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Widening Access, Outreach and Recruitment Individual Data Protection

This policy explains what, why and how data are collected and used for students taking part in widening access, outreach, and recruitment activities.

Policy

Owner
Andrew Ross, Head of Access and Participation
Version
1.2
Approval date
06 Jan 2025
Approved by
Sam Sherry, Data Protection Officer
Date of last review
05 Oct 2022
Date of next review
01 Sep 2026

Why are we collecting your data?

The University of Bath is required by the Office for Students (OfS) to widen access to university, ensuring that students from all backgrounds can access higher education (HE) equally. Once students are studying a degree course, the University ensures that students from all backgrounds are supported to achieve their potential.

The Widening Access, Outreach, and Recruitment teams run several outreach activities and collect details of participants to

  1. Plan and safely deliver activities.
  2. Assess eligibility and participation in activities.
  3. Evaluate the impact of activities to demonstrate their effectiveness.
  4. Track progression to higher education.

The data we collect also enables us to meet regulatory requirements set out by the OfS. Data is submitted to the Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT) to monitor progression and educational outcomes. This database facilitates national-level analysis of outreach effectiveness.

In accordance with UK GDPR, we process the specified personal data in line with Article 6(1)(e) Public Task. Where Special Category data is processed when required to support programme delivery, tailor activities to your needs, or for evaluation purposes, we rely on Article 9(2)(g)(8), reasons for substantial public interest; equality of opportunity or treatment.

What will we use your data for?

We use your data to

  1. Assess your eligibility for a programme and deliver outreach activities safely and effectively.
  2. Monitor, evaluate, and improve outreach and recruitment programmes.
  3. Track progression to HE.
  4. Conduct research and produce anonymised reports.
  5. Contact you to
    • Request feedback on the impact of activities, events, or programmes you participated in.
    • Share relevant information about the University of Bath.

We will never share your personal data with other organisations for marketing purposes.

Examples of Data Use

  • To evaluate whether participants in widening access programmes are more likely to enter university than non-participants.
  • To publish anonymised research on the impact of outreach activities, providing insights for the HE sector.

For more intensive programmes, we may collect additional personal data (e.g., health conditions, carer status) to ensure tailored support. Evaluation data may include matched demographic data, which will be anonymised before analysis.

If you choose to study at the University of Bath, your data may be used to support your application. For example

  • Guaranteeing an offer for completing a relevant programme.
  • Contextual admissions, considering your circumstances to ensure fair access.

What personal data do we collect?

We may collect and process personal data about students, parents/carers and teachers who participate in one of our programmes, activities, events or webinars.

If you attend an Outreach event, activity or programme organised or run by the University of Bath.

We may collect the following personal data directly or via your school/college

  • Name and date of birth.
  • Home postcode.
  • School/college name.
  • Free School Meal or Pupil Premium status.
  • Sex or gender.

For more intensive programmes, we may also collect

  • Care leaver, care experienced, estrangement or young carer status.
  • Refugee or asylum-seeking status.
  • Health conditions or disabilities.
  • Ethnicity.
  • Dietary and emergency contact information.

We may also

  • Collect feedback linked to your activity application data (anonymised during analysis).
  • Take photographs or audio recordings, or video recordings of you during events if you have not objected to us doing so.

If you attend an event organised by a third party:

If the University of Bath has a relationship with a third party to arrange and conduct activities, the information you provide may be shared with the University.

If you use a third-party service / are part of a programme of activity with a third-party that has a relationship with the University of Bath

If you have indicated to the service provider that you wish to be contacted by University of Bath and they have notified you they will do this, the personal details you provide to them may be shared with the University of Bath

Teacher contacts for marketing purposes

We collect teacher details from individuals or via schools and colleges for marketing purposes, this would include

  • First name
  • Last name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Position in the institution

How Do We Keep Your Data Secure?

We safeguard your data using secure systems and encryption where necessary. Access is restricted to authorised personnel only. All data is processed in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other applicable legislation.

We periodically review all data stored on our systems and delete information no longer required for monitoring, research, or evaluation purposes.

Who we share your information with?

We use the service Gecko Engage to help us collect your data. For further information about Gecko Engage, please see their privacy policy.

We may securely share data with the following educational organisations for monitoring and research purposes

Data shared with these organisations is anonymised wherever possible and processed in compliance with their respective privacy policies. We do not transfer your data outside the UK.

We never share your information with other organisations for marketing purposes.

How long do we keep your data?

We retain data to evaluate the long-term impact of outreach activities. Retention periods are

  • Under 21 years old at first outreach activity: Data retained until the age of 30.
  • Over 21 years old at first outreach activity: Data retained for 10 years after the activity.

After this time, data will be anonymised in bulk. Retention policies are reviewed annually to ensure compliance with legislation.

Your rights as a data subject

You have the right to

  • Be informed about how we use your data.
  • Request access to the data we hold about you (via a Subject Access Request ).
  • Request correction of inaccurate data.
  • Request deletion of data no longer necessary.
  • Restrict or object to data processing in certain circumstances.

To exercise your rights or make an enquiry, contact

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