Privacy Statement

What information do we collect about you?

If you are studying for, or have undertaken an SQA qualification, we will collect information about you. The types of information we collect include:

• personal details, for example, name, address, date of birth, email address, telephone number
• Scottish Candidate Number (SCN)
• results information including grades, bands and marks
• exam scripts
• assessment evidence/materials
• special arrangement requirements, where applicable
• requests for post results services and exceptional circumstances, where applicable

For certain types of qualifications, we may collect other information about you. This will vary depending on the type of qualification. More information is included in the sections for these qualifications.

We also collect information about you from the Scottish Government, who share information from the Pupil Census with SQA. This is used to create statistical information and helps us produce our Equalities Monitoring Report. More information about this is included in the section on Special Category Data.

How do we collect your information and what do we use it for?

We collect information about you from your school, college or training centre, your local authority, your exam scripts and other assessment materials and from SQA appointees such as markers and exam invigilators. We will collect information directly from you when you use our website, register to use ‘MySQA’, or contact us to request a service such as appeals or the return of materials.

Information is also collected from the Scottish Government and other public bodies with educational and vocational responsibilities including Skills Development Scotland (SDS).

We use the information we collect about you:

• to make arrangements for you to undertake SQA exams/assessments including putting in place assessment arrangements where they are requested
• to mark and grade SQA exams/assessments
• to award and issue your SQA certificate
• to maintain a record of your attainment – this includes all the SQA qualifications you have passed
• to deliver services that you have requested, including MySQA and our Appeals Service
• to respond to enquiries or complaints
• to investigate cases of possible misconduct – this can include the use of plagiarism and AI detection software.
• to manage child and adult protection concerns
• to contact you directly – this will only occur in specific circumstances such as during investigations or the closure of your centre
• for statistical and research purposes
• for reporting purposes, for example the Equalities Monitoring Report
• to monitor standards over time and for quality assurance purposes
• to create training materials – this includes information from your exam scripts and coursework. In most cases this information will be fully anonymised. If it can’t be fully anonymised because of the type of assessment, for example photographs, it will only be made available to teachers and lecturers through a restricted access website.

Legal basis for processing your information

We use and share your information:

• to carry out our responsibilities as set out in the Education (Scotland) Act 1996
• to carry out tasks in the public interest
• to comply with other legal obligations
• with your consent, where we have asked for and you have given it
• to perform or in connection with a contract

Any information that we collect about you which is special category data, such as health information, is used:

• to carry out our responsibilities as set out in the Education (Scotland) Act 1996to carry out tasks in the public interest and substantial public interest
• to comply with legal obligations

Who do we share your information with?

We share your personal information with, and obtain information about you, from:

• your school, college or training centre
• your local authority
• Scottish Government, including government departments and non-departmental government bodies
• Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
• other public bodies with educational and vocational responsibilities including Skills Development Scotland (SDS)
• licensing bodies where this is required for registration purposes or, in cases where SQA does not hold up to date contact details, to communicate with you
• law enforcement and HM Revenue and Customs where necessary
• regulatory bodies where necessary
• Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO)
• organisations with whom we partner to deliver SQA accredited qualifications
• other service providers and third parties who we contract to support delivery of our services

International

More information on when we transfer personal information and how we deal with it, is included in the International section below.

How long do we keep your information?

We keep your information only for as long as we need it to support us in carrying out our role, legal and/or regulatory responsibilities. This will vary depending on the circumstances. Details about how long we keep your information are available in SQA’s record of processing (49 KB).

What are my rights?

Access to your information: You have the right to ask us for a copy of the information that we hold about you. More information about how to do this is available on our website.

Correcting your information: We always want to make sure that your information is accurate, complete and up to date. You can ask us to correct any information about you that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.

Deletion of your information: You have the right to ask us to delete information about you if:

• you think that we have kept it longer than we need to
• we are using your information with your consent, and you withdraw it - see ‘Withdrawing consent to using your information’ below
• you have objected to our use of your personal information - see ‘Objecting to how we use your information’ below
• SQA is using your information unlawfully

Objecting to how we use your information: You have the right to ask us to stop using your information to:

• send you marketing materials
• carry out some of our public roles and functions
• carry out research

If you object to us sending you marketing material, we will stop this as soon as you contact us. Where we use your information to carry out some of our public roles, or for research, we may not stop using it if we have a justified reason to continue doing so, even if you object.

Restricting how we may use your information: You have the right to ask us to restrict how we use your personal information in certain circumstances. For example, where you have asked us to check the accuracy of your information or where we no longer need your information, but you would like us to keep it to help you make a legal claim.

Withdrawing consent using your information: Where we have asked for your consent to use your personal information, and you have given it, you can withdraw that consent at any time. Once you have withdrawn your consent, we will stop using your personal information for that purpose(s).

Please contact us in any of the ways set out in the Contact us section if you would like to request any of the above.

What information do we collect about you?

If you apply to become an SQA Appointee, for example a marker or external verifier, for either SQA’s qualifications or in the delivery of contracts, we collect information from you. We will also collect information from you if you apply to become a subject specialist for customised awards. This includes the types of information listed below:

• personal details, for example, name, address, date of birth
• contact details including address, email address and phone number (home and/or mobile)
• National Insurance number (NI)
• employment details including your employment history
• bank details
• tax details and deductions
• training and development requirements
• references (where applicable)

Some Appointee roles (invigilators, external verifiers and visiting assessors) require criminal records checks. Where these checks apply, they will be carried out by Disclosure Scotland once you have been offered the role. Following the check, Disclosure Scotland will provide SQA with a disclosure certificate and we will notify you of the outcome of the check. More information about this is available on our website.

How do we collect information about you and what do we use it for?

We collect your information directly from you, from your current employer and, where applicable, Disclosure Scotland. This is collected from your application to become an appointee, your personal details form, from other communications you have with SQA as part of your role and where applicable your Disclosure Scotland certificate.

We use the information we collect about you:

• for appointment purposes, such as assessing your suitability for specific roles and making decisions about appointing you
• for the management of your role, including communicating with you
• for resource planning
• to pay you your fees and expenses
• to enrol you in a pension scheme - where requested
• for statistical and research purposes
• to investigate possible misconduct
• to provide you with all necessary training and development
• to manage your access to SQA systems including the SQA Appointee Portal. Your email address will be used to send you notifications about your portal account.

Legal basis for processing your information

We use and share your information:

• to carry out our responsibilities as set out in the Education (Scotland) Act 1996
• to carry out tasks in the public interest
• to comply with other legal obligations
• to perform or in connection with a contract

Any information that we collect about you which relates to criminal record checks is used:

• to perform or in connection with a contract
• to carry out tasks in the public interest or substantial public interest
• to comply with legal obligations
• to comply with obligations or rights related to employment

Who will we share your personal information with?

We share your personal information with:

• your current employer
• your local authority
• pension scheme providers
• schools, colleges and training centres
• Disclosure Scotland
• law enforcement and HM Revenue and Customs
• other service providers and third parties who we contract to support delivery of our services
• other bodies who contract us to deliver their services for example the Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (where applicable to your role)

We do this for the reasons explained in ‘How will we use your information?’ above and to help us carry out our various roles and tasks.

SQA uses Twilio SendGrid to send email notifications about your SQA Appointee Portal account, for example password resets. We will share your name and email address with them for that purpose.

Twilio SendGrid are a service provider for SQA, and we have a contract in place with them. This means that they cannot do anything with your information unless we have told them to do it. They will hold your information securely and only keep it for as long as SQA tells them. You can find out more about how they will use your information in their privacy statement.

International

Twilio SendGrid are based in the United States. This means that your information will be sent outside of the UK and will be processed in the United States.

SQA has put in place measures to safeguard your information. Only information that is needed to send you an email notification (name and email address) will be shared. This information will be transferred to Twilio SendGrid using a secure/encrypted transfer mechanism and clauses, known as standard contractual clauses, have been included in the contract SQA has with Twilio SendGrid. You can find out more in Twilio SendGrid’s privacy statement.

More information is included in the International section below and in SQA’s Record of Processing (49 KB).

How long do we keep your information?

We keep your information only for as long as we need it to support us in carrying out our role, legal and/or regulatory responsibilities. This will vary depending on the circumstances. Details about how long we keep your information is available in SQA’s record of processing (49 KB).

What are my rights?

