Policies and information
Our privacy notice, cookies, accessibility statement, complaints procedure, terms for schools and company details.
Privacy notice
This notice explains how Musical Mates Ltd collects and uses personal information. We are the data controller for the information described here. We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), registration number 00013428307.
Information we collect
School contacts: name, role, school, email and phone number when you enquire or work with us.
Job applicants and teachers: contact details, CV, qualifications, references, DBS check details, right-to-work checks, contracts, invoices and training and observation records.
Pupils: when we teach in a school we use limited pupil information, such as names, class, attendance, progress and Awards results, on the school's behalf and under its instructions. The school is the data controller for this information, and we act as its processor under a data processing agreement.
Photos and videos: we only use images of pupils where the school has recorded consent.
Why we use it, and our lawful basis
To reply to enquiries and provide our services to schools (legitimate interests and contract).
To recruit, vet and pay teachers, including safeguarding checks (contract and legal obligation).
To send newsletters, only if you have opted in (consent). You can unsubscribe at any time.
Who we share it with
Schools we work with, the Disclosure and Barring Service, our accountant and payroll providers, and the IT and email services we use to run the business. We never sell personal information.
How long we keep it
Enquiries and job applications are kept until the end of the academic year in which we receive them. Records of tutors who work with us are kept for six years after they stop working with us, for tax and safeguarding purposes. Safeguarding records are kept as set out in our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.
Your rights
You can ask to see, correct or delete your information, ask us to restrict or stop using it, or ask for a copy to take elsewhere. Contact us at musical.mates@icloud.com. If you are unhappy with how we handle your information, please tell us first (see Complaints below). You can also complain to the ICO at ico.org.uk.
Cookies
This website is built with Squarespace. It uses cookies that are needed to make the site work and keep it secure, and basic analytics cookies that count visits so we can improve the site. You can accept or decline analytics cookies using the banner when you first visit, and change your choice at any time by clearing cookies in your browser.
Our videos are hosted on YouTube. Where videos are embedded, we use YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode, and YouTube may set cookies when you play a video.
Accessibility statement
We want everyone to be able to use this website. We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at level AA.
Text uses a clear, highly readable typeface (Atkinson Hyperlegible).
Images have text descriptions.
The site works with a keyboard and screen readers, and on phones and tablets.
Known issues: some of our PDF downloads, such as our policies and forms, may not work fully with screen-reader software. If you need information in a different format, email musical.mates@icloud.com and we'll help.
This statement was last reviewed on 3 October 2026.
Complaints
We want to put things right quickly. If you are unhappy with any part of our service, including how we handle personal information:
Contact Kathy Young, Commercial Director, on 07966 010 381 or musical.mates@icloud.com.
We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days, and within 30 days at the latest for data protection complaints.
We aim to give you a full response within a further 20 working days.
If you are still not satisfied, Chris Little, Musical Director, will review it.
For data protection complaints, you can also contact the ICO at ico.org.uk.
Safeguarding concerns should never wait: contact the school's designated safeguarding lead and our safeguarding lead straight away. Safeguarding
Terms for schools
A summary of how we work with schools. Full terms are set out in our Service Level Agreement.
Teaching is charged at £40 per hour, all-inclusive. The Service Level Agreement is £250 per school per year.
We invoice at the start of each term, in advance.
Lessons start with a three-week trial. After that, we ask for three weeks' written notice (ideally half a term) to pause lessons or change teacher.
Please give us as much notice as possible of trips and INSET days so lessons can be moved.
Lessons cancelled by the school with less than 48 hours' notice are still chargeable.
If a teacher is absent or leaves, we arrange a replacement.
Instruments are loaned free of charge. Before an instrument goes home, a parent or carer signs our Instrument Loan Agreement, either accepting responsibility for loss or damage or joining our Instrument Care Scheme (£1 per week).
Schools share their safeguarding, fire, behaviour and SEND information and risk assessments with our teachers.
Company details
Musical Mates Ltd, registered in England, company number 08683063
Registered office and business address: Kirkham Road, Durham DH1 5LJ
Insurance: public liability insurance of £10 million
Directors: Kathy Young (Commercial Director) and Chris Little (Musical Director)
Download our documents
Our policies and the forms and information packs we give to schools and families. They open as PDFs.