Last updated: February 2026
At Merit Tutoring, we take your privacy and the privacy of your children seriously. We are committed to protecting the personal information entrusted to us and handling it responsibly and transparently.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose, and protect personal information in accordance with:
By using our services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our services.
Key Point: We only collect information that is necessary to provide our tutoring services, and we never sell your personal information to third parties.
Merit Tutoring is the data controller responsible for your personal information.
Trading Name: Merit Tutoring
ABN: 34 858 075 050
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Privacy Contact Email: contact@merittutoring.com
Phone: 0470 320 921
We collect different types of information depending on how you interact with us. We only collect information that is reasonably necessary for our functions and activities.
| Category | Types of Information |
|---|---|
| Identity Information | Full name, relationship to student |
| Contact Information | Email address, phone number, residential address (if provided) |
| Account Information | Username, password (encrypted), account preferences |
| Payment Information | Billing address, payment card details (processed securely by Stripe – we do not store full card numbers) |
| Communication Records | Emails, messages, enquiries, feedback, and support requests |
| Category | Types of Information |
|---|---|
| Identity Information | First name, last name, year level, age or date of birth |
| Educational Information | Learning progress, quiz and assessment results, areas of strength and improvement, educational goals |
| Session Information | Attendance records, session participation, tutor notes and feedback |
| Session Recordings | Video and audio recordings of online tutoring sessions (for child safety and quality assurance) |
| Visual Information | Photos or videos (only with explicit parental consent for testimonials or marketing) |
When you visit our website or use our online platforms, we may automatically collect:
We do not intentionally collect sensitive information such as:
If you provide any sensitive information voluntarily, you consent to us collecting and using it for the purpose for which it was provided.
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
Under the Australian Privacy Principles, we collect and process personal information on the following lawful bases:
| Legal Basis | When We Rely on It |
|---|---|
| Consent | When you provide consent for specific uses, such as marketing communications, session recordings, or use of photos/testimonials |
| Contractual Necessity | To perform our obligations under our service agreement with you (e.g., delivering tutoring, processing payments) |
| Legal Obligation | To comply with applicable laws, including child protection reporting requirements and tax obligations |
| Legitimate Interests | For business operations, improving services, and ensuring safety, where these interests do not override your rights |
We use trusted third-party services to help deliver our services. These providers have access to personal information only as necessary to perform their functions and are obligated to protect it.
| Service Type | Provider(s) | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Online Classroom | Lessonspace (or equivalent platform) | Delivering live online tutoring sessions |
| Learning Platform | Wayground (or equivalent platform) | Interactive videos, quizzes, and progress tracking |
| Payment Processing | Stripe | Secure payment processing (we do not store full card details) |
| Website Hosting | Various providers | Hosting our website and online services |
| Email Communications | Various providers | Sending transactional and marketing emails |
| Analytics | Google Analytics (Google LLC) | Understanding website usage and improving services |
Note: We reserve the right to change service providers at any time to ensure the best quality service delivery. We will always ensure that any replacement providers meet appropriate privacy and security standards.
Each service provider has their own privacy policy governing their use of data. We encourage you to review their policies:
For child safety and quality assurance purposes, all online tutoring sessions may be recorded. This is an important safeguarding measure that protects both students and tutors.
Session recordings may include:
Recordings are used only for:
Session recordings are retained for a minimum of 30 days and up to 90 days, depending on storage capacity and operational requirements. Recordings are securely deleted after this period unless they are required to be retained longer for a specific purpose (such as an ongoing investigation).
Access to session recordings is strictly limited to:
Parents may request access to recordings of their own child's sessions. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the privacy of other participants (tutors and other students in group sessions).
By enrolling your child in our services, you consent to session recordings as described in this policy. If you do not consent to recordings, please contact us before commencing services, noting that we may not be able to provide our services without this safeguarding measure in place.
We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration.
Our security measures include:
You can help protect your information by:
In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm, we will:
We endeavour to store personal information within Australia wherever practicable. However, some of our third-party service providers may store data in overseas locations, including but not limited to the United States, European Union, and other jurisdictions.
When your personal information is transferred overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure that:
Note: By using our services, you acknowledge that some of your personal information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside Australia, and you consent to such transfers where they are conducted in accordance with this policy and applicable law.
Regardless of where data is stored, we ensure that:
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law.
| Type of Information | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Account Information | Duration of account plus 7 years after account closure (for legal and tax purposes) |
| Student Progress Records | Duration of enrolment plus 7 years |
| Session Recordings | 30 to 90 days (unless required longer for specific purposes) |
| Payment Records | 7 years (as required by Australian tax law) |
| Communication Records | 7 years |
| Marketing Preferences | Until you withdraw consent or request deletion |
When personal information is no longer required, we securely delete or de-identify it in accordance with our data retention procedures.
Protecting children's privacy is of paramount importance to us. Our services are designed for children in Years 1-6, and we handle their information with extra care.
We only collect student information with the consent of a parent or legal guardian (who must be at least 18 years of age). By enrolling a child, the parent/guardian consents to the collection and use of the child's information as described in this policy.
We limit the information we collect from children to what is reasonably necessary to provide our educational services. We do not:
Parents and guardians have the right to:
We are committed to child safety. All tutors hold current Working With Children Check (WWCC) clearances, and all sessions may be recorded for safeguarding purposes. For more information, please see our Child Safety Policy.
We may send you the following types of communications:
You have control over marketing communications:
We comply with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth) and will always:
With your explicit consent, we may collect and use:
We will always:
You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us. We will:
Under Australian privacy law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal information:
You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you or your child.
You can request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.
You can request deletion of your information, subject to legal retention requirements.
You can object to certain uses of your information, such as direct marketing.
You can request your information in a commonly used format.
You can ask us to limit how we use your information in certain circumstances.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at:
To protect your privacy, we may ask you to verify your identity before processing your request. We will respond to valid requests within 30 days.
We generally do not charge a fee for access to your information. However, if a request is manifestly unfounded, repetitive, or excessive, we may charge a reasonable fee to cover administrative costs, or decline the request.
In some cases, we may not be able to fulfil your request, such as when:
If we cannot fulfil your request, we will explain why.
If you have a complaint about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us first. We take all complaints seriously and will work to resolve your concerns.
Email: contact@merittutoring.com
Phone: 0470 320 921
Response Time: We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days and aim to resolve it within 30 days.
If you are not satisfied with our response, or if you believe we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the OAIC:
Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Phone: 1300 363 992
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au
Address: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.
When we make changes:
Your continued use of our services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:
Merit Tutoring
ABN: 34 858 075 050
Privacy Contact Email: contact@merittutoring.com
Phone: 0470 320 921
Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-2pm (AEST)
We aim to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within 5 business days.
Please also review our other policies: