Thames School of Motoring Privacy Policy

Last Updated: July 2026

1. Introduction
Welcome to Thames School of Motoring. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website www.thamesschoolofmotoring.com or use our driving lesson services in Norwich, Norfolk, and surrounding areas.
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use our website or services.

2. Information We Collect
We may collect and process the following types of personal information:
Personal Identification Information:

Name
Email address
Phone number
Postal address
Date of birth
Driving licence number

Payment Information:

Credit/debit card details (processed securely through our payment provider)
Billing address

Technical Data:

IP address
Browser type and version
Time zone setting
Browser plug-in types and versions
Operating system and platform
Device information

Usage Data:

Information about how you use our website and services
Lesson booking history
Communication preferences

3. How We Collect Your Information
We collect information through the following methods:

Direct interactions: When you fill out forms on our website, book lessons, contact us by phone or email, or communicate with our instructors.
Automated technologies: When you interact with our website, we may automatically collect technical data about your equipment, browsing actions, and patterns using cookies and similar technologies.
Third parties: We may receive information from third-party services such as payment processors, analytics providers, and search engines.

4. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information for the following purposes:

To provide and manage your driving lessons and courses
To process payments and manage bookings
To communicate with you about your lessons, test bookings, and account
To send you promotional materials, newsletters, and special offers (with your consent)
To improve our website and services
To comply with legal and regulatory requirements
To prevent fraud and ensure the security of our services

5. Legal Basis for Processing
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), we rely on the following legal bases to process your personal information:

Contractual necessity: Processing is necessary to fulfil our contract with you (e.g., providing driving lessons)
Consent: You have given us clear consent to process your data for specific purposes (e.g., marketing communications)
Legal obligation: Processing is necessary to comply with our legal obligations
Legitimate interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests, such as improving our services and preventing fraud

6. Disclosure of Your Information
We may share your personal information with the following third parties:

Payment processors: To process payments securely
IT service providers: For website hosting, maintenance, and technical support
Marketing platforms: To send newsletters and promotional materials (with your consent)
Legal authorities: When required by law or to protect our rights
Driving test centres: To book and manage your practical driving test (DVSA)

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

7. Data Retention
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including:

Active customers: For the duration of your lessons and any follow-up services
Former customers: For up to 6 years after your last lesson (to comply with legal and tax requirements)
Marketing contacts: Until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent

8. Your Data Protection Rights
Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

Right to access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal obligations)
Right to restrict processing: Request limitation of how we use your information
Right to data portability: Request transfer of your data to another service provider
Right to object: Object to certain types of processing, such as direct marketing
Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent to process your data

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 11.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and analyse website traffic. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit our website.
Types of cookies we use:

Essential cookies: Necessary for the website to function properly
Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website
Marketing cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and track marketing effectiveness

You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

10. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

Secure socket layer (SSL) encryption for data transmission
Secure payment processing through PCI-compliant providers
Regular security audits and updates
Restricted access to personal information on a need-to-know basis

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Thames School of Motoring

Email: [Insert email address]
Phone: [Insert phone number]
Address: [Insert business address, Norwich, Norfolk]

You may also contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk if you have concerns about how we handle your personal information.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated Privacy Policy on our website and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

13. Children's Privacy
Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you are under 16, please do not provide any personal information through our website or services. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 16 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

By using our website and services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

Learn to drive in Norwich with us
Learn to drive with calm, patient instructors and lessons tailored around your confidence, experience, and goals. Whether you’re a complete beginner, returning to driving after a break, or looking to build on your skills, we make learning straightforward and stress-free.
We focus on helping you become a safe, confident driver as efficiently as possible, with lessons designed to give you the best chance of passing your test and enjoying life on the road.

Why choose us