Privacy Policy

Last updated: [DATE]

Who we are

Stepwise is provided by [YOUR FULL NAME / BUSINESS NAME], a sole trader based in Weymouth, Dorset, United Kingdom (“we”, “us”, “our”). For any question about this policy or your data, contact: [YOUR CONTACT EMAIL].

We are the data controller for the personal data described below.

What data we collect

• Account information: name (or nickname), email address, and encrypted password (handled entirely by our authentication provider - we never see or store your actual password).
• Learning data: the maths questions you're shown, the working you submit, the marking and feedback you receive, your diagnostic test results, and your points, streaks and badges.
• Communications: any messages you send us through the feedback form, the enquiry form, or the “ask about it” chat feature attached to your marking results.
• Payment information (once billing is active): we do not store card details ourselves. Payment is handled by Stripe, a third-party payment processor, who hold this data under their own privacy terms.
• Technical information: standard web server logs (such as IP address and access times), collected automatically by our hosting provider as part of normal website operation.

Why we collect it

• To provide the tutoring service itself: generating questions, marking your work, and tracking progress over time
• To personalise coaching and diagnostic feedback based on your history
• To respond to enquiries and feedback
• To process payment for subscriptions, once billing is enabled
• To maintain the security and reliability of the service

Who we share it with

We use a small number of third-party services to run Stepwise. Each only receives the data it needs to do its specific job:

• Supabase (database and account hosting) - stores your account details and learning data securely.
• Anthropic (AI provider) - receives each question, your submitted working, and marking context in order to generate questions, mark your work, and provide coaching feedback. Anthropic does not receive your name, email, or account details as part of this - only the academic content of what you're working on.
• Stripe (payment processor, once connected) - handles subscription payments; we never see or store your card details.

Both Supabase and Anthropic may process data outside the UK/EU (they are US-based companies). Where this happens, it is covered by their own data protection safeguards and standard contractual clauses. We do not sell your data to anyone, and we do not use it for advertising.

Children's data

Some Stepwise users are under 18. Where a student is a minor, we expect a parent or guardian to have created or approved the account. We collect no more data from a child than is needed to provide the tutoring service, and we do not use children's data for any purpose beyond that (no advertising, no profiling beyond what's needed for their own learning progress).

A parent or guardian can request to see, correct, or delete their child's data at any time by contacting us - see “Your rights” below.

How long we keep data

We keep account and learning data for as long as your account is active. If you ask us to delete your account, we will delete your personal data within [30 days], except where we're required to keep certain records for legal or accounting reasons (e.g. payment records).

Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you (or a parent/guardian on behalf of a child) have the right to:

• Ask what personal data we hold about you
• Ask us to correct inaccurate data
• Ask us to delete your data (“right to erasure”)
• Ask us to restrict or object to certain processing
• Request a copy of your data in a portable format

To exercise any of these rights, contact [YOUR CONTACT EMAIL]. We will respond within one month, as required by law.

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you believe your data hasn't been handled properly.

Cookies

Stepwise uses only the minimal cookies/local storage needed to keep you logged in securely. We do not use tracking or advertising cookies.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as Stepwise changes. We'll update the “Last updated” date above when we do. Significant changes will be communicated directly where practical.

Contact

[YOUR CONTACT EMAIL]

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