Access to your information: You have the right to ask us for a copy of the information that we hold about you. More information about how to do this is available on our website.

Correcting your information: We always want to make sure that your information is accurate, complete and up to date. You can ask us to correct any information about you that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.

To ask us to correct your information please contact Appointee Management.

Transfer of your information: You have the right to ask us to transfer your information from one IT environment to another. This is very similar to the right of access but provides your information in a re-usable electronic format.

Deletion of your information: You have the right to ask us to delete information about you if:

• you think that we have kept it longer than we need to
• we are using your information with your consent, and you withdraw it - see ‘Withdrawing consent to using your information’ below
• you have objected to our use of your personal information - see ‘Objecting to how we use your information’ below
• SQA uses your information unlawfully

Objecting to how we use your information: You have the right to ask us to stop using your information to:

• send you marketing materials
• carry out some of our public roles and functions
• carry out research

If you object to us sending you marketing material, we will stop this as soon as you contact us. Where we use your information to carry out some of our public roles and functions, or for research, we may not stop using it if we have a justified reason to continue doing so, even if you object.

Restricting how we may use your information: You have the right to ask us to restrict how we use your personal information in certain circumstances. For example, where you have asked us to check the accuracy of your information or where we no longer need your information, but you want us to keep it to help you make a legal claim.

Withdrawing consent using your information: Where we have asked for your consent to use your personal information, and you have given it, you can withdraw that consent at any time. Once you have withdrawn your consent, we will stop using your personal information for that purpose(s).

Please contact us in any of the ways set out in the Contact us section if you would like to request any of the above.

What information do we collect about you?

Application Stage

The information that we collect about you relates to your application to SQA. It includes the categories listed below:

• personal details, for example, name, address, date of birth, contact details
• National Insurance number (NI)
• employment history
• educational history including qualification details
• information about unspent criminal convictions
• application statements including CVs where provided
• equal opportunities details – where you choose to provide them
• references

Conditional offer

If we make a conditional offer of employment, we will ask you for information to confirm your identity and right to work in the UK.

We will ask you to provide proof of your identity using the Spotlite identity check app provided by CDD Services. You will be sent an invitation by email or text message asking you to download the app and undertake the checks More information about what personal information is collected in the app and how it is used are available in the CDD Service’s Privacy Notice.

If you are unable to use the Spotlite app, please contact peopleoperations@sqa.org.uk You will be asked to attend our office with original documents to prove your identity and right to work in the UK. We’ll take copies and retain them with your employee file.

Some SQA roles require criminal records checks. Where this applies to the post you have been offered CDD Services will undertake a check with Disclosure Scotland. This information gathered during your identity check will be used for this purpose, but you will also be asked to provide additional information such as address verification. More information about how your information will be used can be found in the Privacy Notices for CDD Services and Disclosure Scotland. SQA will be notified about the outcome of these checks, this notification will be received via out online application system provided by Hireserve.

In some circumstances, security clearance checks will be necessary. This will be made clear on the advert and/or job description. In these circumstances we will share your information with the UKSV (United Kingdom Security Vetting), and you will be required to provide them with additional information to enable this check to be carried out. The UKSV will process your information in accordance with their Privacy Statement. The UKSV will notify us about the outcome of the security clearance check but will not provide us with any further information, even where your security clearance is not approved.

If we make a final offer, we’ll also ask you for:

• bank details – to process salary payments
• emergency contact details – so we know who to contact in case of an emergency

How do we collect information about you and what do we use it for?

We collect your information directly from you, through our online application system, which is provided by Hireserve, and from recruitment agencies where applicable. More detail about how Hireserve uses your information is available in their Privacy Policy.

If we make a conditional offer of employment we will collect information about you from your nominated referees, the identity checking service provided by CDD Services and where appropriate background checking agencies.

We use the information we collect about you:

• for recruitment purposes, such as assessing your suitability for specific roles, assessing your trustworthiness, integrity and reliability and making decisions about employing you
• to confirm your right to work in the UK
• to contact you about the progress of your application
• to obtain references
• for equality monitoring purposes
• to ensure SQA is complying with its legal obligations
• for statistical and research purposes

If your application is successful, the information you have provided in your application, and information relating to any additional checks, will become part of your employee file.

Legal basis for processing your information

We use and share your personal information:

• to carry out our responsibilities as set out in the Education (Scotland) Act 1996
• to carry out tasks in the public interest
• to comply with other legal obligations
• to perform or in connection with a contract

Any information that we collect about you which is special category data, including information about your ethnicity or religion, and/or information relates to criminal record checks is used:

• to perform or in connection with a contract
• to carry out tasks in the public interest or substantial public interest
• to comply with legal obligations
• to comply with obligations or rights related to employment
• to review equality of opportunity and treatment

International

More information on when we transfer personal information and how we deal with it, is included in the International section below.

Who will we share your personal information with?

We share your personal information with:

• your nominated referee
• CDD Services (Spotlite)
• UKSV, where applicable

How long do we keep your information?

We keep your information only for as long as we need it to support us in carrying out our roles, legal and/or regulatory responsibilities. This will vary depending on the circumstances. Details about how long we keep your information are available in SQA’s record of processing (49 KB).

What are my rights?

Access to your information: You have the right to ask us for a copy of the information that we hold about you. More information about how to do this is available on our website.

Correcting your information: We always want to make sure that your information is accurate, complete and up to date. You can ask us to correct any information about you that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.

To correct your information please contact peopleoperations@sqa.org.uk

Transfer of your information: You have the right to ask us to transfer your information from one IT environment to another. This is very similar to the right of access but provides your information in a re-usable electronic format.

Deletion of your information: You have the right to ask us to delete information about you if:

• you think that we have kept it longer than we need to
• we are using your information with your consent, and you withdraw it - see ‘Withdrawing consent to using your information’ below
• you have objected to our use of your personal information - see ‘Objecting to how we use your information’ below
• SQA uses your information unlawfully

Objecting to how we use your information: You have the right to ask us to stop using your information to:

• send you marketing materials
• carry out some of our public roles and functions
• carry out research

If you object to us sending you marketing material, we will stop this as soon as you contact us. Where we use your information to carry out some of our public roles and functions, or for research, we may not stop using it if we have a justified reason to continue doing so, even if you object.

Restricting how we may use your information: You have the right to ask us to restrict how we use your personal information in certain circumstances. For example, where you have asked us to check the accuracy of your information or where we no longer need your information, but you want us to keep it to help you make a legal claim.

Withdrawing consent using your information: Where we have asked you for your consent to use your personal information, and you have given it, you can withdraw that consent at any time, and we will stop using your personal information for that purpose(s).

Please contact us in any of the ways set out in the Contact us section if you would like to request any of the above.

Before you can work as a street works operative, you are required to register with the Street Works Qualification Register. SQA collects information about you, on behalf of the Department for Transport, to provide the Street Works Qualifications Register.

What information do we collect about you?

The information that we collect about you relates to the street works qualifications that you have undertaken. It includes the categories listed below:

• personal details, for example, name, address, date of birth, email address
• photograph
• primary country of work
• Street Works qualification results details
• Awarding body and SWQR number
• date of registration on the Street Works Qualifications Register, type of card issued and card expiry date

How do we collect your information and what do we use it for?

We collect information about you from your college or training centre, and your awarding organisation. We also collect information directly from you when you use our website, when you contact us about this service, or request another service.

We use the information we collect about you:

• to register you on the Street Works Qualification Register (SWQR)
• to produce your Street Works card
• to deliver services that you have requested from us including notification of SWQR card expiry date if you have registered for the Street Works Licence Reminder Service
• to respond to enquiries or complaints
• to investigate cases of possible misconduct or potentially fraudulent activity
• for statistical and research purposes

To discharge certain statutory obligations and to provide this service, we do need to use personal information about those individuals who wish to use the service or to continue to benefit from it. If you are a service user and fail to provide personal information to us, we may be unable to provide, or continue to provide, this service to you.

Who will we share your personal information with?

To provide this service efficiently and effectively, we will share your personal information with, and obtain information about you, from:

• your college or training centre
• your employer or a relevant local authority
• Department for Transport (DfT) and Transport Scotland
• Authorised Highway Inspectors
• law enforcement and HM Revenue and Customs
• other service providers and third parties who we contract to support delivery of our services

Legal basis for processing your information

We use and share your information:

• to carry out tasks in the public interest
• to comply with other legal obligations
• with your consent, where we have asked for and you have given it
• to perform or in connection with a contract

Any information that we collect about you which is special category data, such as health information, is used:

• to carry out tasks in the public interest and substantial public interest
• to comply with legal obligations

International

More information on when we transfer personal information and how we deal with it, is included in the International section below.

How long do we keep your information?

We only keep your information for as long as we need it to support us in carrying out our roles, legal and/or regulatory responsibilities and as instructed by the Department for Transport.

What are my rights?

Access to your information: You have the right to ask us for a copy of the information that we hold about you. More information about how to do this is available on our website.

Correcting your information: We always want to make sure that your information is accurate, complete and up to date. You can ask us to correct any information about you that you believe is incorrect or incomplete. Please contact swqr@sqa.org.uk.

Deletion of your information: You have the right to ask us to delete information about you if:

• you think that we have kept it longer than we need to
• we are using your information with your consent, and you withdraw it - see ‘Withdrawing consent to using your information’ below
• you have objected to our use of your personal information - see ‘Objecting to how we use your information’ below
• SQA uses your information unlawfully

Objecting to how we use your information: You have the right to ask us to stop using your information to:

• send you marketing materials
• carry out some of our public roles and functions
• carry out research

Restricting how we may use your information: You have the right to ask us to restrict how we use your personal information in certain circumstances. For example, where you have asked us to check the accuracy of your information or where we no longer need your information, but you want us to keep it to help you make a legal claim.

Withdrawing consent using your information: Where we have asked for your consent to use your personal information, and, you have given it, you can withdraw that consent at any time. Once you have withdrawn your consent, we will stop using your personal information for that purpose(s).

Please contact us in any of the ways set out in the Contact us section if you would like to request any of the above.

SQA collects information about you on behalf of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which is an executive agency of the Department for Transport (DfT), to administer dangerous goods safety advisors (DGSA) and dangerous goods (ADR) vehicle driver training examinations. SQA carry out this activity as a processor for DfT which is the controller of your personal data.

This means that SQA only collects and uses your information in the ways instructed by the DVSA/DfT. They decide why and how your information will be collected and used as well as the lawful basis upon which your personal information will be processed. Information about how the DVSA/DfT uses your personal data can be found here: DVSA accredited training schemes: privacy notice - GOV.UK

What are my rights?

If you would like to make a request in relation to your information, you can do so here: Request your personal information held by DVSA - GOV.UK.

If you wish to raise a complaint about the way your personal information has been handled, you can contact DVSA’s Data Protection Manager at:

DVSA data protection manager
Data Protection Manager
DVSA
1 Unity Square
Nottingham
NG2 1AY

or by email at: information.handling@dvsa.gov.uk

SQA collects information about you to provide the Petroleum Driver Passport.

These services are provided by SQA as part of an agreement with the Secretary of State for Transport on behalf of the Downstream Fuel Distribution Forum (DFDF).

What information do we collect about you?

The information that we collect about you relates to the Petroleum Driver Passport that you are studying for or have already undertaken. This includes the categories listed below:

• personal details for example name, address, date of birth, email address
• driver PDP number
• results details including marks
• examination scripts
• photograph
• signature

How do we collect your information and what do we use it for?

We collect information about you from your application form, your training centre, your examination script, and other assessment materials. We also collect information directly from you when you use our website, when you contact us about this service, or request another service.

We use the information we collect about you:

• to register you for the Petroleum Driver Passport
• to make arrangements for you to undertake a Petroleum Driver Passport examination
• to mark your written assessments
• to award and issue your Petroleum Driver Passport
• to deliver services that you have requested from us, including where you have signed up for renewal reminders
• to respond to enquiries or complaints
• to investigate cases of possible misconduct
• for statistical and research purposes

Who will we share your personal information with?

To provide this service efficiently and effectively, we will share your personal information with, and obtain information about you, from

• your training centre
• law enforcement, and HM Revenue and Customs
• regulatory bodies where necessary
• other service providers and third parties who we contract to support delivery of our services

Legal basis for processing your information

The legal basis for using and sharing your information is decided by the Department for Transport (DfT):

• to carry out tasks in the public interest
• to comply with other legal obligations
• with your consent, where we have asked for and you have given it
• to perform or in connection with a contract

Any information that we collect about you which is special category data, such as health information, is used:

• to carry out tasks in the public interest and substantial public interest
• to comply with legal obligations

International

More information on when we transfer personal information and how we deal with it, is included in the International section below.

