Bright Start English Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Bright Start English collects, uses, and protects the personal information you provide when using our online platform and services. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data responsibly and in compliance with applicable data protection laws, including the Australian Privacy Principles and principles aligned with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable.

What Information We Collect and How

We collect personal information from you directly when you interact with our service, such as when you register for an account, enrol in a lesson or course, communicate with us or your tutor, or make a payment. The types of personal information we may collect include:

  • Contact Information: Your name, email address, phone number, and physical address.
  • Account Information: Username, password, and preferences.
  • Payment Information: Details necessary to process payments for services, though we use secure third-party payment processors and do not store full payment card details on our servers.
  • Educational Information: Your learning goals, progress in courses, feedback from tutors, and materials you provide related to your lessons.
  • Communication Data: Records of your communications with us or our tutors through the platform or other agreed channels.

We also automatically collect certain information when you visit or use our site, such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, and the dates and times of visits. This helps us understand how our service is used and improve it.

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for various purposes related to providing and improving our online education services, including:

  • To provide, operate, and maintain our services, including connecting you with tutors and facilitating lessons.
  • To process your enrolment and payments.
  • To communicate with you about your account, lessons, progress, and our services.
  • To personalise your learning experience.
  • To provide customer support and respond to your inquiries.
  • To improve our platform, develop new features, and conduct research and analysis.
  • To detect, prevent, and address technical issues and security risks.
  • To comply with legal obligations.
  • For marketing and promotional purposes, with your consent where required.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

How We Share Your Information

We may share your personal information with trusted third parties in the following circumstances:

  • With Tutors: Information necessary to facilitate your lessons and communication (e.g., your name, learning level, lesson schedule, communication history).
  • With Service Providers: Companies that provide services on our behalf, such as payment processing, hosting, data analysis, marketing, and customer support. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes for which it was disclosed.
  • For Legal Reasons: If required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request; to enforce our terms of service; to protect the rights, property, or safety of Bright Start English, our users, or the public.
  • Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business by another company.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. However, please be aware that no security system is impenetrable, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information transmitted over the internet.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to provide the services you have requested and for our legitimate business purposes, such as maintaining business records, complying with legal obligations, and resolving disputes. When your information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymise it.

Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

  • The right to access the personal information we hold about you.
  • The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • The right to request deletion of your personal information.
  • The right to object to or request restriction of processing of your personal information.
  • The right to request a copy of your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format (data portability).
  • The right to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the physical address provided below. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our site and hold certain information. Cookies are files with a small amount of data which may include an anonymous unique identifier. They are sent to your browser from a website and stored on your device. We use cookies for essential site operation, analytics, and to remember your preferences. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our service.

International Data Transfers

Your information, including personal data, 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 from those in your jurisdiction. If you are located outside Australia and choose to provide information to us, please note that we transfer the data, including personal data, to Australia and process it there. When we transfer your personal data across international borders, we implement safeguards to ensure your data remains protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable laws.

Children's Privacy

Our services may be used by children. We are committed to protecting the privacy of children and comply with applicable laws regarding children's online privacy. Where required by law, we obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without appropriate consent, we will take steps to delete such information.

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 update the "last updated" date at the top of the 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.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us in writing at:

Bright Start English
14 Park Road
Glebe, New South Wales, 2037
Australia