Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are / Data Controller

AF Education (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a UK-based education consultancy.

AF Education is a trading name of AF EDUCATION LONDON LTD (company no. 08750757), registered in England and Wales.

• Our website: afeducation.co.uk
• Registered address: 47 Cavell Street, London, E1 2BP, United Kingdom
• Contact email: info@afeducation.co.uk

We are the data controller for the personal data that user/student/lead provide to us.

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal data from you, depending on how you interact with us:

• Contact Data: Name, email address, phone number, postal address
• Application / Inquiry Data: Educational background, course interests, budget / financial preference, country of origin / nationality, current residency
• Technical / Usage Data: IP address, browser type and version, device type, pages visited on our website, time and date of visits, referring site
• Marketing Data: Preferences about how we communicate with you (e.g., whether you consent to marketing emails)
• Messaging Data: If you message us on WhatsApp, we receive your WhatsApp profile name, phone number and the content of your messages (text and any files you send), and we store them on your student record in our CRM. Messages our advisers send you from our WhatsApp Business number are stored there too.
• Other Data: Any additional information you choose to provide via contact forms, email, or other communications (for example, CVs, qualification certificates)

3. How We Use Your Data (Purposes) & Legal Basis

We will only use your personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so under UK GDPR. Our main purposes include:

• To provide our consultancy services: processing your application, suggesting suitable courses, advising on student finance, and supporting you through the admissions process. Legal basis: contractual necessity (or legitimate interest, depending on the case).
• To communicate with you: responding to your inquiries, sending you information about our services, and managing your customer account. Legal basis: contract / legitimate interest / consent (if marketing).
• To send marketing communications (if you opt in): about courses, consultations, blog updates, webinars, etc. Legal basis: consent.
• To improve our website and services: analyzing usage data to understand how we can make our services better. Legal basis: legitimate interests (our interest in improving user experience).
• To comply with legal obligations: e.g., record keeping, financial regulations, or audits. Legal basis: legal obligation.

4. Data Sharing and Recipients

We may share your personal data with:

• Third-party service providers: such as CRM providers, email marketing platforms, webinar platforms. These providers act as data processors, and we have data processing agreements with them to ensure GDPR compliance.
• WhatsApp (WhatsApp Ireland Ltd / Meta Platforms): we use the WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API) to send and receive WhatsApp messages with you. Meta processes these messages as our data processor under the WhatsApp Business Data Processing Terms. We only message people who have contacted us or asked us to contact them, and we do not send bulk marketing on WhatsApp. You can ask us to stop at any time by replying STOP or emailing info@afeducation.co.uk.
• Hosting: our website and CRM (including WhatsApp messages) are hosted by Namecheap, Inc. on servers in the United Kingdom.
• Partner educational institutions: universities or colleges you have expressed interest in; only with your consent or when necessary to fulfill our consultancy role.
• Regulatory or legal bodies: if required to do so by law (e.g., for audit or compliance).

We will not sell your personal data to third parties.

5. How long we keep your information

• Enquiries that do not result in an application: we keep your details for up to 3 years from your last contact with us, because many students apply for a later intake. After this, we delete or anonymise your information.
• Students who apply or enrol: we keep your records for 6 years after your course ends or your application closes, to meet our legal, accounting and university partner obligations.
• WhatsApp messages: kept with your student record for the same periods as above, then deleted or anonymised.
• Unsuitable or opted-out enquiries: we keep a minimal record (such as an encrypted email or phone reference) so we do not contact you again.
• You can ask us to delete your information at any time by emailing info@afeducation.co.uk.

6. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right to access your personal data (i.e., request a copy)
• Right to rectification (i.e., correct inaccurate data)
• Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”), in certain circumstances
• Right to restrict processing (i.e., limit how we use your data)
• Right to data portability (i.e., receive your data in a portable format)
• Right to object to processing, including for direct marketing
• Right to withdraw consent, where our processing is based on your consent
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (in the UK, the ICO – Information Commissioner’s Office)

If you want to exercise any of these rights, please contact us at: info@afeducation.co.uk.

7. Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously and have implemented technical and organisational measures to protect it. These include, but are not limited to:

• Secure servers / hosting providers
• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS)
• Access controls (only authorised staff)
• Regular security reviews and audits

8. International Transfers

If we transfer your personal data outside the UK (for example, to education partners in other countries), we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (e.g., standard contractual clauses, data-transfer agreements) to protect your data in compliance with UK GDPR.

WhatsApp messages are processed by Meta, which may transfer data outside the UK under its own safeguards (such as the UK International Data Transfer Addendum and standard contractual clauses).

9. Cookies & Tracking

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Provide you with a good browsing experience (essential cookies — always on)
• Understand how you use the site (analytics — Google Analytics, only with your consent)
• Support marketing and measure campaigns (Google Ads & Meta Pixel, only with your consent)

When you first visit, we show a cookie banner. Non-essential cookies (analytics and marketing) are not set until you accept them or save your preferences. You can change your choice at any time using the Cookies button on the site, or manage cookies via your browser settings.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time (for example, if our business changes or UK data protection law changes). When we do:

• We will update the “Last updated” date at the top
• We may notify you (if you are a contact) by email or via our website
• We encourage you to check this page periodically

Data Deletion Instructions

You can ask us to delete the personal data we hold about you, including WhatsApp messages and any data we received through Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp.

• Email info@afeducation.co.uk with the subject “Data deletion request”, and include your name and the phone number or email address you used with us. You can also send “Delete my data” to us on WhatsApp.
• We will confirm your identity, then delete or anonymise your student record, its WhatsApp message history and related data within 30 days, and confirm by email once done.
• We may keep a minimal record where the law requires it (for example, accounting records) or so that we do not contact you again.
• To remove messages from your own WhatsApp app, delete the chat in WhatsApp. To remove our access to your Facebook data, go to Facebook Settings → Apps and Websites.