Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2026

The London Community ("we", "our", "the platform") respects your privacy. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights under UK GDPR.

Who we are

The London Community is an online platform helping international students find English language schools in London. The site is operated from the United Kingdom and is accessible at thelondoncommunity.com. Contact: hello@thelondoncommunity.com.

What data we collect

  • Contact form submissions: first name, last name, email address, phone number (optional), how you heard about us, and your message.
  • Account data: if you create a profile, we store your name, email, country, English level, photo, and bio.
  • Community contributions: questions, answers, and comments you post (with the name and country you choose to display).
  • School Matcher and Level Check answers: the preferences and writing samples you submit are sent to our AI provider to generate recommendations. They are not stored linked to you unless you are signed in.
  • Cookies and analytics: if you accept analytics cookies, we collect anonymised page views, device type, browser, country, and how you interact with the site. See "Cookies" below.
  • Cookie consent records: when you choose your cookie preferences, we record your choice (accept all / reject / custom), an anonymous fingerprint, a hashed IP, your country, your browser, and the timestamp.

How we use your data

  • To respond to your enquiries and send the welcome email.
  • To run your account and personalise the experience.
  • To moderate content and keep the community safe.
  • To improve the platform with anonymised analytics.
  • To meet our legal obligations (cookie consent records).

Legal basis

We process your data on the following bases: your consent (cookies, marketing), the performance of our agreement with you (running your account), and our legitimate interests (security, anti-spam, product improvement).

Third parties

We share data with the following processors who help us run the service. Each is bound by a data processing agreement.

  • Supabase — database and authentication (EU region).
  • Resend — transactional and welcome emails.
  • OpenRouter / OpenAI / Anthropic — AI features (school matcher, level check, content generation, sentiment analysis, translation, summarisation).
  • Unsplash — stock images for blog posts.
  • Google Analytics 4 — site analytics (only if you accept analytics cookies).
  • BulletMetrics, Overtracking — privacy-friendly analytics (only if you accept analytics cookies).
  • Google Maps and Places — to display schools and nearby places (loaded only on the School Matcher results page).
  • Hetzner — hosting (Helsinki, Finland).

Some of these providers process data in the United States. We rely on Standard Contractual Clauses for international transfers.

Cookies

The first time you visit, you'll see our cookie banner. You can Accept All, Reject Optional, or Customise by category:

  • Necessary — essential for the site (login, security). Always on.
  • Analytics — helps us see how visitors use the site (Google Analytics, BulletMetrics, Overtracking).
  • Marketing — tracks the performance of marketing campaigns.
  • Preferences — remembers your settings and personalisation.

You can change your choice anytime via the "Cookie Settings" link in the footer. Your consent is stored for 6 months in your browser and recorded in our database for compliance.

How long we keep your data

  • Contact submissions: 24 months unless we delete them sooner.
  • Account data: until you delete your account.
  • Community posts: indefinitely, but you can request removal.
  • Cookie consent records: 24 months.
  • Analytics: anonymised, retained per Google Analytics defaults (14 months).

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you can request to: access your data, correct it, delete it, restrict processing, object to processing, or receive a portable copy. Email hello@thelondoncommunity.com and we'll respond within 30 days.

You can also lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

Security

We use HTTPS, encrypted databases, hashed passwords, and admin-only access to sensitive data. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, but we apply industry-standard safeguards.

Children

The platform is intended for users aged 16 and over. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when our service or the law changes. Material changes are announced on the homepage and via email if we have your address.

Contact

Email: hello@thelondoncommunity.com