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Privacy Notice for Schools

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For Schools 

The WISDOM Research Network brings together primary and secondary schools in England with academic researchers. Working together, we enable high-quality mental health research that meets the diverse needs of school communities. 

This privacy notice explains how we use the personal data we collect from you when you join the Network, contact us via email/telephone, or give us your contact details for another reason such as wanting to receive communications about the Network or attending an event. The WISDOM Research Network is a project of the University of Oxford, and we adhere to the policies and procedures of the University of Oxford. 

What data do we collect? 

We may collect the following data: 

Personal identification information such as: 

  • Name, email address, role, organisation of anyone expressing interest in finding out more or receiving communications about the Network, or attending an event 
  • Name, email address of Headteacher 
  • Name, email address, role of two further staff members who will act as key contacts and WISDOM Research Network Leads 
  • Name, email address of School Admin 
  • Name, postcode, and phone number (optional) for the School 

Research activity data including: 

  • Name of research activity or project 
  • Number and type of participants (pupils/staff/parents or carers) recruited 
  • Consent for the school’s name to be used in connection with Network activities 

We use Mailchimp to send newsletters to individuals who have chosen to receive them. We may collect information about how recipients interact with our newsletters, including link click information and other engagement data made available through Mailchimp. This information helps us understand which content is most useful to our members and improve future communications. This processing is carried out on the basis of your consent. You may withdraw your consent at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us at wisdom.network@psych.ox.ac.uk. 

Data collected for the purposes of any research activities your school engages with will not be collected directly by the WISDOM Research Network other than the research activity data listed above. Any data shared as part of or as a result from research activity is the responsibility of the team conducting the research, and the WISDOM Research Network holds no liability for this. 

How do we collect your data? 

Your data may be collected by us in the following ways; via: 

  • Our signup form or a personal conversation at an event 
  • A personal communication to the Network e.g. an email or telephone call 
  • Our Expressions of Interest form, either found on our website or used at conferences and events 
  • Our Memorandum of Understanding 
  • Our WISDOM Network Lead Forms 
  • Our WISDOM School Admin Form 
  • Signing up to attend one of our events 
  • Our optional Annual Schools Survey 
  • Termly and End of Research Activity reports completed by researchers (providing school name and post code, number and type of participants of Network member schools participating in their research) 
  • When you interact with our newsletter, for instance, click on the newsletter items, we collect data about the number of clicks and which items you clicked on in that interaction 

How will we use your data? 

We may use your data to get in touch with you via email, telephone or videoconferencing: 

  • About joining the Network 
  • During the Network signup process 
  • To confirm your Network membership, provide your Welcome Pack, and get you set up on the Members Area of our website 
  • To provide you with updates about Network activities and share opportunities via our termly e-newsletter and emails 
  • To provide membership support including: 
    • help with accessing the Members Area on our website 
    • reviewing and upgrading your membership status 
    • checking your continued consent to membership and contact 
    • communicating with you about opportunities you wish to share with the wider Network 
    • sharing amendments to Network policies. 
  • To help facilitate research you are undertaking 
  • To request feedback about the Network through our optional Annual Schools Survey 
  • Newsletter interaction information is processed to ensure that the communication that we send you in our newsletter is relevant to you. We do this only where you have specifically indicated that you consent to receive such communications by signing up to the newsletter. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us at wisdom.network@psych.ac.uk. In this event, we will stop any processing as soon as we can. However, this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before your withdrawal of consent and you may no longer be able to use the site in the same way you did before.  

If you have signed up to the General Network membership rather than School Membership, we may use your data to provide you with updates on Network activities and news. 

Who has access to your data? 

We use a number of third-party service providers (data processors) to support delivery of the Network’s activities, including REDCap, Microsoft Forms, Mailchimp and Microsoft OneDrive. REDCap and Microsoft Forms are used to collect information, Microsoft OneDrive is used to store information, and Mailchimp is used to create and manage mailing lists and distribute newsletters. These organisations process personal data only on behalf of the University of Oxford and in accordance with our instructions. We do not permit them to use personal data for their own purposes. Appropriate contractual, data protection and security safeguards are in place where required. 

How will we keep your data safe? 

