Privacy Policy for Little Learners Academy

At Little Learners Academy, we are committed to protecting the privacy of our students, families, and all visitors to our online platform. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information in accordance with Australian privacy laws, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

1. Information We Collect

We collect various types of information to provide our early childhood education services effectively. This may include:

• Personal Identification Information: Names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses of children and their parents/guardians.
• Health and Medical Information: Allergies, medical conditions, immunisation records, emergency contact details to ensure the safety and well-being of the children in our care.
• Educational and Developmental Information: Progress reports, learning assessments, observations related to a child’s development and educational needs.
• Financial Information: Payment details for tuition and fees (processed securely via third-party payment processors, and we do not store sensitive payment information on our servers).
• Photographs and Videos: Images and videos of children participating in academy activities, used for educational purposes, progress updates to parents, and promotional materials with explicit parental consent.
• Website Usage Data: Information gathered automatically when you visit our online platform, such as IP addresses, browser type, referring pages, and cookies (see Section 5 below). This data is primarily used for analytics and to improve our website's functionality.

2. How We Collect Information

We collect information in several ways:

• Directly From You: When you enrol a child, fill out forms, communicate with us via phone or email, register for parent workshops, or participate in surveys.
• From Third Parties: In some instances, we may receive information from nominated emergency contacts or medical professionals, strictly with your consent or as required for the safety of the child.
• Automatically: Through our website, using technologies like cookies to enhance user experience and gather anonymous usage statistics.

3. How We Use Your Information

The information we collect is used to:

• Provide and manage our early childhood education, preschool, kindergarten readiness, before and after school care, and holiday programs.
• Support social-emotional development and facilitate educational play.
• Communicate with parents/guardians regarding their child's progress, academy news, events, and important updates.
• Process enrolments, manage billing, and maintain accurate records.
• Ensure the health, safety, and welfare of all children in our care.
• Organise and inform about parent workshops and other community engagement activities.
• Improve our educational programs and services.
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements.

4. Disclosure of Information

We will not sell, rent, or lease your personal information to third parties. We may disclose your information in the following circumstances:

• To Staff: Relevant personal information is shared with our qualified educators and administrative staff to facilitate the provision of our services and ensure the child’s well-being.
• With Your Consent: For example, sharing photographs for promotional purposes or collaborating with external specialists (e.g., speech therapists with parental consent).
• Third-Party Service Providers: We may use trusted third-party services for functions like payment processing, IT support, or secure cloud storage. These providers are bound by confidentiality agreements and are only allowed to use your information for the specific services they provide to us.
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, such as in response to a court order, subpoena, or government investigation, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Little Learners Academy, our students, or others.
• Emergency Situations: In situations posing a serious threat to life, health, or safety.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our online platform uses "cookies" to enhance your experience. A cookie is a small text file placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. Cookies help us:

• Remember your preferences and improve website functionality.
• Analyse website traffic to understand how visitors interact with our site and make improvements.
• You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. However, this may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

6. Data Security

We are committed to ensuring the security of your personal information. We implement a range of reasonable physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure premises and locked filing cabinets for physical records.
• Restricted access to personal information to authorised personnel only.
• Secure computer networks, firewalls, and encryption for digital data.
• Regular review of our data collection, storage, and processing practices.

Despite our efforts, please be aware that no security system is impenetrable, and no method of data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.

7. Your Rights

Under Australian privacy laws, you have the right to:

• Access Your Information: Request access to the personal information we hold about you or your child.
• Correct Your Information: Request corrections to any personal information that you believe is inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated.
• Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on your consent to process your personal information, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.
• To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 9. We may require proof of identity to process your request.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

Little Learners Academy may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will post any changes on this page and encourage you to review this policy periodically.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, or if you wish to make a complaint, please contact us at:

Little Learners Academy

123 Endeavour Street,

Richmond, VIC, Melbourne, Victoria, 3121, Australia