Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Student Growth Space ("we", "us", "our") is a UK-based platform helping students navigate their path from sixth form through university and into their careers. We're registered in the United Kingdom and act as the data controller for all personal information collected through our website at studentgrowthspace.com.

Contact us: hello@studentgrowthspace.com

2. What This Policy Covers

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you:

• Create an account on Student Growth Space
• Use our platform tools (programme directory, protocol tracker, exam countdown, finance calculator)
• Interact with our website or services

Important: By using our platform, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you don't agree, please don't use our services.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Personal Information You Provide

When you sign up and use our platform, we collect:

3.2 Usage Data (Automatically Collected)

We track how you use the platform to improve your experience:

• Protocol progress: Which career tasks you've completed
• Bookmarks: Which programmes you've saved for later
• Calculator inputs: We process these to show results but don't store your household income data
• Login activity: When you last used the platform (for security and analytics)
• Technical data: Browser type, device type, and approximate location (country level only)

3.3 Authentication Data

• Email/password: Stored securely by Supabase using industry-standard hashing (bcrypt)
• Google OAuth: If you choose "Sign in with Google", your credentials are managed by Google. We only receive your email and basic profile info.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your data to provide and improve our services:

Core functionality:

• Personalising programme recommendations based on your year group
• Tracking your progress through the success protocol
• Showing relevant A-Level exam countdowns
• Saving your bookmarked programmes for easy access

Communication (with your consent):

• Deadline reminders for programmes you've bookmarked (future feature)
• Important updates about the platform
• Career tips and opportunities we think you'll value

Improvement and security:

• Understanding how students use our tools so we can make them better
• Protecting against fraud, abuse, or security threats
• Complying with legal obligations

We never:

• Sell your personal information to third parties
• Use your data for advertising (we don't show ads)
• Share your information with universities or employers without your explicit permission

5. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

Under UK and EU data protection law, we process your data based on:

• Contract necessity: We need your email and year group to provide the service you signed up for
• Legitimate interests: We analyse usage patterns to improve our platform and keep it secure
• Consent: For optional features like email reminders (you can opt out anytime)
• Legal obligation: When required to comply with laws or regulations

6. How We Store and Protect Your Data

6.1 Security Measures

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256)
• Passwords: Hashed using bcrypt—never stored in plain text
• Access control: Strict internal controls on who can access user data
• Regular audits: We review our security practices regularly

6.2 Where Your Data Lives

We use Supabase, a GDPR-compliant database provider with servers in the European Union (Frankfurt, Germany). This means your data is protected by EU data protection laws, considered among the strongest in the world.

6.3 Payment Data

We don't currently handle payments. When we introduce premium features, we'll use Stripe, a PCI-DSS compliant payment processor. We never see or store your credit card details—Stripe handles everything securely.

7. Third-Party Services

We work with trusted providers to run our platform:

Future services: Stripe (payment processing), SendGrid/Resend (email delivery). We only share the minimum data necessary with these providers, and all are GDPR-compliant with appropriate data processing agreements in place.

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a UK/EU user, you have strong rights over your data:

• Right to access: View all data we hold about you in your account settings, or email us for a complete copy.
• Right to rectification: Edit your profile information anytime in settings. Spot an error? Let us know and we'll fix it.
• Right to erasure ("Right to be forgotten"): Delete your account permanently. All personal data is removed within 30 days. Some anonymised analytics may be retained.
• Right to restrict processing: Temporarily pause how we use your data while resolving a dispute.
• Right to data portability: Request your data in a standard format to take elsewhere (coming soon as a self-service feature).
• Right to object: Opt out of non-essential communications and certain types of processing.

To exercise any right: Email hello@studentgrowthspace.com or use the controls in your account settings. We respond to all requests within 30 days.

9. Cookies and Local Storage

We keep this simple:

Essential cookies only:

• Session authentication (keeps you logged in)
• Security tokens (protects against attacks)

No tracking or advertising cookies: We don't use Google Analytics, Facebook pixels, or any ad tracking.

LocalStorage: We store some preferences locally on your device (like your exam countdown precision or sort order). This never leaves your browser and isn't sent to our servers. You can clear this data anytime through your browser settings, though it may reset your preferences.

10. Data Retention

11. Children's Privacy and Age-Appropriate Design

Our platform is designed for students aged 16–25.

For users under 18:

• We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy with a parent or guardian
• We don't knowingly collect data from children under 16
• If we discover we've collected data from someone under 16, we delete it immediately

UK Age Appropriate Design Code:

We follow the ICO's Children's Code principles:

• We prioritise your privacy and wellbeing
• We don't use manipulative design patterns (no dark patterns)
• We provide clear information about how we use your data
• We give you control over your privacy settings

12. International Data Transfers

Your data is stored in the European Union (Germany). We don't transfer your personal data outside the UK/European Economic Area unless you specifically request a service requiring it, or we have appropriate safeguards in place (Standard Contractual Clauses). All our core services are EU-based to ensure maximum protection.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as our platform evolves. When we do:

• We'll change the "Last Updated" date at the top
• We'll email you about significant changes (using your registered email)
• We'll post a notice on the platform for 30 days before major changes take effect

Continued use of Student Growth Space after changes means you accept the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

Questions about this policy? Concerns about your data? Want to exercise your rights?

Email: hello@studentgrowthspace.com

We'll respond within: 48 hours (usually much faster)

For formal complaints: You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk, but we hope you'll give us a chance to resolve any issues first.

15. Quick Reference