EDUCATION DATA / COMPLIANCE
GDPR & PECR Compliance
See how we manage our education database and maintain GDPR and PECR compliance to support and ensure safe, effective marketing to schools.
Why GDPR and PECR cause confusion
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) can be tricky to navigate, especially when marketing to schools.
Schools are risk-averse, compliance-aware, and increasingly sensitive to how they are contacted. That’s why you need to make sure you’re contacting teachers for the right reasons, managing and using their data correctly, and including all the right legal components in your campaigns.
Our approach to GDPR and PECR compliance
GDPR and PECR in education marketing essentially mean making sure you’re always processing education data lawfully, sending campaigns that are relevant to teachers and that include an option to opt out. Our approach to GDPR and PECR is designed to give our clients confidence that their campaigns are:
Legally compliant
Compliant with UK data protection and email regulations
Appropriate
Proportionate and appropriate for the education sector
Risk-aware
Structured to minimise brand and regulatory risk
GDPR: Our practical approach
We take a commercially realistic, education-focused approach to GDPR. Rather than treating GDPR as a tick-box exercise, we apply it in a way that protects our clients from unnecessary risk, supports legitimate B2B marketing activity and respects the expectations of schools and education professionals.
Buzz Education acts as a data controller for the data we process as part of our services and operates in line with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.
What this means for our clients
In practice, this means we ensure data used in campaigns is:
- Processed lawfully and transparently
- Relevant to education roles and contexts
- Limited to what is genuinely needed for campaign delivery
- Handled securely and reviewed regularly
This approach helps suppliers demonstrate responsible data use if challenged internally or externally.
Where our campaign data comes from
To give suppliers confidence in the provenance and appropriate use of data, we work with a defined and controlled set of sources.
Data used within campaigns may come from:
Information provided directly by individuals through enquiries, downloads, or registrations
Engagement with marketing communications (such as opens or clicks)
Publicly available education-sector sources and reputable third-party providers
Client-supplied data, where we support campaign delivery
We do not rely on scraped or indiscriminate data sources, and all data handling aligns with our Privacy Policy.
PECR: How we run compliant email marketing
All email marketing activity delivered by Buzz Education is conducted in line with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Our services operate on a business-to-business (B2B) basis only and are focused entirely on education settings. Email marketing to schools falls under B2B marketing for schools are classed as corporate subscribers.
Our campaigns are structured so that:
- emails are sent to schools and education professionals at professional work email addresses
- content is relevant to the recipient’s role within an education setting
- the sender is clearly identified
- every email includes a clear and easy opt-out mechanism
- opt-outs and objections are actioned promptly and centrally
This ensures campaigns remain compliant without placing additional operational burden on our clients.
Opportunity Leads and engagement data
Some campaigns involve analysing engagement signals, such as email opens or clicks. These signals may be used to identify Opportunity Leads.
Opportunity Leads are any teachers who engaged with your campaign by opening or clicking, or both. As these teachers expressed an interest in your campaign through engaging, we recommend sending relevant, timely follow-up campaigns to them. If any teachers request to unsubscribe from your follow-up campaigns, we make sure to action these immediately.
This approach allows suppliers to benefit from engagement insight without taking on unnecessary data or compliance risk.
Managing compliance on your behalf
To reduce risk for our clients, we manage:
- opt-outs and suppression centrally
- objections and data-related enquiries
- data retention and access controls
As a result, suppliers can focus on campaign performance, confident that compliance considerations are being handled appropriately.
We’re upfront about what responsible marketing looks like – and what it doesn’t.
Compliance without compromise
GDPR shouldn’t be a barrier to your education marketing, it’s just in place to make sure your audiences’ data is treated carefully and respectfully at all times. We work exclusively with education suppliers marketing to schools and trusts. With that comes a high bar for compliance, reputation management, and trust. But by implementing clear processes, following them at all times and regularly reviewing GDPR and PECR legislation, we ensure all our client campaigns are compliant at all times.
If you’d like to discuss how our compliance approach supports your specific marketing objectives, get in touch.
info@buzz-education.com
For full legal detail, please see our:
Our privacy policy relates to how we manage the personal data of our website visitors and service users.
Take a look at these terms and conditions to see exactly how our services work and what to expect.
GDPR & PECR Compliance FAQs
Is Buzz Education GDPR compliant?
Yes. We operate in line with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018, applying a proportionate, education-sector-specific approach to data use.
Is your email marketing PECR compliant?
Yes. All email marketing is delivered on a B2B basis, includes clear sender identification and opt-out mechanisms, and is relevant to recipients’ professional roles.
How are campaign opt-outs managed?
All opt-outs are processed promptly and centrally. Every campaign email includes a clear and simple unsubscribe mechanism. If a teacher objects to receiving further communications, that preference is recorded and respected across future campaigns.
What are “Opportunity Leads” and are they compliant?
Opportunity Leads are education professionals who have engaged with a campaign by opening or clicking an email. Engagement signals can indicate interest, allowing for relevant and timely follow-up communications. Any further contact continues to include opt-out options, and unsubscribe requests are actioned immediately.