Terms and Conditions

1 About these terms

These are the terms and conditions ("terms") governing your use of the School Governance Assurance Framework ("service", "platform", "GAF"). They were last updated on March 1, 2026 and apply to all users.

The service is operated by Joshua Mangas, a sole trader registered in England ("we", "us", "our", "operator"). For the purposes of these terms, Joshua Mangas is the service provider.

1.1 Definitions

• Service: The School Governance Assurance Framework platform at portal.governanceassurance.co.uk and related tools, including the board audit, website assurance, reporting, and governance intelligence tools.
• User: Any individual or representative of a school or organisation accessing the service.
• School: A state-funded school in England, including primary, secondary, and special schools.
• Account: Your registration profile on the platform, accessed via email one-time code or OAuth sign-in.
• Assessment Data: The responses, evidence notes, and reports generated through the platform tools.
• GAF Framework: The intellectual property (methodology, standards, assessment elements) comprising the School Governance Assurance Framework.
• Membership: The annual paid membership. £229/school/year for nursery and primary schools; £329/school/year for secondary schools and further education. All tools included at both price points.
• Free Tools: The Board Assurance Audit and Website Check, available without payment.

2 About the service

The School Governance Assurance Framework provides eight AI-powered governance tools — two free (Board Assurance Audit, Website Check) and six membership tools (Website Assurance, Board Intelligence Report, Meeting Agendas, School Progress Assurance, Statutory Assurance, Headteacher Report). Tools are accessed via the School Portal at portal.governanceassurance.co.uk. The service comprises:

• A self-assessment audit covering 54 governance elements across compliance, assurance, and continuity
• AI-powered website compliance scanning against DfE statutory requirements
• Termly board intelligence reports combining data from multiple live sources
• Structured meeting agendas mapped to governance framework elements
• School improvement plan extraction and governor monitoring assignments
• Statutory governor visit plans and downloadable reports
• Headteacher termly data entry feeding into board intelligence
• Account management and data storage

2.1 Scope of the service

The service is designed as a board audit and professional reflection tool for school governors and leaders in England. It is not:

• A substitute for formal external school inspections or audits
• A compliance guarantee or assertion of regulatory compliance
• A replacement for legal, educational, or professional advice
• A data collection or analytics service for third parties

You are solely responsible for determining whether assessment responses are accurate and whether resulting reports meet your governance assurance needs.

3 Account and access

3.1 Registration

To use the service, you must create an account. Registration requires:

• A valid email address
• Your name and role (e.g., Chair of Governors, Clerk, School Leader)
• Your school or organisation name and location

You agree that all information provided is accurate and current. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your email address, which is your account identifier.

3.2 Authentication

The service uses passwordless authentication. To log in, you may either request an email one-time code sent to your registered email address, or use a supported OAuth sign-in provider (e.g., Google). Email one-time codes expire after approximately 1 hour for security.

You are responsible for securing access to your email account. If you believe your email has been compromised, contact us immediately at info@governanceassurance.co.uk.

3.3 Multiple users per school

Multiple governors, clerks, and school leaders from the same school may register separate accounts and access shared assessment data. Each user must register with their own email address.

3.4 Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use the service. By registering, you confirm that you are eligible and authorised to use the service on behalf of your school or organisation.

4 Acceptable use

You agree to use the service only in compliance with these terms and applicable law. You agree not to:

4.1 Prohibited activities

• Access, use, or permit access to the service in any way that violates UK law or the rights of others
• Use the service for any unlawful purpose or activity, or in furtherance of illegal conduct
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the service, its infrastructure, or other users' accounts
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to derive the source code or methodology of the GAF Framework
• Reproduce, republish, or redistribute the GAF Framework, assessment elements, or guidance without written permission
• Use automated tools (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to extract data from the service
• Introduce viruses, malware, or harmful code into the service
• Overload or attempt to disable the service through denial-of-service attacks
• Harass, threaten, defame, or cause harm to other users or the operator
• Enter personal data about pupils, staff, or parents in assessment evidence fields

4.2 Assessment data integrity

Assessment responses must be truthful and reflect genuine governance arrangements. You agree not to:

• Submit false, misleading, or fabricated assessment responses
• Manipulate assessment data to misrepresent your governance status
• Share assessment accounts with unauthorised persons

4.3 Breach of acceptable use

If we discover that you are in breach of acceptable use, we may suspend or terminate your access to the service without notice. We also reserve the right to report unlawful conduct to relevant authorities.

5 Intellectual property

5.1 GAF Framework ownership

The School Governance Assurance Framework, including its methodology, assessment standards, guidance documents, templates, and all related intellectual property, is owned by Joshua Mangas and protected by copyright and design law.

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works based on the GAF Framework without explicit written consent.

5.2 Your assessment data

You retain all rights to the assessment responses, evidence notes, and reports generated by your school through the board audit tool. These are your Assessment Data.

By using the service, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide licence to store, process, and display your Assessment Data for the purposes of operating the platform and providing the service.

5.3 Data use and reporting

We may use anonymised, aggregated, or de-identified insights from Assessment Data across all users for the following purposes:

• Service improvement and feature development
• Publishing aggregate governance insights or sector benchmarking reports (without identifying individual schools)
• Research into school governance practices (with informed consent where appropriate)

We will not use identifiable Assessment Data from your school for marketing, promotion, or third-party sharing without your explicit consent.

