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Last updated: 01 September 2026

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Layston Music respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, how long we keep it and the rights you have over your information.

 

We follow the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), where applicable.

 

Who We Are

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Layston Music provides:

• music tuition;

• vocal coaching;

• music mentoring;

• music and wellbeing activities;

• workshops and community music events; and

• related music services.

 

Data Controller: Layston Music
Owner and Data Protection Contact: Talena Cuthbert
Email: talena@laystonmusic.co.uk

 

For the purposes of data protection law, Layston Music is responsible for deciding how and why your personal information is used.

 

What Information We Collect

 

The information we collect depends on the service you use.

 

This may include:

• your name;

• a student's name and age or date of birth;

• parent or guardian details;

• email address;

• telephone number;

• emergency contact details;

• lesson, consultation and event bookings;

• attendance information;

• lesson notes, practice notes and progress information;

• musical interests, goals and learning information;

• examination and performance information;

• correspondence with students and parents;

• invoices and payment records;

• mailing-list preferences;

• information you choose to provide about health, disability, SEND, accessibility or additional support needs;

• safeguarding information where necessary;

• lesson transcripts where transcription is used; and

• technical information relating to use of our website, such as cookies and basic website analytics.

 

We aim to collect only the information we genuinely need.

 

Where We Get Your Information

 

Most information is provided directly by you.

 

Where the student is a child, information will often be provided by their parent or guardian.

 

Information may also be collected when you:

• enquire about lessons or coaching;

• complete a student registration form;

• book a lesson, consultation or event;

• join a waiting list;

• contact us by email, message or through our website;

• attend a lesson or consultation;

• subscribe to our mailing list;

• enter an examination or performance through us; or

• use the Layston Music website.

 

How We Use Your Information

 

We may use personal information to:

• respond to enquiries;

• arrange consultations, lessons, coaching and events;

• manage lesson bookings and timetables;

• provide music tuition and coaching;

• create lesson and practice notes;

• monitor a student's learning and progress;

• adapt teaching where a student has additional needs;

• communicate with students and parents;

• send lesson reminders and important service information;

• manage invoices and payments;

• enter students for examinations or other activities where requested;

• organise performances and events;

• manage waiting lists;

• deal with complaints or disputes;

• meet safeguarding responsibilities;

• meet legal, tax and accounting requirements;

• protect the security of our systems and services; and

• send marketing emails where we have permission to do so.

 

We will not sell your personal information.

 

 

Our Lawful Bases for Using Personal Information

 

Data protection law requires us to have a lawful reason for using personal information.

Depending on what we are doing, we may rely on one or more of the following.

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Contract

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We use personal information where it is necessary to provide a service you have booked or requested, or to take steps at your request before you book a service.

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For example, this includes:

• arranging lessons;

• maintaining student records;

• communicating about lessons;

• invoicing; and

• managing bookings.

 

Legitimate Interests

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We may use personal information where it is reasonably necessary for the legitimate interests of running Layston Music and providing a good teaching service, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms.

 

This may include:

• maintaining appropriate teaching records;

• creating lesson and practice notes;

• lesson transcription;

• managing enquiries;

• improving our services;

• keeping our systems secure;

• dealing with complaints;

• preventing misuse or fraud; and

• maintaining appropriate business records.

 

Where children are involved, we take extra care when considering legitimate interests because children's information requires additional protection.

 

Legal Obligation

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We may use or keep information where we are required to do so by law.

 

This includes certain:

• financial and tax records;

• safeguarding records; and

• information required in connection with legal or regulatory matters.

 

Consent

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We may rely on your consent where appropriate.

 

This includes, for example:

• joining our mailing list; and

• some uses of sensitive personal information.

 

Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw your consent at any time.

 

Withdrawing consent does not make any processing that took place before the withdrawal unlawful.

 

Health, SEND and Other Sensitive Information

 

Sometimes students or parents choose to tell us about:

• a disability;

• health or medical information;

• SEND;

• mental health;

• accessibility requirements; or

• other personal circumstances.

 

This information can help us adapt lessons and provide appropriate support.

 

Information about health and certain other matters is classed as special category data and has additional legal protection.

We only collect this type of information where there is a genuine reason to do so.

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Where appropriate, we may rely on explicit consent to process this information for teaching and support purposes.

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Different legal conditions may apply where information needs to be used for safeguarding, protecting an individual or meeting a legal responsibility.

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We ask students and parents not to provide sensitive information that is not relevant to the service we are providing.

 

Children's Information

 

Many Layston Music students are children and young people.

 

We take particular care when handling children's personal information and aim to:

• collect only information that is necessary;

• explain how information is used clearly;

• keep information secure;

• restrict access to people who genuinely need it;

• avoid keeping information for longer than necessary; and

• consider the interests and rights of the child when deciding how information should be used.

 

Parents or guardians will normally provide information on behalf of younger students.

 

As children become able to understand and exercise their own data protection rights, those rights belong to the child.

 

Who We May Share Information With

 

We do not sell personal information or provide student information to other organisations for their own marketing.

 

To run Layston Music, we use trusted third-party services which may process information on our behalf or as part of the service they provide.

 

These may include:

• MyMusicStaff or other lesson administration and booking systems;

• Wix and website service providers;

• Zoom for online lessons, meetings and transcription;

• OpenAI/ChatGPT and other approved AI-assisted tools used to help prepare lesson notes;

• email and mailing-list providers;

• cloud storage providers;

• payment and accounting services;

• examination boards where a student is entered for an examination; and

• other professional or technical service providers where necessary.

 

We only share information that is reasonably necessary for the service being provided.

 

We may also disclose information where required by law or where necessary for safeguarding, legal proceedings, regulatory requirements or the protection of an individual.

 

Information Processed Outside the UK

 

Some of the technology providers we use may store or process information outside the United Kingdom.

 

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we take reasonable steps to use providers that have appropriate safeguards in place.

 

These may include UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards designed to protect personal information when it is transferred internationally.

 

How Long We Keep Information

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We do not keep personal information indefinitely simply because we have collected it.

We maintain an internal data-retention schedule and regularly review information to decide whether it is still required.

 

Our usual retention periods include:

 

• Lesson transcripts: maximum of 7 days after the lesson;

• Lesson and practice notes: normally for the duration of tuition and for up to 12 months afterwards;

• General student registration and contact information: normally for the duration of tuition and for up to 12 months afterwards;

• Enquiries that do not lead to tuition: normally up to 6 months after the last contact;

• Routine emails and messages: kept while relevant and normally reviewed for deletion within 12 months of the matter being completed or tuition ending;

• Mailing-list information: until you unsubscribe or we no longer need the information;

• Contracts, agreements, complaints or information that may be required in connection with a legal claim:may be retained for up to 6 years where appropriate;

• Financial, invoicing and accounting records: retained for the period required by tax and accounting law; and

• Safeguarding records: may need to be kept for considerably longer in accordance with safeguarding guidance and our safeguarding retention procedures.

 

Information may be deleted sooner where it is no longer required.

 

Information may occasionally need to be kept for longer than the usual period where there is an ongoing safeguarding concern, complaint, legal claim, investigation or other legitimate reason.

 

Email Marketing

 

If you subscribe to the Layston Music mailing list, we may send occasional emails about:

• Layston Music news;

• lessons and coaching;

• events;

• workshops;

• performance opportunities;

• The Singing Circle and related activities; and

• other relevant music opportunities.

 

You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe option included in marketing emails or by contacting us.

 

Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent us from sending essential messages relating to lessons, bookings, invoices or services you have requested.

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ou have an absolute right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.

 

Website, Cookies and Analytics

 

Our website may use cookies and similar technology to:

• make the website work correctly;

• remember preferences;

• understand how the website is being used;

• improve the website; and

• provide certain website features.

 

Some cookies are necessary for the website to function.

 

Current privacy law also allows some limited uses of cookies or similar technologies without consent, including certain statistical or website-functionality purposes, provided the legal requirements for those exceptions are met.

 

Where consent is legally required for non-essential cookies, you will be given a choice through the website's cookie settings.

 

Where the law requires us to provide a way to object to a particular use of cookies or similar technology, we will provide an appropriate way to do so.

 

Keeping Your Information Secure

 

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect personal information against:

• loss;

• unauthorised access;

• accidental disclosure;

• misuse;

• alteration; and

• destruction.

 

Access to student information is limited to people who need it to provide or administer Layston Music services.

 

Staff and tutors are expected to handle personal information confidentially and appropriately.

 

No online or electronic system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to reduce risks and use reputable service providers.

 

Your Data Protection Rights

 

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis we are using, you may have the right to:

• ask what personal information we hold about you;

• receive a copy of your personal information;

• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;

• ask us to delete your personal information;

• ask us to restrict how we use your information;

• object to certain uses of your information;

• receive certain information in a portable format;

• withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis we rely upon; and

• object to direct marketing at any time.

 

Not every right applies in every situation.

 

We may need to confirm your identity before dealing with a request.

 

We will respond to data protection requests within the timescales required by law.

