Privacy and POPIA notice · Effective 5 September 2026
This policy explains how Crescent Academy processes personal information through its school management and WhatsApp messaging services.
1. Who is responsible
Crescent Academy is responsible for deciding why and how personal information is processed for its school operations. Authorised staff and approved service providers may process information only for legitimate, stated purposes and under appropriate confidentiality and security controls.
2. Information we process
Depending on the service used, we may process learner and parent names, contact details, student numbers, grade and class information, attendance, academic and disciplinary records, applications, documents, school-fee and payment records, staff records, communication preferences, messages, delivery status and technical audit information.
3. Why we use information
- To administer admissions, learner records, teaching, attendance and school activities.
- To manage school fees, receipts, statements, expenses and authorised financial records.
- To communicate notices, statements, reminders and service messages to parents, guardians, staff and authorised recipients.
- To protect accounts, prevent misuse, investigate incidents and meet legal or regulatory duties.
4. WhatsApp and service providers
When a recipient has supplied a WhatsApp number or otherwise agreed to receive school communications, Crescent Academy may use the WhatsApp Business Platform supplied by Meta to send and receive messages. Relevant contact, message and delivery information may be processed by Meta and other carefully selected hosting or technology providers under their applicable terms and privacy safeguards.
5. Children’s information
Learner information is processed for education and school administration with appropriate authority from a parent or guardian, or where another lawful basis applies. Access is limited to authorised persons with a genuine school-related need.
6. Storage, retention and security
We use access controls, role-based permissions, authentication, audit records, secure connections, backups and other reasonable safeguards. Information is retained only for as long as required for school operations, legal duties, dispute resolution and legitimate recordkeeping, after which it is securely deleted or anonymised where appropriate.
7. Sharing and international processing
Information is not sold. It may be shared with authorised school personnel, parents or guardians, regulators, education authorities, professional advisers and contracted service providers where necessary and lawful. Some technology providers may process information outside South Africa; reasonable steps are taken to ensure appropriate protection.
8. Your choices and rights
Subject to applicable law, a person may ask to access or correct their information, object to certain processing, withdraw consent where consent is relied upon, request deletion where retention is no longer required, or complain about how information is handled. WhatsApp recipients may opt out of non-essential messages by contacting the school.
9. Questions and complaints
Send privacy enquiries to info@crescentacademy.co.za. We may request identity verification before disclosing, correcting or deleting information. A person may also approach South Africa’s Information Regulator if a concern is not resolved.