Privacy Policy

A legal disclaimer

This Privacy Policy explains how James Guy Academy collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you visit our website or join the Academy. Please read it carefully. If you have any questions, contact us at the details provided in Section 11.

1. Who We Are
The James Guy Academy is operated by James Guy Academy Ltd (referred to in this policy as 'we', 'us', or 'our'). Our website is located at www.jamesguyacademy.com and our coaching community is hosted on the Skool platform at skool.com/jamesguyacademy1.

We are the data controller responsible for your personal data collected through this website and associated sign-up processes.

Contact email: [INSERT CONTACT EMAIL]
Registered address: [INSERT REGISTERED ADDRESS]

2. What Personal Data We Collect

2.1 Data you provide directly

When you use our website, register interest in the Academy, or join as a member, you may provide us with:

• Your full name
• Your email address
• Your payment details (processed securely via Skool's payment provider — we do not store card details)
• Your age, swimming level, and discipline (where relevant to the service)
• Any information you share in the community, Q&A sessions, or feedback forms

2.2 Data collected automatically
When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical data, including:

• Your IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device type (mobile, desktop, tablet)
• Pages visited and time spent on the site
• Referring website or source
• Cookie and tracking data (see our Cookie Policy for full details)

2.3 Data from third-party platforms
We use third-party tools and platforms as part of delivering our services. These may collect data on our behalf or in their own right, including:

• Wix (our website builder) — collects analytics and performance data
• Skool (our community and membership platform) — collects account, payment, and usage data when you join the Academy
• Meta (Facebook and Instagram) — collects engagement data if you interact with our ads or social content
• TikTok — collects engagement data if you interact with our content or advertising on the platform
• Google Analytics — collects website usage and behaviour data

3. How We Use Your Personal Data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:

3.1 To deliver our services
• To process your Academy membership and provide access to the Skool platform
• To communicate with you about your membership, content updates, and live sessions
• To provide 1-2-1 feedback and coaching through the Academy community

3.2 To improve our website and services
• To analyse how visitors use our website and which pages perform best
• To understand which audience pages and content are most effective
• To test and improve the technical performance of the site

3.3 For marketing and communications
• To send you information about the James Guy Academy, new content, and relevant updates — where you have given consent or where we have a legitimate interest
• To run targeted advertising campaigns on Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and TikTok based on your interests and behaviour
• To retarget visitors who have shown interest in the Academy but not yet joined

3.4 Legal and compliance
• To comply with our legal obligations under UK and EU data protection law
• To protect our rights and the rights of our members

4. Our Legal Basis for Processing
Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases for processing your personal data:

Contractual necessity: where processing is necessary to fulfil your Academy membership agreement.
Legitimate interests: where we have a genuine business interest in improving our services, communicating with prospective members, and running our marketing activity — balanced against your rights and interests.
Consent: where you have actively opted in to receive marketing communications or to the use of non-essential cookies.
Legal obligation: where we are required to process data to comply with applicable law.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit our site. We use them to:

• Remember your preferences and improve your browsing experience
• Analyse website traffic and performance (via Google Analytics)
• Track the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns (via Meta Pixel and TikTok Pixel)
• Enable retargeting of visitors who have shown interest in the Academy

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings or via our cookie consent tool. For full details of the cookies we use, please refer to our Cookie Policy, available at: [INSERT COOKIE POLICY URL]

Our advertising uses the Meta Pixel and TikTok Pixel. These tools allow us to measure the effectiveness of our ads and show relevant Academy content to people who have visited our site. If you would prefer not to be tracked for advertising purposes, you can opt out through your Meta or TikTok account settings, or by managing your cookie preferences on our site.

6. Who We Share Your Data With
We do not sell your personal data. We share data only where necessary with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate the Academy, including:

6.1 Platform and infrastructure providers
• Wix.com — website hosting and builder
• Skool — membership platform, community hosting, and payment processing
• Stripe or equivalent payment processor (via Skool) — secure payment handling

6.2 Marketing and analytics
• Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram) — advertising and audience targeting
• TikTok — advertising and audience targeting
• Google Analytics — website analytics and performance tracking

6.3 Legal and compliance
We may share your data with law enforcement or regulatory authorities where required to do so by law, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of the James Guy Academy, our members, or others.

All third-party providers are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with applicable data protection law. We do not permit them to use your data for their own marketing purposes.

7. International Data Transfers
Some of our third-party service providers are based outside the UK and European Economic Area (EEA). Where we transfer your data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the UK Information Commissioner's Office
• Adequacy decisions recognising the recipient country's data protection standards
• Other lawful transfer mechanisms as required

In particular, Skool and Meta are US-based services. Both operate under recognised data transfer frameworks. For further information on how these providers handle international transfers, please refer to their respective privacy policies.

8. How Long We Keep Your Data
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy, or as required by law. Our standard retention periods are:

Active members: for the duration of your membership plus 12 months following cancellation.
Interest registrations (non-members): up to 24 months, unless you withdraw consent earlier.
Financial and transaction records: 6 years in line with HMRC requirements.
Marketing communications: until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent.

9. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

Right of access
You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

Right to rectification
You have the right to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data we hold about you.

Right to erasure ('right to be forgotten')
You have the right to ask us to delete your personal data where there is no compelling reason for us to continue processing it.

Right to restriction of processing
You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your data in certain circumstances.

Right to data portability
You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used format and to transfer it to another controller.

Right to object
You have the right to object to processing of your data where we rely on legitimate interests as our legal basis, and in relation to direct marketing.

Rights related to automated decision-making
You have rights in relation to any automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects. We do not currently carry out any such automated decision-making.

To exercise any of your rights, please contact us at [INSERT CONTACT EMAIL]. We will respond within 30 days. In some cases we may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

10. Children's Privacy
The James Guy Academy welcomes junior competitive swimmers aged 10 and above. Where a member is under the age of 18, we require that a parent or guardian purchases and manages the membership on their behalf.

We do not knowingly collect personal data directly from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent. If you believe we have collected personal data from a child under 13 without appropriate consent, please contact us immediately at [INSERT CONTACT EMAIL] and we will take steps to delete that information.

Parents and guardians who purchase an Academy membership on behalf of a child are responsible for ensuring appropriate use of the platform and for managing their child's access. The Support Their Journey module within the Academy includes guidance for parents on supporting their child's swimming journey responsibly.

11. How to Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or have a concern about how we have handled your personal data, please contact us:

James Guy Academy Ltd
Email: [INSERT CONTACT EMAIL]
Address: [INSERT REGISTERED ADDRESS]
Website: www.jamesguyacademy.com

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the 'Last updated' date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify members by email or through the Academy community.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our website and Academy membership following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Related policies
Terms & Conditions: britedigital.wixstudio.com/jamesguy/terms-and-conditions
Cookie Policy: britedigital.wixstudio.com/jamesguy/cookie-policy