How long do we keep your information?

We keep your information only for as long as we need it to support us in providing these services. This will vary depending on the circumstances. Details about how long we keep your information are available in SQA’s record of processing (49 KB).

What are my rights?

Access to your information: You have the right to ask us for a copy of the information that we hold about you. More information about how to do this is available on our website.

Correcting your information: We always want to make sure that your information is accurate, complete, and up to date. You can ask us to correct any information about you that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.

To ask us to correct your information please contact pdpassport@sqa.org.uk

Deletion of your information: You have the right to ask for information about you to be deleted if:

• you think that we no longer have a good reason to keep it
• you have objected to our use of your personal information - see ‘Objecting to how we use your information’ below

Objecting to how we use your information: You have the right to ask us to stop using your information to:

• send you marketing materials
• carry out some public tasks
• carry out research

If you object to us sending you marketing material, we will stop this as soon as you contact us.

Where your information is used to carry out public tasks, or for research, we may not stop using it if we have a justified reason to continue doing so, even if you object.

Restricting how we may use your information: You have the right to ask us to restrict how we use your personal information in certain circumstances. For example, where you have asked us to check the accuracy of your information or where we no longer need your information, but you want us to keep it to help you make a legal claim.

Please contact us in any of the ways set out in the Contact us section if you would like to request any of the above.

SQA collects information about you on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (‘MCA’) (as an agent of the Department for Transport) to administer certificate of competency examinations. SQA carry out this activity as a processor for MCA which is the controller of your personal data.

This means that SQA only collects and uses your information in the ways instructed by the MCA. They decide why and how your information will be collected and used as well as the lawful basis upon which your personal information will be processed.

Information about how MCA uses your personal data can be found here: Written assessment privacy notice - GOV.UK

What are my rights?

If you would like to make a request in relation to your information, you can do so by contacting MCA’s data protection team at InformationAccess@mcga.gov.uk

If you wish to raise a complaint about the way your personal information has been handled, you can contact MCA’s Data Protection Officer at:

Head of Data Protection,
3rd Floor, Spring Place,
105 Commercial Road,
Southampton,
SO15 1EG

or by email at: dataprotection@mcga.gov.uk.

We collect information from and about those involved in the delivery of SQA qualifications (or qualifications we accredit), including those within awarding bodies, schools, colleges and training centres. Where this relates to the qualifications we accredit or approval of awarding bodies, more information is available in SQA Accreditation’s privacy statement.

In carrying out our roles, we may collect or receive information about you if you are connected with a candidate (such as a parent or other relative), a supplier, or prospective SQA centre or are a member of the public.

We will collect information about you:

• if you are involved in the delivery of SQA qualifications, including internal verifiers and assessors
• if you contact SQA to make an enquiry, request or complaint, or to submit a comment
• if you are involved in a complaint
• if you are involved in a malpractice investigation
• if you subscribe to receive updates and publications
• if you use our website
  (We use cookies and other similar technology, on our website to collect information on your browsing activity. The section below on Marketing and our cookies statement provide further information.)
• if you attend one of our events
• if you visit one of our offices including in CCTV images
• if you sign up to a ‘Your Voice’ panel or agree to participate in any other research. More information about ‘Your Voice’ and how your information is used.
• if you apply to join an SQA Qualification Support Team
• if you own, or carry out work for, an organisation applying to become an SQA Approved Centre
• if you are an appointee (instructor) of a training provider delivering Dangerous Goods or Petroleum Passport Driver qualifications
• from tender submissions and contract arrangements

We use this information:

