Legitimate Interest Assessment
Last updated: 19 March 2026
This Legitimate Interest Assessment (LIA) documents our assessment under Article 6(1)(f) of the UK GDPR for processing personal data relating to notable alumni of schools listed on School Atlas.
1. Purpose of Processing
School Atlas displays the names and brief biographical details of notable alumni associated with schools. This helps parents and guardians understand the heritage, achievements, and educational outcomes associated with a school when making informed decisions about their children's education.
2. Data Processed
For each notable alumnus, we display:
- Full name
- Professional field (e.g. politics, sport, science, arts)
- Brief description of their notable achievement
- Approximate era of attendance (e.g. 2000s)
- Link to their Wikipedia article as a verifiable public source
We do not display contact details, current addresses, dates of birth, or any other personal information beyond what is already publicly available.
3. Necessity Test
Is this processing necessary for the stated purpose?
Yes. Notable alumni are a meaningful indicator of a school's history and the achievements of its former pupils. Parents frequently consider this information when evaluating schools. Without naming specific individuals and their achievements, this information would have no practical value.
Could we achieve the purpose with less data?
We have minimised the data to the essential elements: name, field, achievement, and a verification link. We do not include photographs, personal life details, or information unrelated to their public standing.
4. Balancing Test
Our Legitimate Interest
- Providing comprehensive, accurate school information to parents
- Helping parents make informed educational decisions for their children
- Presenting a complete picture of a school's history and reputation
Impact on Data Subjects
- All individuals listed are public figures with a reduced expectation of privacy regarding their public roles and achievements
- The information is already in the public domain (verified via Wikipedia and other public sources)
- The information relates to their professional/public life, not their private life
- Being listed as a notable alumnus of a school is generally regarded as positive and reputationally neutral or enhancing
- There is no financial, social, or other adverse consequence to the individual from being listed
Reasonable Expectations
Public figures whose school attendance is documented on Wikipedia and in other public sources would reasonably expect that this factual information might appear on educational reference websites.
Conclusion
The processing is proportionate. The legitimate interest in providing comprehensive school information to parents outweighs the minimal impact on data subjects, who are public figures with information already in the public domain.
5. Safeguards
We apply the following safeguards to protect data subjects:
- Public figures only — we only include individuals who are public figures with a Wikipedia article or equivalent verifiable public source
- Verification requirement — every alumni entry requires a Wikipedia URL for verification. Our data validation enforces this programmatically
- Data minimisation — we only display name, field, achievement, era, and verification link
- No sensitive data — we do not process special category data (political opinions, health, etc.)
- Right to object — any individual can request removal by contacting hello@schoolatlas.co.uk. We will honour removal requests promptly
- Regular review — we periodically review alumni listings to ensure they remain accurate and appropriate
6. Decision
Based on this assessment, we are satisfied that our legitimate interest in displaying notable alumni information provides a lawful basis for processing under Article 6(1)(f) of the UK GDPR. The processing is necessary, proportionate, and has adequate safeguards in place.
This assessment will be reviewed annually or when there is a material change in our processing activities.
7. Contact
If you have any questions about this assessment or wish to exercise your right to object, please contact us at hello@schoolatlas.co.uk.