arrangements.
Medical information, allergies, dietary requirements and additional support needs.
Attendance, registration, funding and payment records.
Observations, assessments, photographs and learning records.
Safeguarding and welfare information where necessary.
Information submitted through our website or contact forms.

We only collect information that is relevant to providing our services, meeting our legal obligations and supporting children's care and development.

How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to:

Register children and manage pre-school and breakfast club places.
Provide safe, appropriate care and education.
Support children's learning, development and wellbeing.
Communicate with parents and carers.
Manage attendance, fees and government-funded childcare.
Maintain safeguarding, health and safety records.
Meet our legal and regulatory responsibilities.
Respond to enquiries and concerns.

Our Legal Basis for Using Information

We process personal information where necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations, comply with legal requirements, protect children's vital interests or carry out our legitimate activities.

Where we process sensitive information, such as health or safeguarding records, we also rely on an appropriate additional legal condition.

Where consent is required, such as for certain uses of photographs or promotional materials, we will ask for it separately.

Tapestry Learning Journals

We use Tapestry, a secure online learning journal, to record and share children's learning, development and experiences.

This may include photographs, observations and assessments made by our teaching team.

Parents and carers receive individual login details to access their child's journal. Information is shared through Tapestry in accordance with our safeguarding and data protection procedures.

Photographs and Images

Photographs may be taken as part of children's learning and development records.

We seek appropriate permission before using identifiable photographs of children for promotional purposes, including on our website or social media.

Parents and carers can contact us to discuss or withdraw consent for optional uses of photographs.

Sharing Information

We may share relevant personal information with organisations where necessary to support children's care, education, safety or wellbeing, or to meet legal requirements.

These may include:

Somerset Council and relevant early years services.
Ofsted and other regulatory bodies.
Health, education and safeguarding professionals.
Government departments administering childcare funding.
Approved service providers, including Tapestry and our website provider.

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

Keeping Information Secure

We take appropriate steps to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss or misuse.

Access to children's records is restricted to those who need the information for their role.

We use secure systems and appropriate organisational procedures to manage and protect personal information.

How Long We Keep Information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary, taking account of legal requirements, safeguarding responsibilities and our record retention procedures.

Different types of records may need to be kept for different periods. Information is securely deleted or disposed of when it is no longer required.

Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you and your child have rights relating to personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions.

These may include the right to:

Request access to personal information.
Ask for inaccurate information to be corrected.
Request deletion of information in certain circumstances.
Object to or request restrictions on certain uses of information.
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

To make a request or raise a question about your information, please contact us.

You can also raise concerns with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Visit the Information Commissioner's Office

Website Cookies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to support its operation and improve visitors' experience.

Where cookies require consent, visitors will be given appropriate choices.

For more information, please refer to the cookie information provided on our website.

Changes to This Notice

We may update this notice to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements or how we handle personal information.

The latest version will be available on our website.