Who we are
Suggested text: Our website address is: http://www.skills4wheels.com
We are Skills4Wheels Driving School, a UK-based driving instruction business operating in and around Weston-super-Mare.
You can contact us via email at info@skills4wheels.com or use the contact form on our website.
What Personal Data We Collect and Why
Comments
When visitors leave comments, we collect the data shown in the comment form, the visitor’s IP address, and browser user agent string to help spam detection.
An anonymised hash of your email address may be provided to the Gravatar service to display your profile picture. Gravatar Privacy Policy.
Contact Forms
When you contact us via a form on our site, we collect the data you provide (e.g., name, email address, phone number, and message content). This information is used solely to respond to your query or manage bookings. We do not use this information for marketing unless you opt in.
Students & Lesson Management
If you become a student with Skills4Wheels, we collect and store your contact details to provide driving lessons, manage bookings, and deliver essential updates about your progress, schedule, and test preparation.
Media
If you upload images to the website, avoid images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) as others may be able to extract this data.
Cookies
When leaving a comment, you may opt to save your name, email, and website in cookies for convenience. These last for one year.
A temporary cookie is set when visiting the login page to check browser compatibility. It contains no personal data and is deleted when you close your browser.
Login cookies last two days (or two weeks if “Remember Me” is selected), and screen option cookies last one year.
When editing or publishing an article, a cookie with the post ID is stored and expires after one day.
You can manage cookie preferences in your browser settings.
Analytics
We may use Google Analytics or similar tools to track general website usage to improve user experience. This data is anonymous and does not identify individual users. You can opt out via Google’s opt-out tool.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g., YouTube videos or Google Maps). Embedded content behaves exactly as if you visited the external site and may collect your data, use cookies, or track your interaction. We recommend reviewing their respective privacy policies.
Email Communications & Mailing Lists
If you become a student with Skills4Wheels, we will use your contact details to provide essential lesson-related communications (e.g., scheduling, reminders, progress updates).
We may also add you to our mailing list so we can occasionally send you driving tips, resources, or offers that support your learning. These emails are sent via our email providers (MailerLite and Jetpack) and always include an option to unsubscribe.
If you contact us via a form or booking system and choose to opt in, we will also use your details to send you newsletters, blog updates, or offers.
You can unsubscribe from non-essential communications at any time by clicking the link in our emails or by contacting us at info@skills4wheels.com.
Who we share your data with
We do not sell or trade your personal data.
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service (e.g., Akismet).
How long we retain your data
Comments and their metadata are retained indefinitely so future comments can be recognised and approved automatically.
For registered users (if any), personal information in profiles is stored indefinitely. Users can view, edit, or delete their data anytime (except username changes).
Student data is retained for as long as you are an active pupil and for a reasonable period afterwards, unless we are required to keep it for legal or administrative reasons.
What rights you have over your data
You have the right to:
- Know why your personal data is needed, what will happen to it, and how long it will be retained.
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Request correction or deletion of your personal data.
- Withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent).
- Request transfer of your data to another provider.
- Object to the processing of your data in certain circumstances.
To exercise these rights, please email info@skills4wheels.com.
Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data
We process your personal data under the following lawful bases:
Legal Obligation – to comply with UK law (e.g., tax/accounting requirements).
Contract – to deliver driving lessons and manage your student account.
Legitimate Interest – to send essential service updates and improve our services.
Consent – for newsletters, tips, and marketing emails (you can withdraw consent anytime).
Data Processors We Use
To deliver our services, we use trusted third-party providers (“data processors”) who handle personal data on our behalf. These providers only process data as needed to provide their services and are bound by GDPR-compliant terms.
The main processors we use are:
- Krystal Hosting Ltd. – website hosting and email services.
- MailerLite – email marketing and automation services.
- Jetpack (Automattic Inc.) – website functionality and blog email delivery.
- TotalDrive – driving lesson booking and student management platform.
- Google Analytics – anonymised website usage statistics.
- Complianz – cookie consent management tool.
- Akismet (Automattic Inc.) – spam detection for comments and forms.
We may add or change processors from time to time. Any such updates will be reflected in this Privacy Policy.
Where your data is sent
Visitor comments may be scanned by automated spam detection services.
Our website is hosted on UK-based or GDPR-compliant servers to protect your data.
Updates to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy occasionally. Any changes will be posted on this page with the “Last updated” date.
Last updated: September 2025
