Privacy Policy

1. Purpose of the Platform

The platform is used by authorised preschool staff to record, monitor, and evaluate the development and progress of students.

In addition to assessment features, the system includes school administration tools that support classroom and staff management.

The platform assists with:

• Recording student developmental assessments and observations
• Tracking student progress and learning outcomes
• Managing classroom attendance
• Recording student safety information such as allergies
• Recording accident and incident reports
• Managing staff information and qualifications
• Recording staff attendance and leave
• Maintaining emergency contact information
• Supporting communication with parents or guardians

Information entered into the system is used strictly for educational assessment, classroom management, safety documentation, and school administration purposes.

2. Information We Collect

The platform collects personal information necessary to operate the assessment and school administration system.

Staff Information

The system may collect the following information about staff members:

• First name and last name
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Identification number
• Email address
• Phone number
• Home address
• Staff qualifications
• Staff attendance records
• Staff leave records
• Emergency contact information

This information is used to manage staff records, qualifications, attendance, and administrative processes.

Student Information

The system may collect the following information about students:

• First name and last name
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Class assignment
• Home language
• Student photos
• Attendance records
• Medical information such as allergies or medical notes
• Allergy severity information
• General student notes
• Student developmental assessments and progress records

This information is used to support educational assessment, student development tracking, classroom administration, and student safety.

Parent and Guardian Information

The system may collect contact details for parents or guardians. This may include:

• Parent or guardian first name and last name
• Relationship to the student
• Email address
• Phone number

This information is used for communication between the school and families.

Emergency Contact Information

Emergency contact information may be collected for both staff and students to support safety and emergency response procedures. This may include:

• Emergency contact name
• Emergency contact phone number
• Relationship to the individual

Emergency contact information is used only in situations where urgent communication is required.

When providing emergency contact information, staff members confirm that they have obtained permission from the individual listed as the emergency contact for their information to be recorded and used for emergency purposes.

Emergency contact details are accessible only to authorised school staff responsible for safety and administrative management.

3. Student Assessments and Progress Tracking

The platform allows authorised staff to record observations, assessments, and progress information relating to student development. Assessment information may include:

• Developmental observations
• Learning progress records
• Assessment notes
• Classroom participation records
• Educator comments and feedback

Assessment data is used by educators to monitor development and support educational planning for students.

4. Photos

The system may store photographs of students or staff for identification and educational record purposes within the school administration system.

Photos are accessible only to authorised users of the platform and are not shared publicly.

5. Photo Consent for Students

Where student photographs are used, the school may request consent from a parent or legal guardian before the photo is uploaded or used within the platform.

Parents or guardians may provide or withdraw consent for the use of a student's photograph through the parent portal or by contacting the school.

Student photos are used only for internal school administration and educational purposes and are accessible only to authorised users of the platform.

Student photographs are not used for advertising, marketing, or public distribution without appropriate consent.

6. Attendance Records

The platform may record attendance information for both staff and students. Attendance records may include:

• Attendance status (present or absent)
• Attendance dates
• Time records where applicable

These records support operational and administrative management within the school.

7. Staff Leave Records

The system may store staff leave information including:

• Leave dates
• Leave type
• Leave balances
• Leave approvals

This information is used for staff administration and scheduling purposes.

8. Medical Information

Student records may include medical or allergy-related information provided by parents or guardians.

This information is used solely to support student health and safety within the school environment.

Medical information is treated as sensitive personal information and access is restricted to authorised staff.

9. Accident and Incident Reports

The platform may allow authorised staff to record accident or incident reports relating to staff members or students. These reports may include information such as:

• Name of the staff member or student involved
• Date and time of the incident
• Location of the incident
• Description of the incident
• Details of injuries where applicable
• Actions taken following the incident
• Witness information
• Supporting notes or photos where relevant

Accident and incident reports are recorded to support student and staff safety, regulatory compliance, and school administration.

Access to accident reports is restricted to authorised school staff and administrators responsible for managing safety and incident records.

Accident and incident records may contain sensitive safety or health information and are treated with strict confidentiality.

10. Voice Notes and AI-Assisted Observations

The platform may allow educators to record voice notes when documenting classroom observations or student development.

Voice notes may be used to assist educators in capturing observations quickly during classroom activities.

Voice recordings may be processed to generate written observation notes or comments using automated transcription or artificial intelligence technologies.

These technologies are used only to assist educators in documenting observations more efficiently.

Where voice notes are used:

• Recordings may be converted into text
• Educators may review and edit generated text before saving records
• Voice recordings and generated notes remain accessible only to authorised users

Voice recordings and generated text are used solely for educational documentation and classroom administration.

Artificial intelligence tools are used only as assistance tools. Final educational records remain under the control and review of authorised school staff.

11. Payments and Subscriptions

The platform may require subscription payments to access certain services.

Payments are processed securely through the third-party payment provider PayFast.

When making a payment, users may be redirected to the secure PayFast payment system where payment details are processed.

The platform itself does not store or process credit card or banking information.

Payment information processed by PayFast may include:

• Name
• Email address
• Payment amount
• Transaction reference information

These details are used solely for payment processing and subscription management.

Users are encouraged to review PayFast's privacy policy and terms when completing payment transactions.

12. Data Sharing

Personal information stored in the system is not sold, rented, or shared with third parties for marketing purposes.

Information is accessible only to authorised school staff and system administrators responsible for managing the school platform.

Information may be processed by secure infrastructure providers necessary for operating the platform, such as hosting providers.

13. Data Security

Reasonable technical and organisational measures are implemented to protect personal information stored in the system. These measures may include:

• Secure server infrastructure
• Restricted access controls
• Encrypted communication between the application and servers
• Authentication systems for authorised users

While precautions are taken, no system can guarantee absolute security.

14. Data Retention

Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary to support school administration and operational requirements.

When information is no longer required, it may be securely deleted or anonymised in accordance with applicable laws.

15. Access to Information

Access to personal information stored in the system is restricted to authorised school personnel who require access to perform their duties.

Schools are responsible for ensuring that authorised users maintain confidentiality when handling student or staff information.

16. Children's Information

The system stores information relating to preschool students for educational and administrative purposes.

Student information is handled with strict confidentiality and is accessible only to authorised school staff.

Student information is not used for advertising or marketing purposes.

17. Data Controller and Processor

Schools using the platform act as the data controllers for staff, student, and parent information.

The platform provider acts as the data processor, processing information only for the purpose of providing the preschool assessment and school management system.

18. Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time.

When updates occur, the revised version will be made available through the platform or relevant website.

Continued use of the system indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

19. Contact Information

If you have questions or requests relating to personal information, please contact:

Customer Support — support@earlytrack.co.za

20. POPIA Information Officer

In accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), organisations processing personal information must appoint an Information Officer responsible for privacy compliance.

For privacy-related matters or requests regarding personal information, please contact:

Information Officer — support@earlytrack.co.za

Individuals may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if they believe personal information has been processed unlawfully.