Privacy Policy

1. Who operates SchoolPlaces.ie

SchoolPlaces.ie is operated by Paolo Ighina, sole trader, trading under the registered business name SchoolPlaces, in Ireland. Paolo Ighina is the data controller for personal data processed through the SchoolPlaces service, except where another party acts as an independent controller. For privacy enquiries or to exercise your rights, contact hello@schoolplaces.ie. A business postal contact address should also be made available as required by applicable law.

2. What information we collect

Business partnership enquiries: when an organisation applies to become a Business Partner, we collect its organisation name, contact person's email address, telephone number, optional website, proposal and related correspondence. Please do not include unnecessary sensitive personal data in a proposal.

Surveys and feedback: where available, we may collect satisfaction ratings, comments, respondent category (parent or provider), submission date and information needed to prevent duplicate submissions or abuse. We may publish aggregated ratings and review counts; any publication of identifiable comments is subject to the information and choices presented when submitted.

Parents: name, email address, optional telephone number, childcare and school search preferences, preferred location, child age or age range, requested start date, ECCE/NCS preferences, enquiries, communication preferences and, where relevant, records of matches, alerts, introductions, purchases and support conversations. We may record when consent was given and when notification preferences change.

Providers: business and contact details, login information, services offered, areas served, age groups, availability status and update dates, enquiry responses, matching history, subscriptions, payments, reviews and customer-support correspondence. Passwords and access credentials are used to secure accounts and are not published as directory information.

Website and app use: search and interaction events, session identifiers, device/browser data, approximate location derived from technical information, IP addresses, error logs, referring sources and campaign attribution where available. See our Cookie Notice.

3. How we use information

We also use relevant information to assess and respond to Business Partner proposals, administer commercial visibility and advertising arrangements, measure logo or listing interactions where implemented, and collect and analyse optional satisfaction feedback. Sending a partnership enquiry does not automatically enrol the sender in unrelated promotional mailing lists.

• To provide school and childcare search, compatibility information, matching, availability alerts, provider introductions and support.
• To notify parents about compatible provider availability, and providers about relevant parent matches and service-related updates.
• To enable eligible Featured or Premium provider services, including introductions and controlled access to relevant parent leads.
• To administer provider accounts, availability updates, payments, purchases and subscriptions.
• To prevent misuse, investigate errors, maintain security, analyse aggregate platform performance and improve services.
• To meet applicable legal, tax and accounting obligations.

4. Parent and provider contact sharing

The free matching and availability-alert service includes opportunities for relevant parents and childcare providers to connect. Where a parent signs up to this service and agrees to its contact-sharing terms, SchoolPlaces may make their relevant contact details and search requirements available to matching providers through eligible Premium services, lead-unlock features or introductions. Such providers may contact the parent directly about potential places. SchoolPlaces may also introduce a parent to a provider at no charge to the parent where the provider's service includes an introduction.

Matching Featured Providers may make their business contact details accessible to parents free of charge when a parent shares their interest and contact details. Provider business details, contact information and availability may be displayed or shared with interested matching parents in connection with the provider's participation and choices.

Contact-sharing is intended for childcare enquiries and compatible opportunities, not for unrelated marketing. A match, an availability update or a provider introduction does not guarantee that a place remains available or will be offered.

5. Notifications and communications

Email is used for service messages and availability or match alerts. A mobile number and WhatsApp alerts are optional where offered. If you opt in to WhatsApp notifications or contact us through WhatsApp, relevant contact details and message content may be handled using Meta's WhatsApp Business services. You may opt out of optional notifications or ask us to stop processing consent-based communications by contacting us or using available unsubscribe controls. Withdrawal does not affect processing already lawfully carried out.

6. Legal bases

Business partnership enquiries are handled to take steps requested before a possible agreement and, where appropriate, for legitimate interests in reviewing genuine commercial enquiries and maintaining correspondence. Optional satisfaction surveys may rely on consent or legitimate interests depending on how a particular survey is presented; any separate publication or marketing use will be assessed on its own basis.

Depending on the activity, we process personal data to provide the service you request or to take steps you request before using it (contract), based on your consent where we ask for it (including specified contact-sharing and optional communications), for legitimate interests such as platform security and service improvement where those interests are not overridden by your rights, and to comply with legal obligations. Consent is not used as a blanket legal basis for every activity. Any optional promotional communication is subject to applicable electronic marketing rules.

7. Payments and third parties

We may use an email delivery service (including Resend where configured) to route partnership enquiries to our team. Business Partner logos may link to independent third-party websites; those websites process visitor information under their own notices. Payment records may include transaction references, invoice or receipt information, subscription and renewal dates and status, but not necessarily full card details.

Payments for parent or provider services may be processed through third-party checkout providers, including Revolut where offered. SchoolPlaces does not need to store full payment card details to provide its services. Operational service providers may include hosting and databases, email delivery, WhatsApp Business services, payment processing, analytics and advertising attribution, and support tools. We share only information reasonably needed for their roles or for the matching services described above.

8. Analytics, cookies and international processing

Operational analytics may include aggregate search demand, provider profile or featured-banner impressions, click events, recent availability confirmations and update dates, where those events are actually recorded. This description does not mean that all listed analytics are active or that consent-required tracking is enabled without consent.

We use service analytics to understand searches, matching outcomes, alert sign-ups, website performance and campaign effectiveness. Some measurement may be performed through server logs or event records without placing an analytics cookie. Other technologies may require consent under Irish rules. If personal information is processed outside the EEA, appropriate safeguards are required where applicable. See the Cookie Notice for details and limitations of the current consent banner.

9. Retention and security

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for its purposes, considering the life of an account or enquiry, applicable accounting and tax obligations, security, complaints, legal claims and any valid deletion request. Different categories may require different periods. Partnership enquiries and survey responses are reviewed for ongoing relevance; information that is no longer needed should be deleted or anonymised. We use reasonable organisational and technical safeguards, although no online service is risk-free. Specific operational retention periods must be confirmed against the live database and internal deletion processes; this notice does not assert an unverified fixed retention schedule.

10. Your choices and rights

Subject to applicable law, you can request access, correction, deletion, restriction, portability or object to certain processing, and you can withdraw consent where consent is relied on. Contact hello@schoolplaces.ie. You may also complain to the Irish Data Protection Commission at dataprotection.ie.

11. Children's information

The platform is intended for adults researching childcare or school places. Parents may provide limited information about a child's age and childcare needs for matching; we do not require children to create their own accounts. Please avoid submitting unnecessary sensitive information about children through general forms or chat.

12. Changes

We may update this notice to reflect service or legal changes. Material changes will be communicated where legally required.

Last updated: 16 October 2026