1. Introduction
StemNest Academy Ltd ("we", "our", "us") is a company registered in England and Wales, operating the online tutoring platform at www.stemnest.co.uk (the "Platform"). We are committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of every person who uses our Platform — including students, parents, guardians, and tutors.
This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and the rights you have over your data. It applies to all services provided through our website and any associated digital tools.
This Policy is compliant with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Where we serve users in the European Union, we also comply with the EU GDPR.
By using our Platform, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our Platform. For any questions, contact us at privacy@stemnest.co.uk.
2. Information We Collect
We collect only the information necessary to provide and improve our services. This includes:
Personal Information
- Parent or guardian name, email address, and phone number (including WhatsApp)
- Student name, age, school year/grade, and subject interests
- Tutor name, email address, qualifications, and professional background
- Payment information (processed securely via third-party payment providers — we do not store card details)
- Communications you send us, including enquiries and feedback
Technical & Usage Information
- IP address and device identifiers
- Browser type, operating system, and device type
- Pages visited, time spent on the Platform, and referring URLs
- Session data and interaction logs
Information from Third Parties
We may receive information about you from third-party services you use to interact with us (for example, if you contact us via social media or book a session through a partner platform).
3. How We Collect It
We collect personal information through:
- Registration and booking forms on our Platform
- Communications via email, WhatsApp, or telephone
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 8)
- Third-party analytics tools (e.g. Google Analytics)
- Tutor application forms submitted through our website
We will always identify the purpose for which information is being collected at or before the point of collection. You have the right to ask us to clarify the purpose of any data collection before providing your information.
4. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- To create and manage your account on the Platform
- To schedule, confirm, and deliver tutoring sessions
- To send booking confirmations, reminders, and class joining instructions
- To process payments and issue receipts
- To communicate service updates, policy changes, and important notices
- To respond to your enquiries and provide customer support
- To improve our Platform, services, and user experience
- To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
- To send you relevant offers and updates (only where you have given consent, and you may opt out at any time)
We will not use your personal information for any purpose beyond those listed above without first obtaining your explicit consent.
5. Children's Privacy
StemNest Academy provides services to students aged 7 to 19. We take the privacy and safety of children extremely seriously.
- We collect personal data about children only with verifiable parental or guardian consent.
- Children are not permitted to share personal information in any public area of the Platform.
- We do not allow children to create accounts independently — all accounts are created and managed by a parent or guardian.
- Parents and guardians may review, update, or request deletion of their child's personal data at any time by contacting us at privacy@stemnest.co.uk.
- If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child without appropriate parental consent, we will delete it promptly.
We strongly encourage parents and guardians to supervise their child's use of the Platform and to contact us with any concerns.
6. Third-Party Services
We work with carefully selected third-party service providers to operate our Platform. These may include:
- Payment processors — to handle transactions securely
- Video conferencing providers — to deliver live tutoring sessions
- Email and messaging services — to send confirmations and reminders
- Analytics providers — to understand how our Platform is used
- Cloud hosting providers — to store data securely
All third-party providers are required to handle your data in accordance with applicable data protection law. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party for marketing purposes. We will not share your data with third parties except as described in this Policy or as required by law.
Mobile information, including WhatsApp numbers, will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
7. External Links
Our Platform may contain links to external websites or resources not operated by StemNest Academy. We have no control over the content, privacy practices, or policies of those sites. We are not responsible for any loss or damage arising from your use of external sites.
We recommend that you review the privacy policy of any external website you visit before providing any personal information.
9. Your Rights (UK GDPR)
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access — to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Right to rectification — to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Right to erasure — to request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
- Right to restrict processing — to request that we limit how we use your data
- Right to object — to object to our processing of your data, including for direct marketing
- Right to data portability — to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Right not to be subject to automated decision-making — to not be subject to decisions made solely by automated processes
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@stemnest.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
10. Data Security
We treat your personal data as an asset that must be protected. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard your information against unauthorised access, loss, disclosure, or misuse.
These measures include encrypted data transmission (HTTPS), access controls, and regular security reviews. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
All staff involved in data handling receive regular privacy and data protection training. In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the relevant supervisory authority as required by law.
11. Data Retention
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. When data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted or anonymised.
Specifically:
- Account data is retained for the duration of your relationship with StemNest Academy and for a reasonable period thereafter
- Booking and session records may be retained for up to 7 years for legal and accounting purposes
- Marketing data is retained until you withdraw consent
If you request deletion of your data, we will comply unless we are required to retain it for legal, audit, or regulatory reasons, in which case we will inform you of the specific data and the reason it must be retained.
12. Disclosure of Information
We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may disclose your information in the following limited circumstances:
- Service delivery — to tutors, academic counselors, or other staff involved in delivering your sessions
- Legal obligation — where required by law, court order, or regulatory authority
- Safeguarding — where disclosure is necessary to protect the safety of a child or vulnerable person
- Business transfer — in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred to the new entity under the same privacy protections
Any disclosure of your personal data will be communicated to you where legally permissible.
13. Confidentiality
All personal information you share with us is treated as strictly confidential. We will not disclose your information to any third party without your consent, except as described in this Policy or as required by law.
Our staff and contractors are bound by confidentiality obligations and are only permitted to access personal data on a need-to-know basis.
14. Amendments
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. The most current version will always be available on our website. The date at the top of this page indicates when it was last updated.
Where changes are material, we will notify you by email or by a prominent notice on our Platform. Your continued use of the Platform after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy.
15. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:
You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues: