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Shard Learning — Terms of Service

Effective Date: 1 February 2026
Last Updated: 1 February 2026

1. Agreement to Terms

Welcome to Shard Foundry (the "Platform"), operated by Shard Learning ("we", "our", "us"). The Platform is available at https://shardlearning.com and related subdomains.

By accessing or using the Platform, you agree to these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy (available at Privacy Policy). Please read these Terms carefully and immediately cease using the Platform if you do not agree to them.

We may vary these Terms at any time by publishing updated terms on the Platform. We recommend you check the Platform regularly to ensure you are aware of our current terms. Your continued use of the Platform after changes are published constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. Platform Purpose and Users

The Platform is an educational service for Australian secondary school students studying Digital Technologies, aligned with the Australian Curriculum v9.0 (ACARA). It provides interactive content for students in Years 7–12.

The Platform is designed for children and young people. We handle all user data with heightened care appropriate to this context.

User categories:

Students: Individuals enrolled in Australian secondary schools, typically in Years 7–12. Students access the Platform exclusively through class invitations issued by verified Teachers. The majority of Students are minors (under 18 years of age), and all Student data is treated with the protections appropriate for children's data.

Teachers: Educators at Australian schools who create and manage classes. Teachers must be verified by a Platform administrator before they can invite Students.

Administrators: Individuals responsible for Platform management, including Teacher verification.

3. School-Mediated Access and Consent

The Platform operates under a school-mediated consent model, which is the standard approach for educational technology in Australian schools.

How access works: Students cannot self-register. Access is provided exclusively through Teacher invitation, and Teachers must be verified by a Platform administrator before they can create classes or invite Students.

School and Teacher responsibilities: By using the Platform and inviting Students, Teachers and schools represent and warrant that:

• They have obtained appropriate parental or guardian consent for each Student, whether through specific consent for this Platform or through the school's existing consent framework covering school-approved digital learning tools
• They are authorised by their school or educational institution to use the Platform for educational purposes
• They will not invite Students to the Platform unless the school's consent framework is in place
• They will comply with their school's and jurisdiction's requirements regarding student data and online services

Our role: Shard Learning acts as a data processor on behalf of the school for educational purposes. The school maintains the direct relationship with parents and guardians and is responsible for the consent framework. We do not collect consent directly from parents or guardians.

4. Account Registration and Security

To use the Platform, you must create an account using either an email address and password, or through Google or Microsoft OAuth authentication.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You must notify us immediately at official@shardlearning.com if you become aware of any unauthorised use of your account.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or that we reasonably believe have been compromised.

5. Licence to Use the Platform

We grant you a non-exclusive, royalty-free, revocable, non-transferable licence to access and use the Platform in accordance with these Terms, solely for personal, non-commercial educational purposes. All other uses are prohibited without our prior written consent.

6. Prohibited Conduct

You must not do or attempt to do anything that is unlawful, prohibited by any laws applicable to the Platform, which we would consider inappropriate, or which might bring us or the Platform into disrepute. Without limitation, you must not:

• Breach an individual's privacy, including uploading private or personal information without that individual's consent
• Use the Platform to defame, harass, threaten, menace, bully, or offend any person
• Interfere with any other user's use of the Platform
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Platform, other users' accounts, or any systems or networks connected to the Platform
• Tamper with or modify the Platform, knowingly transmit viruses or other disabling features, or damage or interfere with the Platform, including using trojan horses, viruses, or programming routines that may damage or interfere with the Platform
• Use the Platform in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the Platform
• Use the Platform to send unsolicited messages
• Use automated scripts, bots, or other tools to access the Platform without our express written permission
• Attempt to reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Platform
• Share your account credentials with others or use another person's account
• Facilitate or assist a third party to do any of the above

7. Exclusion of Competitors

You are prohibited from using the Platform, including any content, in any way that competes with our business without our prior written consent.

8. Educational Content and Intellectual Property

Ownership: Unless otherwise indicated, we own or licence all rights, title, and interest (including intellectual property rights) in the Platform and all content, including lessons, quizzes, graphics, and text. Your use of the Platform does not grant or transfer to you any rights, title, or interest in the Platform or its content.

Your use: You may access and use Platform content solely for personal, non-commercial educational purposes. You must not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works from, publicly display, sell, or otherwise exploit Platform content without our prior written consent.

Educational information: The content on the Platform is for general educational purposes only. While we use reasonable attempts to ensure accuracy, we make no representation or warranty that content is complete, accurate, reliable, up-to-date, or suitable for any particular purpose. The content does not constitute professional advice.

9. User Submissions

You may submit content to the Platform, including quiz responses and other educational work ("User Submissions").

Licence grant: By submitting User Submissions to the Platform, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store and process your User Submissions for the purpose of operating the Platform, and to share your User Submissions with your enrolled Teachers for educational purposes. This licence continues only for as long as your account is active or until your data is deleted in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Your responsibilities: You are solely responsible for all User Submissions you make. You represent and warrant that:

• You are the owner of your User Submissions or have the necessary rights to submit them
• Your User Submissions do not infringe any third party's intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or other legal rights
• Your User Submissions do not violate any applicable law or regulation

Our rights: We do not endorse or approve, and are not responsible for, User Submissions. We may, at any time and at our sole discretion, remove any User Submissions.

10. Third-Party Services and Links

The Platform uses third-party services for authentication (Google and Microsoft OAuth) and hosting (Amazon Web Services). We are not responsible for the practices of these third parties; please review their terms and privacy policies.

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites. Unless expressly stated otherwise, we do not control, endorse, or approve, and are not responsible for, the content on those websites. You should make your own investigations regarding the suitability of third-party websites.

11. Service Availability, Discontinuance, and Data

Service Availability: We aim to keep the Platform available and functioning, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation. The Platform may be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance, updates, or circumstances beyond our control.

Discontinuance: We may, at any time and without notice to you, discontinue the Platform in whole or in part, or exclude any person from using the Platform at our sole discretion. We are not responsible for any liability you may suffer arising from or in connection with any such discontinuance or exclusion.

Data Storage: The Platform is in an early stage of development with a limited user base. You acknowledge and agree that:

• We do not currently maintain backups of user data. In the event of data loss, your account information and educational progress may not be recoverable.
• We may need to delete user data as part of Platform development, maintenance, or restructuring.
• We will endeavour to provide reasonable notice before any planned deletion of user data, but this may not always be possible.

12. Warranties and Disclaimers

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we make no representations or warranties about the Platform or its content, including without limitation that:

• They are complete, accurate, reliable, up-to-date, or suitable for any particular purpose
• Access will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from viruses
• The Platform will be secure

The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

You access, use, and act on the Platform and its content at your own risk.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we are not responsible for any loss, damage, or expense, howsoever arising, whether direct or indirect and whether present, unascertained, future, or contingent ("Liability"), suffered by you or any third party arising from or in connection with:

• Your use of the Platform or its content
• Any inaccessibility of, interruption to, or outage of the Platform
• Any loss or corruption of data
• The fact that any content is incorrect, incomplete, or out-of-date

Our total liability for any claim arising from or related to the Platform will not exceed the amount you paid to us (if any) in the twelve months preceding the claim.

Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts, or modifies any consumer guarantee, right, or remedy conferred by the Australian Consumer Law that cannot be excluded, restricted, or modified by agreement.

14. Indemnity

To the maximum extent permitted by law, you must indemnify us, and hold us harmless, against any Liability suffered or incurred by us arising from or in connection with your use of the Platform or any breach of these Terms or any applicable laws by you. This indemnity is a continuing obligation, independent from the other obligations under these Terms, and continues after these Terms end. It is not necessary for us to suffer or incur any Liability before enforcing a right of indemnity under these Terms.

15. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Platform at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice. Upon termination, your right to use the Platform ceases immediately.

You may delete your account at any time through the Platform's account settings. Account deletion will result in the permanent removal of your data in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Survival: In the event of termination, all restrictions imposed on you by these Terms, limitations of liability, indemnities, and intellectual property provisions will survive.

16. Disputes

In the event of any dispute arising from or in connection with these Terms ("Dispute"), the party claiming there is a Dispute must give written notice to the other party setting out the details of the Dispute and proposing a resolution.

Within 14 days after receiving the notice, the parties must meet (which may include by video conference) at least once to attempt to resolve the Dispute in good faith, or agree on an alternative method of resolving the Dispute.

If the parties do not resolve the Dispute, or agree on an alternative resolution method, within 30 days after receipt of the notice, the Dispute may be referred by either party to litigation.

17. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

Your use of the Platform and these Terms are governed by the laws of the Australian Capital Territory. You irrevocably and unconditionally submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Australian Capital Territory and any courts entitled to hear appeals from those courts, and waive any right to object to proceedings being brought in those courts.

International access: The Platform may be accessed throughout Australia and overseas. We make no representation that the Platform complies with the laws (including intellectual property laws) of any country outside Australia. If you access the Platform from outside Australia, you do so at your own risk and are responsible for complying with the laws of the jurisdiction where you access the Platform.

18. General Provisions

Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Shard Learning regarding the Platform.

Severability: If a provision of these Terms is held to be void, invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision must be read down as narrowly as necessary to allow it to be valid or enforceable. If it is not possible to read down a provision (in whole or in part), that provision (or that part of that provision) is severed from these Terms without affecting the validity or enforceability of the remainder of that provision or the other provisions in these Terms.

Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

Assignment: You may not assign or transfer your rights under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations without restriction.

19. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at:

Shard Foundry is a registered business name of Shard Learning Pty Ltd.