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Vlog 5 - Urgent Work Happy Sunday! I’m really excited to share my latest VLOG series with you. Office Psychology is a short, practical series designed to help you understand why work becomes messy in the first place. This isn’t about learning more tools. It’s about understanding the behaviours behind everyday habits like inbox overload, unclear file names, overcomplicated slides, and constantly feeling busy but not productive. Each session focuses on one common workplace challenge and breaks down what’s really happening from a behavioural point of view. You’ll then be given simple, realistic steps you can apply straight away to make your work feel clearer, calmer, and easier to manage. These are quick (less than 5 mins), focused sessions that are easy to follow and designed to fit into your day without adding more overwhelm. You don’t need to implement everything at once. Start with one small shift and build from there. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEKS VLOG! This week: Why “urgent” feels productive Quick tasks give you a sense of progress. But they don’t always move things forward. This is where a lot of time disappears without real results. If you’re ready to pick up some smart tips and make Office feel simpler, just click through to watch the full video. And while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to my channel so you never miss the next training release. See you over on YouTube! Warm Regards Gemma

Vlog 4 - Overcomplicated Slides Happy Sunday! I’m really excited to share my latest VLOG series with you. Office Psychology is a short, practical series designed to help you understand why work becomes messy in the first place. This isn’t about learning more tools. It’s about understanding the behaviours behind everyday habits like inbox overload, unclear file names, overcomplicated slides, and constantly feeling busy but not productive. Each session focuses on one common workplace challenge and breaks down what’s really happening from a behavioural point of view. You’ll then be given simple, realistic steps you can apply straight away to make your work feel clearer, calmer, and easier to manage. These are quick (less than 5 mins), focused sessions that are easy to follow and designed to fit into your day without adding more overwhelm. You don’t need to implement everything at once. Start with one small shift and build from there. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEKS VLOG! This week: Why slides get overcomplicated We often think more detail = more value. But in reality, it makes things harder to understand. Simple shifts here can completely change how your work lands. If you’re ready to pick up some smart tips and make Office feel simpler, just click through to watch the full video. And while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to my channel so you never miss the next training release. See you over on YouTube! Warm Regards Gemma

Vlog 3 - Adding vs Simplifying Happy Sunday! I’m really excited to share my latest VLOG series with you. Office Psychology is a short, practical series designed to help you understand why work becomes messy in the first place. This isn’t about learning more tools. It’s about understanding the behaviours behind everyday habits like inbox overload, unclear file names, overcomplicated slides, and constantly feeling busy but not productive. Each session focuses on one common workplace challenge and breaks down what’s really happening from a behavioural point of view. You’ll then be given simple, realistic steps you can apply straight away to make your work feel clearer, calmer, and easier to manage. These are quick (less than 5 mins), focused sessions that are easy to follow and designed to fit into your day without adding more overwhelm. You don’t need to implement everything at once. Start with one small shift and build from there. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS WEEKS VLOG! This week: Why we add instead of simplify It’s not random - it’s how our brains are wired. Removing feels risky. Adding feels safe. But over time, that’s what creates clutter. If you’re ready to pick up some smart tips and make Office feel simpler, just click through to watch the full video. And while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to my channel so you never miss the next training release. See you over on YouTube! Warm Regards Gemma

Privacy Policy for Smart Skills Academy — how we collect, use and protect your personal data in line with UK GDPR. Your data rights and how to contact us. Privacy Policy Last updated 4th June 2026 Privacy Policy - the basics This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use, and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You. We use Your Personal Data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Interpretation and Definitions The words in this statement that have an initial letter that is capitalised have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural; Definitions For the purposes of this Privacy Policy: Account means a unique account created for You to access our Service or parts of our Service. Company (referred to as either "the Company," "We," "Us," or "Our" in this Agreement) refers to Smart Skills Academy. Cookies are small files that are placed on Your computer, mobile device, or any other device by a website, containing the details of Your browsing history on that website among its many uses. Country refers to: United Kingdom Device means any device that can access the Service such as a computer, a cellphone, or a digital tablet. Personal Data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual. Service refers to the Website. Service Provider means any natural or legal person who processes the data on behalf of the Company. It refers to third-party companies or individuals employed by the Company to facilitate the Service, to provide the Service on behalf of the Company, to perform services related to the Service, or to assist the Company in analysing how the Service is used. Usage Data refers to data collected automatically, either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself (for example, the duration of a page visit). Website refers to Smart Skills Academy, accessible from www.smartskillsacademy.net . You means the individual accessing or using the Service, or the company, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Service, as applicable. Collecting and Using Your Personal Data Personal Data While using Our Service, We may ask You to provide Us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify You. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to: Email address First name and last name Usage Data Usage Data Usage Data is collected automatically when using the Service. Usage Data may include information such as Your Device’s Internet Protocol address (e.g., IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that You visit, the time and date of Your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers, and other diagnostic data. When You access the Service by or through a mobile device, We may collect certain information automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device You use, Your mobile device unique ID, the IP address of Your mobile device, Your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser You use, unique device identifiers, and other diagnostic data. We may also collect information that Your browser sends whenever You visit our Service or when You access the Service by or through a mobile device. Tracking Technologies and Cookies We use Cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on Our Service and store certain information. Tracking technologies used include beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze Our Service. For more information about the cookies we use and your choices regarding cookies, please visit our Cookies Policy or the Cookies section of our Privacy Policy. Use of Your Personal Data The Company may use Personal Data for the following purposes: To provide and maintain our Service, including to monitor the usage of our Service. To manage Your Account: to manage Your registration as a user of the Service. To contact You: To contact You by email, telephone calls, SMS, or other equivalent forms of electronic communication regarding updates or informative communications related to the Service. To provide You with news, special offers, and general information about services and content related to Smart Skills Academy unless You have opted not to receive such information. To manage Your requests: To attend and manage Your requests to Us. For business transfers: We may use Your information in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of Our assets. For other purposes: We may use Your information for data analysis, identifying usage trends, determining the effectiveness of promotional campaigns, and improving our Service. Retention of Your Personal Data The Company will retain Your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use Your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies. Specific retention periods are: Account and profile information: Retained as long as the account is active. Usage data: Retained for analytical purposes, typically for a period of 24 months. Marketing data: Retained until You opt out. Transfer of Your Personal Data Your information, including Personal Data, is processed at the Company’s operating offices and in any other places where the parties involved in the processing are located. It means that this information may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of Your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from Your jurisdiction.Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by Your submission of such information represents Your agreement to that transfer.The Company will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of Your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of Your data and other personal information. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data (GDPR Compliance) We process your Personal Data under the following legal bases: Consent: You have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for a specific purpose. Contractual necessity: Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with You or to take steps at Your request before entering into a contract. Legal obligation: Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject. Legitimate interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided those interests do not override Your rights and freedoms. Your Rights Under GDPR You have the following rights under GDPR: Right to access – You can request a copy of the Personal Data we hold about You. Right to rectification – You can request that inaccurate or incomplete data be corrected. Right to erasure – You can request that we delete your Personal Data under certain conditions. Right to restrict processing – You can request that we limit the way we use Your data. Right to data portability – You can request that we transfer Your data to another organisation or directly to You. Right to object – You can object to the processing of Your Personal Data for certain purposes. To exercise these rights, please contact Us here. Disclosure of Your Personal Data Disclosure of Your Personal Data If the Company is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, Your Personal Data may be transferred. We will provide notice before Your Personal Data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy. Law Enforcement Under certain circumstances, the Company may be required to disclose Your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency). Other legal requirements The Company may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: Comply with a legal obligation Protect and defend the rights or property of the Company Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service Protect the personal safety of Users of the Service or the public Protect against legal liability Security of Your Personal Data The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While We strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect Your Personal Data, We cannot guarantee its absolute security. Children’s Privacy Our Service is designed for learners of all ages. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent. If you are under 13, please ensure a parent or guardian has reviewed and agreed to this policy before using the Service. If you are a parent or guardian and have any concerns about your child's use of the Service, please contact us. Links to Other Websites Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by Us. If You click on a third party link, You will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise You to review the Privacy Policy of every site You visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services Changes to this Privacy Policy We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. We will let You know via email and/or a prominent notice on Our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the “Last updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page. Data Breach Notification In the event of a data breach, We will notify affected users and relevant authorities as required by applicable law. Contact Us If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact Gemma directly here . Gemma Coles is the Data Controller. gemma@smartskillsacademy.net

Frequently asked questions about Smart Skills Academy courses — content, costs, certificates, refunds, devices, and more. Can't find your answer? Get in touch with Gemma directly. More Questions? Welcome to the 'More Questions' page! Here, I aim to provide you with all the information you need to decide if these training courses are right for you. Whether you're curious about course content, enrolment procedures, or technical support, you'll find answers to common enquiries here. If you don't see what you're looking for, feel free to reach out to Gemma directly via the 'Get in Touch ' form. Are these courses for me? Only you can really decide that, my advice is to have a good read through the site, including the other questions and answers in this section. If you have any remaining queries why not reach out; click here Do I need to sit a formal exam? With some of our courses there is an option to sit a formal exam, but the choice is entirely yours. If you chose to sit the additional formal exam we will provide the information you need to arrange your accredited exam. This will be done via a Microsoft centre and all associated costs will be additional and paid directly to them. Do I need a Microsoft License? Yes you do! You might be able to get this for free, as part of a college or university, or via your employer. There are various packages available on the Microsoft website and all have a free trial. You can check this out before you join the course; Microsoft 365 Plans Will you test my progress? At the end of the course we provide multiple choice exams which will assess your level of knowledge. You can use this for your own sense of achievement or to help prep for a formal exam. What payments types do you accept? Payments are taken via the Wix website payment portal. You can pay via paypal, bank or credit card. Does the course expire? No, once you have joined you can work through the course at your own pace. Can I take a test to see if the training is worthwhile for me? If you are unsure if you have the skills required why not purchase the ' Test Package' before you buy the course? This will give you an insight into your level of understanding prior to committing to the full test of the course. How do I know what is right for me? This is a great question and something I do get asked a lot. I have created a skills audit to help people understand which learning path might be right for them. Access the quizzes here . Do you offer a multiple course discount? Occasionally yes. These types of offers will be sent to your via subscription emails and posted on our social media pages so please do keep an eye out! What are the costs? If you head to the ' Courses' section you will see all the pricing details. Courses range from £25 to £149 I have subscribed to a plan - what do I need to do now? If you head to the 'Subscription' section you will see the next steps laid out for you. What's included in the course? The course is designed that you will be given everything you need. The documents included are detailed in the individual course sections; Click here. You will need a Microsoft licence but how to attain this is explained in the first video once you have joined. How long does the course take? Each course is a different length and of course some people need to practice more and watch the labs more than once. Each lab is between 5-15 minutes long. Can this course be completed on a phone? All the course content can be viewed on a phone but completing the tasks would be difficult due to the requirement to use the Microsoft suite on such a small screen. Do I need more than one device? Having multiple devices or multiple screens does make life easier, but the course can be done on one device, with you pausing the lab video and completing the steps along the way. Do I only get one choice for the final exam? The final multiple choice exam is set to allow you 3 attempts - you can do it! Will you add more courses? Yes absolutely! We have some ideas in the pipeline already so watch this space! What's the refund policy? We hope you are going to love your new course, but if for any reason you decide you would like a refund you can contact us to discuss the situation. The refund policy can be found here. Can I take each lesson more than once? Yes, the whole course will be available to you for as long and as you need. There is no limit to how many times you watch the labs or complete the worksheets. What are the different types of tests? Included as part of the course are multiple choice exams, to help assess your level of understanding. We then provide additional optional tests should you wish to get them. These are priced separately and can be purchased at any time from the 'Courses' page. Will this help me in my future career? Microsoft skills boost productivity and job prospects. Excel, Word, and PowerPoint help with data analysis, documents, and presentations - key in any career. These skills make candidates more competitive and open doors to new opportunities. Click here for statistics on how. Will I get a certificate? At the end of each course you have the option to sit a multiple choice timed exam. If you choose to sit the test, and get above the 70% pass rate you will be emailed a Certificate of Achievement! What happens once I join? You will get a welcome email and all the links you need including a participant log in. From here you can navigate to your ' Welcome ' page and access the course material. Will this help me get a job? Yes, there is lots of evidence that these skills will be attractive to employers. Click here for stats. Will this look good on my CV? Yes, there is lots of evidence that these skills will boost your CV. Click here for statistics on how. Are these classed as Essential Skills? Yes, using digital tools effectively, (including Microsoft) have been identified as part of the '20 Essential Digital Skills'. Click here for more information. Can you keep me up to date on new releases? Yes, you can subscribe to occasional news letters and emails, these will keep you up to date on new releases and updates from Gemma. Click here to complete the form or go to the 'Home' page. I work as a freelance digital nomad would these courses be good for me? Absolutely, these would be a perfect fit for your role requirements as well as your CV! So much so, we have a webpage designed specifically for you! Click here. Could this be something that works alongside my teenagers school education? Absolutely, these would be a great addition to any teenagers study portfolio, there is such a digital skills shortage in this age group I have created a webpage designed specifically! Click here. I home educate, could this work for my children? Absolutely, these would be a marvellous addition to any independent study portfolio, in fact they are such a good compliment I have created a webpage designed specifically for home educators! Click here. I am older and struggle with technology, would this be ok for me? Yes of course! You can watch the labs back as often as you need, pause etc and all the videos are plain english, no techy jargon used. I appreciate how daunting it might feel - Click here for more information.. I am a consultant, freelancer or Virtual Assistant - can these courses help me? 100% these courses will give you not only the skills you need for your business but also the credentials to add to your CV - Click here for more information. I am stepping into work for the first time or am looking to change careers - can you help? 100% these courses are designed to for every walk of life and are fabulous additions to your CV - Click here for more information. After I finish my course is there any ongoing support available? Yes absolutely - I want every learner to be able to continue implementing their skills and gaining more confidence. I have a FREE Skool Community available to all learners. Get more info here. I want to learn AI in a fun way - can you recommend anything? I absolutely can! I have created a free 7 day AI Challenge in my Skool Community, which encourages daily engagement for only 2-3 minutes a day - but its great fun! Find out more here.

Smart Skills Academy refund policy — how we handle refund requests for digital courses, technical issues, and exceptional circumstances. Contact Gemma to discuss your situation. Refund Policy Last Updated 4th June 2026 Thank you for choosing Smart Skills Academy for your online tutoring needs. We strive to provide high-quality educational services, but we understand that there may be circumstances where a refund is required. This policy outlines our approach to refunds in accordance with UK consumer protection laws. By completing your purchase you confirm you have consented to immediate access to digital content and have waived your statutory 14-day cancellation right in accordance with the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. Want a refund on your course? Due to the nature of digital content, refunds for pre-recorded courses, downloadable materials, and other digital products are generally not provided once access has been granted. However, if you experience technical issues preventing access to the content, please contact us within 14 days of purchase, and we will work to resolve the issue or offer a refund if a resolution is not possible. Exceptional Circumstances We understand that unexpected circumstances may arise. Refund requests due to extenuating situations (e.g., medical emergencies) will be considered on a case-by-case basis at our discretion. Proof of circumstances may be required. Please contact Gemma directly here . How to request a refund To request a refund, please contact Gemma directly here . Please include your name, purchase details, and the reason for your request. Refunds, if approved, will be processed within 7-10 business days to the original payment method. Changes to this policy We reserve the right to modify this refund policy at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting on our website. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. For any questions or concerns regarding our refund policy, please contact us here. One final thought.... Please note: this policy has been drafted in good faith to reflect current UK consumer protection law. For specific legal advice regarding your rights or our obligations, we recommend consulting a qualified solicitor.