 

To make a request, please contact:

talena@laystonmusic.co.uk

 

Automated Decision-Making and AI

 

Layston Music may use AI-assisted tools for administrative purposes, including helping organise lesson transcripts into lesson notes.

AI tools do not replace the teacher's professional judgement.

 

Lesson notes created with AI assistance are subject to human review and teaching decisions remain with the teacher.

 

We do not use solely automated decision-making to make legal or similarly significant decisions about students.

 

Data Protection Complaints

 

If you are unhappy with how Layston Music has collected, used, stored or shared your personal information, you have the right to make a data protection complaint.

 

Please contact:

Talena Cuthbert
Email: talena@laystonmusic.co.uk

 

Please make it clear that your message relates to a Data Protection Complaint.

 

We will:

• provide a clear way for you to make a complaint;

• acknowledge receipt of a data protection complaint within 30 days;

• investigate the matter appropriately;

• keep you informed where appropriate;

• respond without undue delay; and

• tell you the outcome of our investigation.

 

If you remain unhappy with how your information has been handled, you also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator.

 

Lesson Transcription and AI-Assisted Lesson Notes

 

Layston Music routinely uses lesson transcription to help produce accurate and useful lesson notes for students.

Transcription is currently provided through Zoom.

 

A transcription creates a temporary written record of what is said during the lesson.

 

Why We Transcribe Lessons

 

Lesson transcripts may be used to help us:

• prepare accurate lesson notes;

• create practice guidance;

• record exercises and techniques covered;

• record repertoire discussed;

• remember targets and actions agreed during the lesson;

• monitor learning and progression; and

• provide continuity between lessons.

 

Transcripts are used for purposes connected with the student's tuition.

 

They are not used for advertising or marketing.

 

Our Lawful Basis for Lesson Transcription

 

Our usual lawful basis for lesson transcription is legitimate interests.

 

Our legitimate interest is providing effective music tuition and creating accurate lesson and practice notes without requiring the teacher to make extensive written notes while actively teaching.

 

We balance this against the privacy rights of the student and take additional care where the student is a child.

 

Safeguards include:

• keeping transcripts only for a short period;

• restricting their use to tuition and lesson administration;

• limiting access;

• deleting them when they are no longer needed; and

• allowing students or parents to ask us not to transcribe a lesson.

 

Using AI to Prepare Lesson Notes

 

A lesson transcript may be processed using an AI-assisted tool, including OpenAI/ChatGPT, to help organise the information into clear lesson notes and practice tasks.

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AI is used as an administrative assistant rather than as the teacher.

 

The final notes are reviewed by the teacher and responsibility for teaching decisions remains with the teacher.

 

Where possible, we limit the personal information supplied to AI systems to what is necessary for the task.

 

Sensitive Information During Transcribed Lessons

 

A transcript may occasionally contain information about health, disability, SEND, mental health or another sensitive personal matter.

 

We ask students and parents not to discuss unnecessary sensitive information while transcription is active.

 

If a private or sensitive matter needs to be discussed, you may ask the teacher to pause or stop the transcription where this is practical.

 

Where special category information is deliberately retained or processed, an appropriate lawful basis and additional special-category condition will be used.

 

How Long Transcripts Are Kept

 

Lesson transcripts are intended to be temporary working records.

 

They are normally kept for no longer than 7 days after the lesson.

 

This gives the teacher time to:

1. prepare the lesson notes;

2. check the notes for accuracy; and

3. make any necessary corrections.

 

Once this process is complete, the transcript is deleted from the active systems we control and any unnecessary working copies are also removed.

 

Third-party technology providers may retain deleted information for limited periods within backups, security systems or other technical processes in accordance with their own data-retention obligations and policies.

 

The finished lesson notes are separate from the transcript and may be retained as part of the student's normal teaching record in accordance with our data-retention schedule.

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Choosing Not to Have a Lesson Transcribed

 

Students and parents may ask us not to transcribe a lesson.

 

Choosing not to have a lesson transcribed will not prevent a student from having lessons with Layston Music.

 

Where transcription is not used, the teacher may make manual lesson notes instead.

 

You can ask us to stop transcription for an individual lesson or for future lessons by speaking to your teacher or contacting:

talena@laystonmusic.co.uk

 

Changes to This Privacy Policy

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We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect:

• changes to the law;

• changes to guidance;

• changes to the services we offer; or

• changes to the technology and systems we use.

 

The latest version will be published on the Layston Music website together with the date it was last updated.

 

Contact

 

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how Layston Music uses your information, please contact:

 

Talena Cuthbert
Layston Music
Email: talena@laystonmusic.co.uk