• to undertake qualification and systems verification
• to respond to your enquiry, complaint, request or comment
• to undertake and contact you in relation to a complaint
• to undertake and contact you in relation to a malpractice investigation and, where appropriate, inform the centre approval process
• or malpractice investigation and, where appropriate, inform the centre approval process
• to provide you with updates, publications, information or other services that you have requested from us
• to provide content in the most effective way
• to analyse user activity to assess and improve the content and performance of our website
• to serve personalised marketing messages on other websites
• to understand the effectiveness of our email communications
• to organise your attendance at an event, including communicating with you about it
• to manage your attendance at our office and where CCTV images are captured, to provide a safe environment and for the detection and prevention of crime
• to manage your participation in a ‘Your Voice’ panel and contact you about research opportunities
• to process your application to join an SQA Qualification Support Team and if successful communicate with you about it
• to process your organisation’s application to become an SQA Approved Centre. Information will be used to undertake a quality assurance evaluation to determine whether your organisation meets the required standards (more information about the centre approval process)
• externally quality assure your suitability to be an approved appointee (instructor) of training providers delivering Dangerous Goods or Petroleum Passport Driver qualifications
• to review your tender submission and enter and manage contracts

Legal basis for processing your information

We use your personal information and share it as described below:

• to carry out our responsibilities as set out in the Education (Scotland) Act 1996
• to where necessary to carry out tasks in the public interest
• to comply with other legal obligations to which we are subject
• with your consent, in situations where we ask for it and you give it
• to perform or in connection with a contract

Who do we share your information with?

We share your personal information with:

• other service providers and third parties who we contract to support delivery of our services
• law enforcement where necessary
• other bodies with educational and vocational responsibilities including Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and CITB. This relates to information collected as part of a malpractice or complaint investigation and will only be shared where necessary

International

More information on when we transfer personal information and how we deal with it, is included in the International section below.

How long do we keep your information?

We keep your information only for as long as we need it to support us in carrying out our role, legal and/or regulatory responsibilities. This will vary depending on the circumstances. Details about how long we keep your information are available in SQA’s record of processing (49 KB).

In specific circumstances, SQA may collect and use information about you that is special category or criminal offence data. For example, if you apply for a role with SQA we will ask you if you have any criminal convictions and for equal opportunities information. If your school, college or training centre requests an assessment arrangement for you, SQA will collect information about your needs.

We also collect special category data from the Scottish Government who share information from the Pupil Census with SQA. You can read more about this in the Scottish Government’s privacy notice.

This information is matched to data that SQA holds about your qualifications to create statistical information, which is then used for research and reporting purposes. It helps us to produce our Equalities Monitoring Report and to make policy decisions for the benefit of all candidates, or specific groups. This information is not used to makes decisions about you in particular.

Special category data is personal information about someone’s:

• racial or ethnic origin
• political opinions
• religious or philosophical beliefs
• health
• sex life or sexual orientation
• trade union membership and
• genetic or biometric data (for example fingerprints).

Criminal offence data is any personal information about someone’s criminal convictions and/or offences.

SQA’s policy, Processing special category and criminal offence data, explains the different types of special category and criminal offence data that SQA collects, when this information is collected, how it is used, and the safeguards that are in place to protect it.

We provide services to individuals, organisations, colleges and training centres around the world. This means that personal information will be transferred outside of the UK in connection with the services we provide to them.

SQA uses some service providers and third parties that are outside of the UK to support the delivery of our services. This includes but is not limited to cloud storage and email delivery providers.

To ensure that we protect your personal information in these circumstances, the country to which your personal information will be transferred will be deemed to offer an adequate level of protection and/or we will put in place other appropriate measures, such as secure/encrypted transfer mechanisms and/or standard contractual clauses to safeguard your information.

More information, including which measure has been used, will be provided where this applies and in SQA’s Record of Processing (49 KB).

Where you’ve given us your consent, we will use your information to let you know about products and services that we offer, and we may contact you by post, email or telephone.

You can change your mind about this at any time. We will remind you about this when we contact you and you will be able to tell us if you don’t want your information used in this way. You can also change your mind about this at any time by emailing us at mycentre@sqa.org.uk.

Although we may share your information to provide our services, we don’t allow anyone else we share your information with to use it for marketing purposes.

Marketing Cookies

We use cookies and other similar technology on our website to collect information about your browsing activity. We do this to deliver relevant content to you and help improve our website and products. This includes the use of advertising cookies which track your browsing history across websites and allow us to serve personalised marketing messages to you, on non SQA websites.

You can change your cookie settings at any time by changing your preferences using the cookie control centre on our website or prevent the use of advertising cookies through your device’s browser security settings.

More information about the cookies that we use can be found in our cookies statement.

This explains how SQA will collect and use information about you as part of the Appeals service.

What information do we need?

We need your information to check your appeal submission and undertake your appeal review. The information we need is:

• your name
• your date of birth
• your Scottish Candidate Number (SCN)
• your email address
• the subject and level of the course that you want to submit an appeal for
• whether you need a priority appeal
• your exam script(s) and SQA marked coursework. You don’t need to provide this as SQA already have them.
• your representative’s name, their relationship to you and their email address. If you choose to have a representative such as a parent or carer submit the appeal on your behalf.

How do we collect your information and what do we use it for?

We will collect information about you when you register for the Appeals Service and make an appeal, either through the Learner Direct Appeals Service which is accessed via SQA’s website or through your school, college or training provider. We will already hold your exam scripts(s) and SQA marked coursework.

We will use the information we collect about you to:

• undertake a marking review of your exam scripts and SQA marked coursework. More information on what a marking review is from Appeals service
• decide on the outcome of your appeal - after your appeal is reviewed, your grade could go up, stay the same, or go down
• communicate with you and provide you with updates on the progress of your appeal, including providing a receipt of your appeal submission
• update your attainment record - if your grade is changes because of your appeal
• award and issue a new SQA certificate – if your grade changes because of your appeal and an updated certificate is needed.

More information about the Appeals service.

Lawful basis for processing your information

We use and share your information to:

• to carry out our responsibilities as set out in the Education (Scotland) Act 1996

• carry out tasks in the public interest
• comply with other legal obligations

Who do we share your information with?

We share information about your appeal, including the outcome, with your school, college or training provider.

If the outcome of your appeal changes your awarded grade, it will also be shared with:

• Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) for candidates with UCAS entries
• Scottish Government, including government departments and non-departmental government bodies
• your local authority

SQA uses Twilio SendGrid to send email acknowledgements of appeal submissions. We will share your name, email address and the subject and level of your appeal with them for that reason. Your information will only be shared with Twilio SendGrid if you chose to receive this acknowledgement.

Twilio SendGrid are a service provider for SQA, and we have a contract in place with them. This means that they cannot do anything with your information unless we have told them to do it. They will hold your information securely and only keep it for as long as SQA tells them. You can find out more about how they will use your information in their privacy statement.

How long do we keep your information?

We keep your information only for as long as we need it to support us in carrying out our role, legal and/or regulatory responsibilities. This will vary depending on the circumstances. Details about how long we keep your information are available in SQA's record of processing (49 KB).

What are my rights?

Access to your information: You have the right to ask us for a copy of the information that we hold about you. More information about how to do this is available on our website.

Correcting your information: We always want to make sure that your information is accurate, complete, and up to date. You can ask us to correct any information about you that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.

If you think any of the information you provided when you registered was incorrect or incomplete, please contact us at 0345 279 1000.

Deletion of your information: You have the right to ask us to delete information about you if:

• you think that we have kept it longer than we need to
• you have objected to our use of your personal information - see ‘Objecting to how we use your information’ below
• SQA is using your information unlawfully

Objecting to how we use your information: You have the right to ask us to stop using your information to:

• carry out some of our public roles and functions
• carry out research

Where we use your information to carry out some of our public roles and functions, or for research, we may not stop using it if we have a justified reason to continue doing so, even if you object.

Restricting how we may use your information: You have the right to ask us to restrict how we use your personal information in certain circumstances. For example, where you have asked us to check the accuracy of your information or where we no longer need your information, but you would like us to keep it to help you make a legal claim.

If you would like to request any of the above rights, please contact us using the details provided below.

International

Twilio SendGrid are based in the United States. This means that your information, if you choose to receive an email acknowledgement of your appeal, will be sent outside of the UK to the United States, where it will be used by Twilio SendGrid.

SQA has put in place measures to safeguard your information. Only the information needed to send you an email acknowledgement (your name, email address subject/level of your appeal) will be shared. This information will be sent to Twilio SendGrid in a secure (encrypted) way and clauses, known as standard contractual clauses, have been included in the contract SQA has with Twilio SendGrid. You can find out more in Twilio SendGrid’s privacy statement.