This page sets out where the images on School Atlas come from, under what licence each category is used, and how to request removal.
1. School logos and crests
School logos are displayed on the school's profile page for the sole purpose of identifying the school that the page refers to. They are either:
- uploaded by the school itself via the institution portal after claiming the profile (in which case the school warrants it has the right to use the logo); or
- fetched from the school's own public website or from the DfE Get Information About Schools service.
Legal basis for use: most school names, crests, and logos are (or include elements that are) registered or unregistered trade marks of the school or its proprietor. We rely on honest practice in industrial or commercial matters(Trade Marks Act 1994, section 11) — specifically the nominative-use allowance that permits a third party to use a trade mark to identify the proprietor's own goods or services, provided the use does not imply endorsement or affiliation. We therefore:
- display the logo only on the profile page of the school it identifies;
- do not incorporate any school logo into School Atlas marketing, merchandise, or our own branding;
- display each logo in its original form at a modest size, without recolouring, distorting, or recomposing it;
- include a disclaimer, where relevant, that School Atlas is independent of and not endorsed by the school or any inspectorate.
Schools may request removal or replacement of their logo at any time — either via the portal or by writing to schools@schoolatlas.co.uk. Where a rights-holder objects, we remove the logo and fall back to a text-only treatment pending resolution.
2. School photos
Gallery photos on a school profile are uploaded by the school itself via the Starter or Premium tier of the institution portal. Schools warrant that they own or have licence to use the photos and that any identifiable pupils or staff have given appropriate consent.
School Atlas does not independently collect photos of school premises or pupils. If you believe a photo on a school profile should not be displayed, write to schools@schoolatlas.co.uk or legal@schoolatlas.co.uk.
3. Notable alumni and historical figures
Where we display a portrait alongside a notable alumnus or historical figure, the image is sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Commons is a repository of freely licensed media; licences are set per file by the uploader and vary (Public Domain, CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA, GFDL, or a combination). We therefore:
- check the licence tag on each individual file before use;
- credit the author, link to the original file page, and name the licence (including version) adjacent to the image, as required by the CC attribution and ShareAlike clauses;
- do not use files tagged “fair use”, “non-commercial only”, or with no clear licence;
- preserve — not strip — any copyright notice embedded in the file.
Living individuals may object to the use of their likeness at any time by writing to legal@schoolatlas.co.uk. We will remove the image promptly on request without requiring justification. The alumnus's name and schooling information may remain if it is independently verifiable in public sources.
4. Editorial and guide imagery
Images in guides, blog posts, and marketing surfaces are either original artwork, licensed stock (Unsplash, Pexels, or paid licences), or Wikimedia Commons files. We retain licence documentation internally and credit creators where the licence requires it.
Stock imagery of people on school pages. We do not use stock photographs of identifiable children, teachers, or adults in any way that would imply those individuals are associated with the specific school shown. Where a generic classroom, school-building, or campus image is used for decorative purposes, it is an uncaptioned illustrative image and is clearly not presented as a photograph of the named school. Where possible we prefer images without identifiable people.
5. Official data and badges
Inspection badges, rating indicators, and other visual elements derived from Ofsted, ISI, Estyn, Education Scotland, and ETI material are our own renderingof public data (rating, date, category). We do not reproduce the inspectorates' own graphics or reports. Official inspection reports remain the copyright of the issuing body and are linked, not reproduced. The phrase “Ofsted rating” and similar refer factually to the rating awarded by the inspectorate; neither the School Atlas badge nor the label implies endorsement by Ofsted, ISI, Estyn, Education Scotland, or ETI. See our Data Sources page for full attribution.
6. User avatars
Parent accounts do not display public avatars. Reviews are published without the reviewer's name or picture.
7. Takedown and correction
To request removal or replacement of any image on School Atlas:
- School logos / photos:the school's verified owner can change them in the portal, or email schools@schoolatlas.co.uk.
- Alumni portraits: legal@schoolatlas.co.uk.
- Any other image: legal@schoolatlas.co.uk.
We acknowledge image takedown requests within 48 hours and aim to action verifiable requests within 7 days. Where a rightsholder asserts infringement, we will remove the image pending resolution.
8. Contact
General queries about licensing: legal@schoolatlas.co.uk.