Legal

Privacy & Cookie Policy

Plain English, no small print games. Here is exactly what we collect, why, and what you can do about it.

Last updated: 3 August 2026
Site: russianteacher.org
Data controller: Marina Fountain, Bromley, London, United Kingdom
Contact: [email protected]

1. Who we are

RussianTeacher.org is the website of Marina Fountain, a private Russian language tutor based in Bromley, London. For the purposes of UK data protection law, Marina Fountain is the data controller for personal information collected through this site.

This policy explains how we handle personal data on this website. It applies to the website only — if you become a tuition student, lesson arrangements are covered by the terms we agree with you directly.

2. What information we collect

Information you give us

If you use the contact form or email us, we receive whatever you choose to send — typically your name, email address, telephone number if you provide one, and the content of your enquiry (for example the level you're studying at, or which exam you're preparing for).

Information collected automatically

Like virtually every website, our hosting provider and advertising partners automatically receive certain technical information when you visit:

  • IP address (used to approximate your general location, such as country)
  • Browser type and version, and operating system
  • Device type and screen size
  • Pages viewed, time spent on them and the referring website
  • Date and time of your visit

Information we do not collect

We do not take payments through this website, so we hold no card or bank details. We do not ask for or store your date of birth, address or any special category data (such as health or ethnicity) through the site.

3. Why we process it, and our lawful basis

  • To answer your enquiry and arrange lessons — lawful basis: legitimate interests, and the performance of a contract where you go on to become a student.
  • To keep the website secure and working — lawful basis: legitimate interests.
  • To show advertising, including personalised advertising — lawful basis: your consent, given through our cookie banner. You may withdraw it at any time.
  • To meet legal obligations — lawful basis: legal obligation.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not add you to a marketing mailing list without asking you first.

4. Cookies and similar technologies

A cookie is a small text file placed on your device by a website. We group them as follows.

Strictly necessary

These make the site function and remember the choice you made in the cookie banner. We store your consent decision locally in your browser so we don't have to ask on every page. These are set without consent because the site cannot sensibly work without them.

Advertising cookies

These are only set if you press "Accept all". Until you do, our advertising provider's script is not loaded at all — we hold it back rather than loading it and asking afterwards. If you choose "Reject non-essential", advertising cookies are not set and the site works exactly as well.

Managing cookies

You can change your mind at any time:

  • Use the button below to clear your stored choice and see the banner again.
  • Delete or block cookies in your browser settings — every major browser allows this.
  • Manage Google's advertising settings directly at myadcenter.google.com.

5. Advertising and Google AdSense

This website carries advertising to help cover the cost of producing free learning resources. The following disclosures are made in line with Google's requirements for AdSense publishers.

  • Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve adverts based on your prior visits to this website or other websites.
  • Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve adverts to you based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
  • You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. Alternatively you can opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalised advertising at aboutads.info or youronlinechoices.com.
  • Third-party vendors and ad networks other than Google may also serve adverts on this site. Where they do, they may use their own cookies subject to their own policies.
  • Google may use the DoubleClick DART cookie to serve adverts based on your visits to this and other sites. You can opt out of the DART cookie via the Google advertising policies page.

We implement Google Consent Mode with all advertising and analytics storage set to "denied" by default. Nothing is granted until you actively consent, which is what UK and EU law requires. Google's own handling of data is governed by the Google Privacy Policy.

Advertising is served automatically. Marina Fountain does not choose, endorse or vouch for the individual adverts you see, and their appearance is not a recommendation.

6. Third parties and data sharing

We keep third parties to a deliberate minimum. Those we do use:

  • Cloudflare — website hosting and delivery. Processes technical data such as IP addresses to serve pages and protect against attacks.
  • Google AdSense — advertising, loaded only after you consent.
  • Google Fonts — typefaces used for the site's appearance.
  • Email provider — to receive and reply to your enquiries.

Some of these providers are based outside the UK, which can mean your data is transferred internationally. Where that happens, transfers are covered by appropriate safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Addendum or the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.

7. How long we keep information

  • Enquiries that don't lead to lessons — kept for up to 12 months, then deleted.
  • Student correspondence — kept for the duration of tuition and for a reasonable period afterwards, in case you return.
  • Your cookie choice — stored in your browser until you clear it or clear your browser data.
  • Advertising data held by Google — governed by Google's own retention periods, not ours.

8. Your rights under UK GDPR

You have the right to:

  • Be informed about how your data is used — this policy.
  • Access a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Rectification — have inaccurate data corrected.
  • Erasure — ask us to delete your data ('the right to be forgotten').
  • Restrict processing in certain circumstances.
  • Data portability — receive your data in a transferable format.
  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
  • Withdraw consent at any time, as easily as you gave it.

To exercise any of these, email [email protected]. We'll respond within one month, and it costs you nothing.

9. Children's privacy

Marina teaches children from the age of seven, and we're careful here. This website is not designed for children to use unsupervised, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children through it. Enquiries about a child's tuition should be made by a parent or guardian. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

10. Security

The site is served over HTTPS, so traffic between your browser and the site is encrypted. Enquiry correspondence is held in a password-protected email account. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable and proportionate care of what you send us.

11. Changes to this policy

If we change this policy we'll update the date at the top of the page. Material changes affecting how we use your data will be flagged clearly, and where consent is required we'll ask again rather than assume.

12. How to contact us or complain

Questions, requests or complaints about privacy: [email protected], or write to Marina Fountain, Bromley, London.

We'd genuinely rather sort out any concern directly. But you also have the right to complain to the UK's data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office, at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.