Skip to content

University of Lincoln - Schools and HEAT Privacy Notice

Your Personal Information 

The University of Lincoln is committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, and share your personal data when you participate in outreach and widening participation activities recorded in the Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT). 

  • What information we collect about you
  • How we use your information
  • Information we may share with other organisations
  • Information processed abroad
  • How long we keep your information
  • Accessing your information and other rights
  • How to object or withdraw your consent

​What Information We Collect About You

We collect information about you ​to evaluate and monitor outreach and widening participation activities. This may include:​ 

  • Personal details (e.g., name, date of birth, gender, and contact details)  
  • School and educational details  
  • Information on participation in outreach events, workshops, and mentoring schemes  
  • Demographic information, such as postcode, ethnicity, disability status, and socio-economic background  
  • Higher education application and progression data (e.g., UCAS application outcomes, HESA data)   

As the data collected is for tracking purposes, it captures a snapshot of the individual's information at the time of their interaction with the University. This data is not intended for ongoing communication, so it remains relevant only as a snapshot of the person at that specific time. 

If an individual's details, such as their postcode, change and they interact with the University again in the future, their information will be updated when that new interaction is uploaded to HEAT. However, since the data is not stored for ongoing interactions, it is not necessary for individuals to update their information continuously. However, if you do have concerns that we hold inaccurate information, please contact compliance@lincoln.ac.uk. 

How We Use Your Information

We collect information directly from you when you sign up for an event or programme, from your school or college if they share data with us as part of our outreach partnerships, when you participate in workshops, mentoring, or other activities organised by the University of Lincoln, and from national education datasets such as the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and UCAS. 

We use this data to ​assess the effectiveness of outreach and widening participation initiatives, and track educational journeys and progression into higher education. We use this data to meet regulatory and reporting obligations for funding bodies, such as the Office for Students (OfS). It also allows us to support research into the impact of outreach and access initiatives. Additionally, this data allows us to monitor equality of opportunity in higher education. ​ 

The University occasionally uses cookies and other technologies on its website that collect data about you when you use them. Where this occurs further information will be available in a cookies policy. The cookies policy for the University website can be found on our Privacy and Website Use Terms and Conditions webpage.

We Process Personal Data Under the Following Lawful Bases:

  • Public task (Article 6(1)(e) UK GDPR) – processing is necessary for tasks in the public interest, such as widening participation and access to higher education. 
  • Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) UK GDPR) – where processing supports our research and evaluation activities, including monitoring trends in access to education, improving outreach strategies, and informing policy development. 
  • Consent (Article 6(1)(a) UK GDPR) – in cases where explicit permission is required (e.g., where sensitive personal data is processed under Article 9(2)(a) UK GDPR).
  • Public interest (Article 9(2)(g) UK GDPR) – where processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest, including monitoring equality of opportunity. 

Information We May Share with Other Organisations

​​We may share personal data with the following organisations for research and reporting purposes:​ 

​​HEAT Service and its partner institutions​: ​​We share personal data such as demographic details, educational background, and outreach participation data to monitor long-term educational progression. This supports sector-wide research on access to higher education. There is no legal obligation to share data with HEAT, but participation enables better-targeted outreach initiatives. You may object to this sharing, but doing so may limit our ability to assess the effectiveness of our programmes. 

​​The Office for Students (OfS) and other regulatory bodies: ​​We are legally required to share aggregated and anonymised data with OfS to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements for widening participation. Individual-level data is only shared when necessary for policy research. You cannot object to this sharing due to legal obligations. 

​​The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA): HESA receives student progression and demographic data to track national trends in higher education. This sharing is legally mandated for sector-wide statistical analysis. You cannot opt out of this data sharing due to statutory obligations. 

​​​UCAS and other education providers​: ​​We may share limited data (e.g., progression outcomes) with UCAS and universities to track application success rates and evaluate outreach effectiveness. This is done under legitimate interest grounds. You can object to this, but it may impact our ability to support your application process. 

​​Research organisations evaluating outreach and widening participation​: ​​ Approved research bodies may receive anonymised or pseudonymised data to assess the impact of outreach initiatives. No identifiable personal data is shared without consent. You can withdraw consent at any time without consequences. 

We use a number of suppliers who process personal information on our behalf. These include suppliers of software services. These act strictly on our instructions and must not use the information for their own purposes. 

In exceptional circumstances we may be asked to share your information with police or other investigators if it would prevent or detect crime or safeguard a person’s wellbeing. Each instance will be judged on its own merit and any sharing of information will be done within the law.

Information processed abroad

​​In most cases, your data is processed within the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA). However, if we transfer your data outside of the EEA, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal data. These safeguards may include: 

  • ​Ensuring the recipient country has an adequacy decision from the UK government, meaning it provides an adequate level of data protection. 
  • ​Using Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the UK government to ensure your data is protected to the same standard as within the UK and EEA. 
  • ​Implementing additional security measures, such as encryption, to safeguard your data during transfer.​ 

How long we keep your information 

​​Your data will be retained in accordance with HEAT retention policies, which enable us to track long-term educational outcomes. We will securely delete or anonymise your data when it is no longer required for the purposes outlined in this notice.​ 

If you access additional University services these may keep a record of your contact and will provide you with details of how long they keep your information.

Accessing your information and other rights 

You have a number of rights relating to your personal information. These include: 

Access: You have the right to request a copy of any personal information we hold about you. If you would like a copy of any of your information please contact the Information Compliance team on the details below. The team will process your request within a month. 

Portability: If you have provided information on the basis of your consent or for a contract then you can request a digital copy so you can send it to another organisation. To request a copy please contact the Information Compliance team on the details below. The team will process your request within a month.

Correction: If any of the information we hold about you is incorrect or incomplete then please let us know. You have the right to have your information corrected so that we hold accurate records about you.

Erasure: This is also known as the right to be forgotten. You can request that your personal information is erased if it is no longer necessary for the University to keep it, or you withdraw consent that you have previously provided, or you object and there is no overriding grounds to keep it or if it is unlawful to continue to keep it.

Restriction: You can request that the use of your personal information is limited to storage only and that we use it for no other purpose. This applies where you contest the accuracy of the personal information we hold, or our use of the information is unlawful, or we no longer need the information except in relation to legal claims, or you object to the use of your data and we need to verify whether or not our purpose for keeping it overrides the grounds of your objection.

The Information Compliance team can be contacted by email on compliance@lincoln.ac.uk or by post at: Information Compliance, Legal and Compliance Services, Lawress Hall, Riseholme Park, Lincoln, LN2 2LG.

How to Object or Withdraw Consent

If you object to our use of your personal information, then we must stop unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for continuing. Please contact ​compliance@lincoln.ac.uk​ and explain your objection.  

If you have provided your consent for the use of your personal information, then you can withdraw this consent at any time. ​Please contact us on the email addresses provided if you wish to withdraw consent.​ 

How to Contact Us

For general enquiries please call 01522 88 2000 or write to University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, LN6 7TS. 

You can find contact details for individual teams and staff by visiting our online staff list.  

If you have a query about your personal information rights then please contact the Information Compliance team by email on compliance@lincoln.ac.uk or by post at Information Compliance, Legal and Compliance Services, Lawress Hall, Riseholme Park, Lincoln, LN2 2LG.

How to Complain

If you feel that we have let you down in relation to your information rights then please contact the Information Compliance team by email on compliance@lincoln.ac.uk or by post at Information Compliance, Legal and Compliance Services, Lawress Hall, Riseholme Park, Lincoln, LN2 2LG 

You can also make complaints directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO is the independent authority upholding information rights for the UK. Their website is ico.org.uk and their telephone helpline number is 0303 123 1113.

Further Information

For more information on how HEAT and HESA process your personal information, please find the links to their Privacy Policies below.