This is the Think North East Privacy and Cookie Policy. The policy sets out (1) who we are, and describes (2) the information we collect; (3) what we do with it; and (4) how you can find out more. We may amend our policy to reflect changes to our business, website or to reflect changes to data protection law or legislation. We therefore ask you to review this policy on a regular basis to ensure you are familiar with its terms.

The Think North East website contains links to other websites; if you follow a link to another website, this policy will no longer apply and you should read their privacy policy.

Who we are
This website is provided by DCC Web Services for the Think North East School Direct Partnership. Sedgefield Community College is the Lead School for the partnership.

The registered address for Sedgefield Community College is:
Sedgefield Community College
Hawthorn Road
Sedgefield
County Durham
TS21 3DD

You have the right to request that Think North East correct any information you believe is in accurate. You also have the right to request that Think North east erase your personal data, under certain circumstances. If you have any questions about the Think North East privacy policy, or the data we hold on you, please contact us at the address above, or alternatively by emailing us at: enquiries@think-northeast.net

The information we collect
We collect information from you:
I. when you complete online forms;
II. by means of ‘cookies’ when you use our site; and
III. in the form of ‘traffic data’.

I. Online forms
We collect the information we need to provide you with the service to which the form relates. If you submit a‘contact us’ form, we will collect your name, email address and contact message. Further optional information may be collected if you submit it to us.

Think North East will also receive your information from UCAS when you complete an application for InitialTeacher Training with our partnership.

II. Cookies
A cookie is a small piece of text that can be stored on your computer, phone or whatever you use to surf theInternet, by the website you visit. Cookies have many uses, but fundamentally they are used to store information about you.

We use cookies on this website to help you navigate our website efficiently, to perform certain functions and to collect site statistics. These cookies do not store any personal information that would, on its own, allow us to identify individual users of this service without your permission.

Think North East uses cookies in a range of ways to improve your experience on our website:
• Session cookies (cookies that are erased when you close your browser):
• Persistent cookies (permanent/stored cookies that are stored on your hard drive until they expire or you delete them):

III. Traffic data - Google Analytics
Google Analytics is the program we use to collect statistics from our website to show us how visitors use our site. We can use this information to create reports and to help us improve the site.

The cookies collect information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the site, where visitors have come to the site from and the pages they visited. We don’t get any personal information and can’t track who you are. We use this Plug-in to allow us to provide a better user experience to you and only use it on the basis that Google adheres to its own Privacy Policy.

The Google Privacy Policy can be found at: http://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/

How to control and delete cookies
Think North East will not use cookies to collect personally identifiable information about you unless you willingly provide it. However, if you wish to restrict or block the cookies set by this website, or indeed any other website, you can do this through your browser settings. The Help function within your browser should tell you how.

Alternatively, you may wish to visit www.aboutcookies.org which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of browsers. You will also find details on how to delete cookies from your computer as well as more general information about cookies. For information on how to do this on the browser of your mobile phone, you will need to refer to your handset manual.

We do not use ‘spyware’ such as web bugs or hidden identifiers to gain access to information, store hidden information, or to trace your activities.

What we do with the information we collect

How we use it
We use your information to provide you with relevant support, information or other content and services that you request. We may share your data with one or more schools, and/or the accrediting body within ourPartnership, if this is necessary to respond to a particular query and/or application.

When we share it
We may disclose your information to third parties in certain circumstances.
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• We may disclose your information to law enforcement or regulatory bodies if required to do so by them.
• We may disclose your formation to a third party in the context of actual or threatened legal proceedings or if otherwise required to do so by law.

Your information will not be disclosed to or shared with any third party except as specified above.

How we keep it secure
Only authorised personnel and contractors have access to your information. We will keep your information secure by taking appropriate technical and organisational measures against its unauthorised or unlawful processing and against its accidental loss, destruction or damage.

Transfers outside Europe
Data protection legislation is harmonised throughout the European Economic Area (EEA), which comprises theEU member states, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Countries outside the EEA do not generally have the same level of protection for personal information as those within the EEA.

Due to the way the Internet works, it is possible that the information you provide to us could be routed via countries outside the EEA. However, this is not considered a ‘transfer’ under data protection legislation and unless you are form outside the EEA, we will not transfer any information we collect from you outside the EEA without your permission or as permitted by law.

Finding out more
Further information about data protection issues can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website by visiting http://www.ico.gov.uk