Privacy statement

The Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors (CIEA) notification on the use of members, students and other stakeholders’ personal data.

This privacy notice tells you what to expect us to do with your personal information.

1. Contact details

  • Telephone 01213124407
  • Email info@ciea.org.uk

2. What information we collect, use, and why

  • We collect or use the following information for members’ and students’ education and welfare:
    • Names and contact details for students/children
    • Gender
    • Pronoun preferences
    • Date of birth
    • Payment details and financial information including transactions
    • Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or additional support information (includes reasonable adjustments and special educational needs and disabilities)
    • Exam results and qualifications
    • Progress reports
    • Information relating to compliments and complaints
  • We collect or use the following personal information for dealing with queries, complaints or claims:
    • Names and contact details
    • Addresses
    • Payment details
    • Account login or user information
    • Purchase or service history
    • Correspondence
    • Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or additional support information (includes reasonable adjustments and special educational needs and disabilities)
  • We collect or use the following information for information updates or marketing purposes:
    • Names and contact details
    • Addresses
    • Marketing preferences
    • Website and app user journey information
    • Records of consent, where appropriate
    • Alumni records
  • We collect or use the following information for recruitment purposes:
    • Contact details (e.g. name, address, telephone number or personal email address)
    • Date of birth
    • Employment history (e.g. job application, employment references or secondary employment)
    • Education history (e.g. qualifications)
  • We collect or use the following information to comply with legal requirements:
    • Identification documents
    • Safeguarding information
    • Any other personal information required to comply with legal obligations

3. Lawful bases and data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, CIEA must have a “lawful basis” for collecting and using your personal information. There is a list of possible lawful bases in the UK GDPR. You can find out more about lawful bases on the ICO’s website.

Which lawful basis we rely on may affect your data protection rights which are set out in brief below. You can find out more about your data protection rights and the exemptions which may apply on the ICO’s website:

If you make a request, we must respond to you without undue delay and in any event within one month.

To make a data protection rights request, please contact us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice.

4. Our lawful bases for the collection and use of your data

  • Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for student education and welfare are:
    • Consent – we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
    • Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.
    • Legal obligation – we have to collect or use your information so we can comply with the law. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to erasure, the right to object and the right to data portability.
    • Legitimate interests – we’re collecting or using your information because it benefits you, our organisation or someone else, without causing an undue risk of harm to anyone. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to portability. Our legitimate interests are:
      • For delivering training and assessments, and providing membership services, equitably and fairly taking into account requirements under the Equalities Act 2010.
    • For more information on our use of legitimate interests as a lawful basis you can contact us using the contact details set out above.
  • Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for dealing with queries, complaints or claims are:
    • Consent – we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
    • Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.
    • Legal obligation – we have to collect or use your information so we can comply with the law. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to erasure, the right to object and the right to data portability.
    • Legitimate interests – we’re collecting or using your information because it benefits you, our organisation or someone else, without causing an undue risk of harm to anyone. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to portability. Our legitimate interests are:
    • Data collected on individuals is used to award qualifications undertaken by said individuals and then provide a certificate.
    • For more information on our use of legitimate interests as a lawful basis you can contact us using the contact details set out above.
  • Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for information updates or marketing purposes are:
    • Consent – we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
    • Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.
    • Legitimate interests – we’re collecting or using your information because it benefits you, our organisation or someone else, without causing an undue risk of harm to anyone. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to portability. Our legitimate interests are:
      • Information collected enables individuals to become professional members of the Institute and, thereby, agree to abide by its relevant codes, rules and agreements for the membership levels defined within the Royal Charter.
    • For more information on our use of legitimate interests as a lawful basis you can contact us using the contact details set out above.
  • Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information to comply with legal requirements are:
    • Consent – we have permission from you after we gave you all the relevant information. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object. To be clear, you do have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
    • Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.
    • Legal obligation – we have to collect or use your information so we can comply with the law. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to erasure, the right to object and the right to data portability.
    • Legitimate interests – we’re collecting or using your information because it benefits you, our organisation or someone else, without causing an undue risk of harm to anyone. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to portability. Our legitimate interests are:
      • We need to meet the requirements of relevant legislation and regulation that applies to the Institute in relation to its members and students undergoing training and assessment.
    • For more information on our use of legitimate interests as a lawful basis you can contact us using the contact details set out above.

5. Where we get personal information from

  • Directly from you
  • Publicly available sources
  • Previous employers

6. How long we keep information

For a period no more than six months after certification in the case of students, with the exception of Chartered Educational Assessors (CEAs) where records are retained for the entire period of their registration with the Institute. Members information is kept for the duration of membership plus a period not more than 1 year after termination of the agreement

7. Who we share information with

  • Examination boards and bodies
  • Organisations we need to share information with for safeguarding reasons
  • Relevant regulatory authorities
  • Education Authority (Northern Ireland) including, where relevant, Higher Education providers.

8. How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a data protection complaint to us:

  • Email: membership@ciea.org.uk
  • Telephone: 01213124407
  • Post: Blackthorn House, Mary Ann Street, Birmingham. B3 1RL

If you remain unhappy with how we’ve used your data after raising a complaint with us, you can also complain to the ICO. 

The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
Website: https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

Privacy Notice [v1.]Date: 27/07/2026Date Agreed:Review date: