Privacy Policy

1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

NextStepAcademy is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

This policy explains what information we collect, how we use and store it, who we share it with, and your rights regarding your personal data. By engaging our services, you consent to the collection and handling of your information as described in this policy.

 

2. What Personal Information We Collect

2.1 Parent & Guardian Information

We collect the following information about parents and guardians:

• Full name

• Phone number

• Email address

• Home address

• Payment details (processed and stored securely via Stripe)

• NDIS participant number (where applicable)

 

2.2 Student Information

We collect the following information about students:

• Full name

• Year level and school

• Subject areas requiring support

• Learning needs and any relevant educational background

• Any diagnoses or health-related information that may affect the student’s ability to learn (for example, ADHD, ASD, or other conditions), where voluntarily provided

• NDIS participant number (where applicable)

• Session attendance records, lesson feedback, and tutor-written progress updates

 

2.3 Sensitive Information

Diagnoses, health conditions, and disability-related information are classified as sensitive information under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). We collect this information only where you choose to provide it, and only to ensure that the student is appropriately supported by their tutor. This information will be:

• Used only for the primary purpose for which it was collected, that is, to inform tutoring delivery

• Shared only with the tutor assigned to that student

• Handled with the highest level of care and confidentiality

• Never used for marketing or any secondary purpose

 

2.4 Tutor Applicant Information

Where a person applies to tutor with us, we also collect screening information including identity verification details, Working With Children Check details, and the names and contact details of referees provided by the applicant, which we use solely for vetting and compliance purposes.

 

2.5 Online Lesson Recordings

Online lessons delivered through our online classroom are recorded (audio and video). We record online lessons to support tutor quality and training, to help keep students, families and tutors safe, and to keep an accurate record if a question ever arises about a lesson that was delivered. Recordings are stored securely with our video platform provider and are accessible only to authorised NextStepAcademy personnel. We do not share recordings with any third party except where required by law or to respond to a safety or safeguarding concern.

 

3. How We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information through:

• Initial enquiries via our website, phone, SMS, or email

• Booking and onboarding forms completed on our website

• Payment setup via Stripe (our secure payment processor)

• Ongoing communication with parents, guardians, and tutors

• Session records, feedback, and progress updates submitted by tutors through our platform

• Referrals from third parties

 

4. Why We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information to:

• Provide and manage tutoring and educational support services

• Match students with suitable tutors based on their needs and learning goals

• Process payments and issue invoices and receipts

• Generate progress reports and learning insights, including tutor-written updates and AI-assisted reporting tools

• Record online lessons for quality, training, safety, and record-keeping purposes

• Communicate with you about your sessions, billing, and services by email and SMS

• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations, including NDIS requirements where applicable

• Improve our services and platform over time

 

5. Progress Reporting & AI Features

Your tutor records attendance and session feedback after each lesson and prepares written updates on your student’s goals and progress, which are shared with you by email.

NextStepAcademy also uses automated and AI-assisted systems to generate student progress reports. These reports are produced using session data including attendance records, lesson feedback, and notes submitted by your tutor.

By using our services, you consent to this data being used for the purpose of generating progress reports and learning insights for your student. We do not use this data to make automated decisions that have a legal or significant effect on your student without human review.

All data used in AI reporting is handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy and is not shared with third parties for AI training purposes.

 

6. Who We Share Your Information With

6.1 Tutors

Your assigned tutor will have access to the personal and student information necessary to deliver sessions effectively. This includes student name, year level, subject areas, learning needs, and any relevant diagnoses or health information you have provided. Tutors are bound by confidentiality obligations and must only use this information to deliver tutoring services.

 

6.2 Internal Team

NextStepAcademy’s internal team accesses your information to manage your account, process payments, handle enquiries, and support service delivery.

 

6.3 Third-Party Service Providers

We use trusted third-party providers to operate our services. These include:

• Stripe: for secure payment processing and card storage

• Our proprietary platform software: for scheduling, attendance, session records, and reporting

• Our online classroom provider: for delivering and recording online lessons

• Communication tools: for email and SMS notifications

• Secure cloud storage: for generated documents such as invoices and receipts

 

All third-party providers are required to handle your information securely and only for the purposes for which it was shared. We do not sell or rent your personal information to any third party.

 

6.4 Legal & Regulatory Disclosure

We may disclose your information where required or permitted by law, including to government agencies, regulators, or the NDIS, where applicable.

 

7. Payment Information

Payment details are collected, stored, and processed securely through Stripe, our payment processor. When you save a card with us, it is held securely by Stripe and charged automatically after each completed session in accordance with our Cancellation Policy. NextStepAcademy does not see or store your full card details on our systems. Stripe handles all card data in accordance with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS).

For more information on how Stripe handles your data, please refer to Stripe’s Privacy Policy at stripe.com/au/privacy.

 

8. Data Storage & Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. Your information is stored within our secure platform and is accessible only to authorised personnel and systems.

While we take every reasonable precaution, no data transmission or storage system is completely secure. If you believe your information has been compromised, please contact us immediately at support@nextstepacademy.com.au.

 

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as is necessary to deliver our services and meet our legal obligations. Following the conclusion of your engagement with NextStepAcademy, we may retain certain records for compliance, tax, and business purposes in accordance with applicable laws.

Online lesson recordings are retained for up to 120 days, after which they are automatically deleted, unless a recording needs to be kept longer to deal with a specific complaint, safety matter, or legal obligation.

Where information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it securely.

 

10. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you or your student

• Request corrections to any information that is inaccurate or out of date

• Withdraw consent to the use of sensitive information, subject to any legal or contractual obligations

• Lodge a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been breached

 

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support@nextstepacademy.com.au. We will respond to all requests within a reasonable timeframe.

 

11. Marketing Communications

By providing your contact details, you consent to receiving service-related communications from NextStepAcademy, including invoices, receipts, session updates, and policy notifications, by email and SMS.

We may also send you occasional updates about our services. You may unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in any email, or by contacting us directly. Unsubscribing from marketing will not affect transactional communications such as invoices and receipts.

 

12. Privacy Complaints

If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us in the first instance at support@nextstepacademy.com.au. We take all privacy complaints seriously and will investigate and respond promptly.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

 

13. Updates to This Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in our services, platform, or legal obligations. The most current version will always be available on our website. We will notify you of any material changes via email.