All the information we collect will be kept secure and in confidence, and access to information that could identify individuals or schools will be on a need-to-know basis. 

Responses to the Expression of Interest form will be collected through Microsoft Forms or by email/telephone and will be initially stored on a restricted access folder on a University of Oxford provided storage system (Nexus 365 OneDriveforBusiness). Where an interest is expressed in a school joining the Network, the data will be transferred to the REDCap secure survey platform. Where an interest is expressed in an individual joining the Network, the data will be transferred to another restricted access folder on a University of Oxford provided storage system (Nexus 365 OneDriveforBusiness). The Memorandum of Understanding and WISDOM Network Leads and School Admin forms will be collected and initially stored on the REDCap secure survey platform. Responses will be downloaded from REDCap and stored on a restricted access folder on a University of Oxford provided storage system (Nexus 365 OneDriveforBusiness). 

Any data or findings from the WISDOM Network activities that is published will not identify individuals or schools. 

Your data will only be accessible to the Network team.  Where we share personal data with service providers acting on our behalf, they do so as data processors under the University’s instructions. We may also share information with other organisations where necessary for a specific purpose and where an appropriate lawful basis exists, including where you have agreed to such sharing. 

Incubator: 

Where we store or use your data 

We may store data collected by the website manually or electronically.  The data is stored on our secure servers and/or in our premises within the UK.   

Some of our service providers, including Mailchimp, may process personal data outside the United Kingdom. Where personal data is transferred internationally, the University of Oxford will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK data protection legislation. These safeguards may include UK adequacy regulations, the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, or approved contractual safeguards and transfer risk assessments where required. 

 Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure.  Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of data transmitted to the website and any transmission is at your own risk.  

What is our lawful basis for processing your data? 

Your consent is the lawful basis for processing your data as outlined in the Privacy Notice. We request your consent to opt-in to being contacted by the Network when you complete an Expression of Interest to join the Network or hear more about the work of the Network, at the point of completion of the Memorandum of Understanding giving you member status, and/or at the point of completion of the Headteacher consent forms, WISDOM Network lead and School Admin forms. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any point and relinquish your membership to the Network. We will maintain a record of your removal of consent in a restricted access folder on a University of Oxford provided storage system (Nexus 365 OneDriveforBusiness) for 48 months. 

Where you have chosen to receive newsletters and Network updates, we also rely on your consent to send those communications and to collect newsletter engagement information through Mailchimp. You may withdraw your consent at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us directly. 

How long will we store your data? 

We will store identifiable member school information for 12 months after the conclusion of the network. With permission, photographs may be maintained for use on legacy websites, future network/research activities, etc.  Non-identifiable member school information (i.e. school characteristics, engagement with research activities) will be retained for three years after the final publication or public release after the conclusion of the network. If you do not wish to be contacted by us, we will permanently delete your personal data from our database. If we try to contact you by email and receive a Non-Delivery Report or Automatic Reply as you have moved jobs or email address, and the Automatic Reply contains new contact details, we will get in touch to confirm you are happy for your new contact details to be used for the purposes of the Network. 

At any time, you have the right to ask us what data we have, how we use it and, if you wish, to withdraw consent and have it permanently deleted from our databases by emailing wisdom.network@psy.ox.ac.uk. 

Who is responsible for keeping your data safe? 

The WISDOM Research Network team will be the day-to-day handlers of your data. They are based in the Departments of Experimental Psychology, Psychiatry and Education at the University of Oxford. If you have any questions about how your data is being collected, processed, or stored in the first instance please contact the team at wisdom.network@psych.ox.ac.uk. 

The University of Oxford is the data controller with respect to data we collect a part of Network activities. Further information about your rights with respect to your personal data and contact details should the WISDOM team not be able to help, is available from the University’s Information Compliance website at https://compliance.admin.ox.ac.uk/individual-rights or by emailing data.protection@admin.ox.ac.uk. 

Privacy policies on other websites and for advertised research activities 

Our website contains links to other websites and information regarding research activities you may wish to engage in. Our privacy policy applies only to our website, email/telephone communications, event registration systems, and newsletters. 

This Privacy Notice was created on 15th September 2026 and will be reviewed once every 48 months. 

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