Privacy Policy
How Horizon Experiential World School collects, uses, and protects the personal information of families, students, and visitors to our website.
01 — Who We Are
Horizon Experiential World School (HEWS) is an international school located at Sy. 371 NO, Velmala, Hyderabad, Telangana, 501203, India. We operate the website www.hews.org and all related digital channels including admissions portals and social media pages.
HEWS is the data controller responsible for the personal information collected through our website, admissions process, and school operations. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and how we protect it.
02 — Information We Collect
We collect personal information in the following ways:
Information you provide directly:
• Name, email address, and phone number submitted via enquiry or contact forms
• Parent/guardian details and student information submitted during the admissions process
• Information shared when booking a campus visit or applying online
• Messages or queries sent to us via WhatsApp, email, or phone
• Feedback, surveys, or event registration details you submit voluntarily
Information collected automatically:
• IP address, browser type, device type, and operating system
• Pages visited on our website, time spent, and referring URLs
• Cookies and analytics data (see Section 06)
03 — How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
• Processing and responding to enquiries, campus visit requests, and admission applications
• Communicating about school programmes, events, and academic updates
• Managing the admissions process from application through enrolment
• Sending newsletters, school news, and promotional information (where you have given consent)
• Improving our website and digital communication based on usage data
• Complying with legal obligations applicable to educational institutions in India
Legal basis: We process your data based on your consent (e.g., contact form submissions), the performance of a contract (e.g., the admissions process), legitimate interests (e.g., website analytics), and compliance with legal obligations.
04 — Children’s Privacy
HEWS takes children’s privacy very seriously. Our website and digital services are directed at parents and guardians, not at children directly. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 18 without verifiable parental or guardian consent.
Student data collected during the admissions and enrolment process (including academic records, medical information shared for welfare purposes, and photographs taken on campus) is handled under a separate School Data Protection Policy provided to parents at the time of enrolment.
Parent notice: If you believe your child has submitted personal information to us without your consent, please contact us immediately at hello@hews.org and we will take prompt steps to remove that information.
05 — Sharing Your Information
HEWS does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:
• Service providers: Third-party tools and platforms we use to operate the website and admissions process (e.g., CRM software, email providers, analytics tools), bound by confidentiality agreements
• Academic accreditation bodies: Where required by our curriculum affiliations (Finnish National Agency for Education; future IB Organisation oversight)
• Legal and regulatory authorities: Where we are required by law, court order, or regulatory authority to disclose information
• School staff: Relevant staff members who need access to your information to process admissions or communicate with your family
All third-party service providers are required to handle your data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
06 — Cookies & Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience and analyse site usage. We use the following types:
• Essential cookies: Necessary for the website to function correctly. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: We use Google Analytics (via Google Tag Manager) to understand how visitors interact with our website. This data is aggregated and anonymised.
• Marketing and retargeting cookies: We may use Meta Pixel and similar tools to show relevant advertisements on social media platforms to users who have visited our site.
• WhatsApp chat widget: Our live chat feature connects directly to WhatsApp; your conversation is subject to WhatsApp’s own privacy policy.
You may control or disable non-essential cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of our website.
07 — Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. Our website is served over HTTPS, and access to personal data within our systems is restricted to authorised personnel only.
While we work diligently to safeguard your data, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but will notify affected parties promptly in the event of a data breach that poses a risk to personal rights and freedoms.
08 — Your Rights
Subject to applicable Indian data protection laws (including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023), you have the right to:
• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request erasure of your personal data, where there is no overriding legal basis for us to retain it
• Withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time
• Object to processing carried out on the basis of legitimate interests
• Raise a complaint with the relevant data protection authority
To exercise any of these rights, please write to us at hello@hews.org. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request.
09 — Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as it is necessary to fulfil the purposes set out in this policy, or as required by law:
• Enquiry data (non-enrolled families): up to 24 months from last contact
• Admissions data (unsuccessful applications): up to 12 months after the relevant academic year
• Enrolled student data: retained for the duration of enrolment and for a period thereafter as required by applicable education and records laws
• Marketing consent data: until you withdraw consent
After the applicable retention period, data is securely deleted or anonymised.
10 — Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal data, please reach out to us through any of the channels below.
General Enquiries: hello@hews.org
Admissions: admissions@hews.org
Phone: +91 7661 040 040
School Address: Sy. 371 NO, Velmala, Hyderabad, Telangana, 501203
This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically. Any significant changes will be communicated via our website. Continued use of our website following an update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.
