Privacy Policy

Sea View Primary School ("we", "us", "our") operates the website at seaviewprimary.co.za and the Sea View Primary mobile application (collectively, the "Services"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights.

1. Who We Are

Sea View Primary School, 129 Seaview Road, Seaview, Durban, 4094, South Africa.
Email: seaviewprimary@gmail.com.

2. Information We Collect

a) Push notification tokens

If you opt in to push notifications, we receive an anonymous device token from Google Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) or the browser's Push API. We store this token securely in our AWS DynamoDB database so that we can send you school announcements. The token cannot identify you personally.

b) Grade preferences

If you choose to receive notifications for specific grades only, your grade preferences (e.g. Grade R, Grade 3) are stored alongside your push token. You can change or remove these preferences at any time from within the app or website.

c) Contact form submissions

When you submit our contact form, we collect your name, email address, and the message you send. This information is stored securely on our AWS infrastructure and reviewed by school staff through a private admin dashboard. It is used solely to respond to your enquiry.

d) WhatsApp interactions

If you message our school via WhatsApp, your phone number, WhatsApp profile name and the messages you send are processed by Meta's WhatsApp Business API. Our automated WhatsApp assistant answers common questions; if you subscribe to school updates through it, your phone number and chosen grades are stored in our database on AWS. We use this information to respond to your queries and, with your consent, send school updates.

e) Staff WhatsApp inbox

So that office staff can reply to you, WhatsApp conversations with the school (your messages, our replies, and any documents or images we send you) are kept in the school's private staff inbox. It also holds your phone number, your name and the school groups you belong to (for example "Grade 3"), which we use to send updates to the right parents, plus WhatsApp's delivery and read receipts so we know a message reached you. Documents we send are kept in private storage. Only authorised school staff, and CloseTag as the school's technical service provider, can see the inbox.

f) Local-only data (not sent to our servers)

The mobile app stores the following on your device only - they are never sent to us:

• Which messages you have read (so the app can dim already-read notices)
• After-school alert time settings (so the app can remind you when school ends)
• Whether you've already seen first-launch prompts

3. What We Don't Collect

• We do not collect your location.
• We do not show advertisements or share data with advertisers.
• We do not sell your data to third parties.
• We do not use third-party analytics or tracking tools.
• We do not collect data from children. Our app is intended for parents and guardians.

4. How We Use Information

• To send school newsletters, assessment reminders, calendar events, and notice board messages
• To respond to contact form and WhatsApp enquiries
• To filter notifications by your selected grades, so you only receive what's relevant to you

5. Data Storage & Security

Our data is stored on Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure in the Cape Town (af-south-1) region, with industry-standard encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and at rest. Push notification dispatch uses signed tokens (VAPID for web, Expo Push for mobile) so that no third party can impersonate the school.

The staff WhatsApp inbox is hosted by Supabase in the European Union (Frankfurt, Germany), where the EU General Data Protection Regulation gives protection comparable to POPIA. It is encrypted in transit and at rest, can only be opened by staff with their own login and role, and is backed up daily to an encrypted copy that is kept for 30 days. We keep WhatsApp conversations for as long as they are needed for school communication, and delete them when you ask us to.

6. Your Rights

• Unsubscribe at any time - disable notifications in the app settings, your browser settings, or your device's notification settings. Doing so removes your token from our database.
• Change grade preferences - open Notification Settings in the app or website to update or clear your grade selection.
• Delete your data - email seaviewprimary@gmail.com or send the school a WhatsApp message saying you want your data deleted. Within 30 days we will remove all stored information related to you, including your WhatsApp conversations, documents we sent you and your group memberships, and confirm when it is done. Messages already delivered to your phone stay on your phone, and you can delete them there.
• Stop WhatsApp updates - tell us on WhatsApp or by email and we will remove you from all school groups and WhatsApp broadcasts.
• Access your data - request a copy of any information we hold about you by emailing the address above.

7. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services. Each has its own privacy policy:

• Google Firebase Cloud Messaging - to deliver push notifications to Android devices
• Expo Push API - to route push notifications from our servers to FCM
• Amazon Web Services (Lambda, DynamoDB, S3, CloudFront) - to host the website, API, and school content (newsletters, assessments, messages)
• Meta WhatsApp Business API - for parent-school messaging
• Supabase - hosts the staff WhatsApp inbox (database and private file storage) in the EU
• CloseTag - builds and maintains the school's website, app and WhatsApp systems on the school's behalf

8. Children's Privacy

Our Services are intended for parents, guardians, and school staff - not for children. We do not knowingly collect any information from children under the age of 13. If you believe a child has provided us with information, please contact us so we can delete it.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be communicated through the website or app.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact: