Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

ArielEd ("ArielEd", "we", "us", "our") is an AI-assisted essay marking platform for GCSE and A-Level English. The platform is operated by Ariel Education Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 17141109), with a registered office at 32 Highclere Street, London, SE26 4EU.

We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) under registration number ZC153061.

Data protection contact: [email protected]

2. What this policy covers

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information ArielEd collects about you, why we collect it and what we do with it, who else may see it, how long we keep it, and your rights and how to use them.

This policy applies to everyone who uses arieled.com or the ArielEd mobile application — including students, teachers, heads of department, independent learners, school administrators, and visitors to our website.

If you are a student at a school using ArielEd, your school has agreed a separate Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with us, and your school remains the controller of your personal data. This policy explains how ArielEd handles that data on the school's behalf.

If you are under 13, please ask a parent or guardian to read this with you. We do not knowingly collect data from under-13s without verified parental or guardian consent.

3. The school-as-controller relationship

When ArielEd is used by a school or Multi-Academy Trust (MAT):

• The school is the data controller for student and teacher data.
• ArielEd acts as a data processor — we process student essay data on the school's behalf.

Requests for access, correction, or deletion of student data should be directed to the school in the first instance. We will not use student data for any purpose other than providing the marking and feedback service to the school.

4. What personal data we collect

Teachers and Heads of Department

Full name and email address, school name and role, classes created, marking activity, login events, and payment information (processed by Stripe — we do not store card details).

School students (roster students)

Full name and year group, optional flags (Pupil Premium, SEND, EAL) if provided by the teacher, essay text submitted for marking, and AI marking results. Students in this category do not need a login account.

Independent students (self-registered)

Full name, email address, and hashed password (we cannot see your password), year group, essays submitted, and marking results.

Website visitors

Standard server logs (IP address, browser type, page visited, time of visit) and essential session cookies. If you accept analytics cookies, Google Analytics also records usage data: pages visited, device and browser type, approximate location (country or city), and a random identifier for your browser. Google Analytics does not store IP addresses. We do not use advertising trackers or marketing pixels.

5. Why we process your data — legal basis

6. AI processing — how your data is protected

ArielEd uses Anthropic to analyse essay text and generate marking feedback. We apply three layers of protection to ensure student personal data does not cross UK borders in identifiable form:

Layer 1 — Full text anonymisation (essay marking)

Before any essay is sent to Anthropic, our anonymisation system automatically removes the student's name, the school name, the teacher's name, and any identifiable references (UK postcodes, phone numbers, email addresses). Only anonymised essay text, the examination board name, and the question are sent to Anthropic. A secondary check cancels the request if any identifying information is still detected.

Layer 2 — Integer index substitution (class diagnostic analysis)

When generating a whole-class diagnostic report, student names are replaced by sequential integers (1, 2, 3…) before any data is sent to Anthropic. After the response is received, integers are mapped back to internal student identifiers on our servers. Student names are only joined from our database at the moment the report is displayed.

Layer 3 — Alias substitution (AI chat and PowerPoint generation)

When a teacher uses the "Ask Ariel" class chat or generates a Whole Class Feedback PowerPoint, student first names are replaced with letter aliases (Student A, Student B, …) before any data is sent to Anthropic. Anthropic only ever processes aliases — never real student names.

What Anthropic receives — summary

7. Who we share your data with

We do not sell personal data. We do not share personal data with advertisers. Sub-processors:

We will give you or your school at least 30 days' written notice if we intend to add a new sub-processor.

8. International transfers

All student personal data is stored in Supabase's UK data centre (London, eu-west-2). The only transfers outside the UK are anonymised essay text to Anthropic (US) — which cannot be linked to an identified individual — email addresses to Resend (US) for transactional notifications, and, only for visitors who accept analytics cookies, website usage data to Google (US). The Anthropic and Resend transfers are covered by the UK International Data Transfer Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses; the Google Analytics transfer is made under Google's data processing terms. No student essay data or student names are ever sent to Google Analytics.

9. How long we keep your data

10. Your rights under UK GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• The right of access — ask us for a copy of your personal data (we respond within one calendar month)
• The right to rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• The right to erasure — ask us to delete your personal data (actioned within 30 days)
• The right to restrict processing — limit how we use your data while a complaint is resolved
• The right to data portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format (provided within 30 days)
• The right to object — object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Automated decision-making — AI marks are used as an assistive tool only; no purely automated decisions with legal effects are made about students

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected].

11. Children's data

A significant proportion of our users are under 18. We comply with the ICO's Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code):

• Data minimisation: we collect only the information needed to provide the marking service
• High privacy by default: all authenticated responses carry Cache-Control: no-store headers; no advertising cookies, and analytics cookies only with consent (off until accepted)
• No commercial profiling: AI analysis is solely for educational feedback
• No dark patterns: we do not use nudge techniques to encourage children to share more data
• Under-13 users: schools must ensure appropriate parental or guardian consent has been obtained before adding under-13 students to the platform

12. Cookies

We use essential cookies required for authentication and session management, and Google Analytics cookies only if you accept them on our cookie banner. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party marketing trackers. You can change your choice at any time via Cookie settings at the bottom of every page. See our Cookie Policy for details.

13. Changes to this policy

If we make significant changes, we will notify registered users by email at least 14 days before the changes take effect.

14. How to complain

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, please contact us first at [email protected] — we aim to resolve all complaints within 14 days.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or 0303 123 1113.

Ariel Education Ltd — Company No. 17141109 — Registered in England and Wales
Registered office: 32 Highclere Street, London, SE26 4EU
Last updated: 30 September 2026