Privacy Notice

1. Who we are

Semantica Learning ("we", "us") is the data controller for personal data processed through the Semantica website, web app and installable PWA. This notice explains what we collect, why, and your rights. It covers all current features, including the revision hub, personalised AI tutor, predicted papers, interactive lessons, EPQ prep, university tools (course finder, personal statement builder, personalised timetable), the 1:1 tutoring marketplace, the coin flip / spin the wheel study picker, and the ambient study sounds.

2. Data we collect

• Account data: name, email, password (hashed), exam board and specifications, year group, subjects, and preferences.
• Learning data: subjects you study, lessons and flashcards generated for you, quiz and predicted paper answers, marks and feedback, streaks, XP, weekly goals, achievements, coin flip / wheel results, interactive lesson progress, and EPQ notes.
• University prep data: grades and predictions you enter into the course finder, personal statement drafts, and personalised timetable entries.
• Tutoring marketplace data: for students — the criteria you set (subjects, level, budget, availability), tutor bookings, session history, in-app chat messages with tutors, and reviews. For tutors — profile, subjects, qualifications and vetting documents, hourly rate, availability, bookings, chats, payouts and tax information handled by Stripe Connect.
• Payment data: handled by Stripe for subscriptions, one-off purchases, tutoring payments and tutor payouts. We store limited billing metadata (customer ID, plan, status, last 4 digits) but not full card numbers.
• Audio preferences: which ambient sounds you enable (rain, beach, storm, forest, etc.) and volume. Audio is synthesised locally — no microphone data is collected.
• Usage and device data: pages visited, features used, IP address, browser and device identifiers, PWA install status, offline cache state, and error logs.
• Support messages: anything you send us when you contact support.

3. Why we use it

• Create and secure your account (contract; legitimate interests).
• Provide revision, tutoring, university prep and study utilities you ask for (contract).
• Match students to tutors and enable bookings, chat and payments (contract).
• Personalise lessons, flashcards, predicted papers, timetables and course suggestions to your specification, target grades and progress (contract; legitimate interests).
• Enable offline use through the service worker and local cache (contract).
• Improve the product, fix bugs, prevent fraud and abuse (legitimate interests).
• Send service emails about your account, bookings, payments and subscription (contract / legitimate interests).
• Comply with legal, tax, safeguarding and accounting obligations (legal obligation).

4. Who we share it with

• Hosting & infrastructure providers that run our database, storage, authentication, and serverless functions.
• AI providers that process your prompts to generate lessons, flashcards, tutor replies, exam feedback, predicted papers, personal statement drafts and course suggestions.
• Stripe, our payment processor, for subscriptions, one-off purchases, tutoring payments, tutor payouts (Stripe Connect), invoicing and refunds.
• Tutors and students on the marketplace — profile details, messages and bookings are shared with the counterparties you choose to interact with.
• Analytics, search and error monitoring tools (including Google Search Console) to keep the product reliable and discoverable.
• Professional advisers and authorities where required by law or for safeguarding.

5. Retention

We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purposes above, or as required by law. When you delete your account we delete or anonymise your learning, tutoring and university data within a reasonable period, except where we are required to retain it (e.g. tax, accounting and payout records held by Stripe, or safeguarding records relating to tutor sessions).

6. International transfers

Some of our providers may process data outside your country. Where this happens, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions.

7. Your rights

Depending on your country, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or port your personal data, and to object to certain processing or withdraw consent. You can also complain to your local data protection supervisory authority. To exercise these rights, contact us through the in-app support channel.

8. Children and safeguarding

Semantica is used by GCSE, A-level and EPQ students, some of whom are under 18. Where a user is under 18, a parent or guardian must approve the account and any tutoring bookings. Tutors are vetted before being listed on the marketplace. Chat messages between students and tutors may be reviewed for safeguarding purposes.

9. Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit, row-level security on our database, role-based access controls and authentication. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to keep yours safe.

10. Cookies, local storage and offline cache

We use a small number of essential cookies and local storage entries needed to keep you logged in and to remember your preferences (theme, ambient sound, weekly goal, etc.). Our PWA service worker also caches app files and some of your recent content on your device so the app works offline. We do not use advertising cookies.

11. Changes

We may update this notice from time to time. Material changes will be announced in the app.

12. Contact

Questions about privacy? Contact Semantica Learning through the in-app support channel.