Parent/Guardian Email Template

Some schools like to tell parents and guardians directly when they start using new AI software. There's no obligation to do so, as Top Marks operates as a data processor acting on your instructions, and the lawful basis for processing student work sits with you as the school. However, many find that a short, clear letter heads off questions before they arise and reassures those at home about how their child's work is handled.

If it would help to have a colleague on our side look over your version before it goes out, ask us on live chat and we're happy to read it through.

Subject: Important Information About a New Assessment Tool for Students

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are writing to let you know about a new tool we will be using to support your child’s learning at [School Name].

As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the quality of feedback and assessment, our school will begin using Top Marks, a secure online platform that helps teachers mark essays and exams more quickly and consistently. This will give teachers more time to focus on supporting students and providing individualised feedback.

To use Top Marks, some basic information about your child will be shared with the system, such as their name, class, and the work they submit for marking. The privacy and safety of your child’s data are our highest priority.

Here are the key things you should know:

• All data is stored securely on servers located in the EU, in full compliance with UK and EU data protection laws (including GDPR).
• Top Marks does not use student data to train any AIs
• Top Marks does not sell or share personal data for marketing purposes.
• Any essay or exam content is anonymised before being processed by artificial intelligence, meaning it cannot be linked back to an individual student.
• Only authorised school staff and a small number of Top Marks staff (for troubleshooting) can access identifiable information, and this is strictly controlled.
• If you wish, you have the right to request access to, or deletion of, your child’s data.

We believe this tool will be a valuable addition to our teaching and assessment process, helping us provide faster, fairer, and more personalised feedback for our students.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [School Contact Email] or Top Marks directly at info@topmarks.ai

Thank you for your continued support as we work to provide the best possible learning experience for your child.

Kind regards,

[Headteacher's Name]

Headteacher

[School Name]