5.4 Third-party content

The service may reference or link to third-party content, including guidance from UK government departments, Ofsted, or professional bodies. These third parties retain all rights to their content. We are not responsible for the accuracy or availability of third-party content.

6 Service availability and support

6.1 Service availability

We aim to provide the service 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. However, we cannot guarantee uninterrupted availability. The service may be interrupted for:

• Scheduled or emergency maintenance
• Infrastructure failures or events beyond our reasonable control
• Security incidents or emergency security patches

We will make reasonable efforts to notify users of planned maintenance in advance. We are not liable for any loss or interruption caused by service unavailability.

6.2 Data backups and recovery

We maintain automated backups of Assessment Data. In the event of data loss, we will make reasonable efforts to recover your data. However, we cannot guarantee 100% data recovery in all circumstances.

6.3 Support

Free Tools: Email support within 5 business days. Support covers account access, basic technical issues, and general service questions.

Membership: Priority email support within 24 hours on business days, plus access to detailed implementation guides.

Support is provided during UK working hours (Monday to Friday, 09:00-17:00 GMT). Contact support at info@governanceassurance.co.uk.

6.4 Service changes

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue features of the service (except for core assessment functionality) at any time. Significant changes to core functionality will be notified to users with at least 30 days' notice.

7 Free Tools and Membership

7.1 Free Tools

The following tools are available without payment or membership:

• Board Assurance Audit — Self-assessment against 54 governance elements across compliance, assurance, and continuity stages. Includes automated reporting and progress tracking.
• Website Check — Instant scan of your school website against DfE statutory governance compliance requirements. Flags missing, outdated, or non-compliant content.

Free Tools are provided at no cost and are available indefinitely subject to these terms. Email support is provided at standard response times.

7.2 Membership tools

The Membership includes all Free Tools plus the following six tools:

• Website Assurance — AI-powered audit that crawls every page of your school website and cross-references against current DfE statutory requirements. Eight compliance categories across 60+ checks. Run termly scans and track your compliance score over the year.
• Board Intelligence Report — Termly governance briefing combining GIAS records, Ofsted history, Companies House filings, financial benchmarking, DfE performance data, Board Audit progress, and AI-generated recommendations. 12 sections from 7 live data sources.
• Meeting Agendas — Nine structured agenda templates mapped to GAF framework elements. Every item is specific, timebound, and includes a challenge question for governors.
• School Progress Assurance — Upload your School Improvement Plan and the framework extracts priorities automatically. Governors are assigned across three termly stages with downloadable visit reports.
• Statutory Assurance — All 11 statutory governor monitoring roles with structured visit plans across three terms. Downloadable reports with governor names pre-populated.
• Headteacher Report — Five-minute termly data entry covering attendance, exclusions, staffing, budget, SIP progress, and safeguarding. Feeds directly into the Board Intelligence Report.

Membership also includes priority email support (24-hour response time on business days) and access to implementation resources.

7.3 Membership eligibility

To use the Membership tools, you must have an active paid subscription (see section 8). If your Membership subscription lapses and is not renewed, your account will revert to Free Tools access. Your Assessment Data remains archived and is not deleted.

8 Payment and billing

8.1 Membership pricing

Membership subscriptions are available at prices stated at the time of purchase. Pricing is displayed in GBP and includes VAT where applicable.

We reserve the right to change pricing for new subscriptions and renewals, with at least 30 days' notice to existing subscribers.

8.2 Payment processing

We accept payment by Stripe (credit/debit card), invoice, and purchase order. Card payments are processed securely by Stripe, our third-party payment processor. By purchasing a subscription via Stripe, you agree to Stripe's Services Agreement. We do not store your full payment card details on our servers.

For invoice or purchase order payments, contact us at info@governanceassurance.co.uk. Payment terms for invoiced subscriptions are 30 days from the date of invoice unless otherwise agreed.

8.3 Subscription terms

Membership subscriptions are billed annually. Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each annual billing period unless cancelled.

You are responsible for ensuring your payment method is current and valid. If payment fails, we may suspend access to Membership features after notification and a reasonable grace period.

8.4 Cancellation and refunds

You may cancel your Membership subscription at any time by contacting us at info@governanceassurance.co.uk. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current annual billing period.

Refunds are available within 14 days of purchase if you have not used the Membership features (subject to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 cooling-off period). Pro-rata refunds are not available outside the cooling-off period. For additional guidance, see our Privacy Policy.

8.5 Late payment

If payment is not received by the due date, we reserve the right to suspend access to the service and pursue payment recovery. Failure to pay may result in account termination.

8.6 VAT and taxes

All prices are shown including VAT where applicable. You are responsible for any taxes or duties levied in your jurisdiction.

9 Data and privacy

9.1 Data protection

Your personal data and Assessment Data are handled according to our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these terms.

Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR compliance: We comply with UK data protection law. Assessment Data is stored in Supabase infrastructure hosted in the EU. You retain all rights to your Assessment Data and may request access, correction, or deletion at any time.

9.2 Data security

We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL)
• Encrypted data storage in Supabase database
• Access controls and row-level database policies
• Regular security reviews and updates

However, no online service is completely secure. We are not liable for unauthorised access caused by factors beyond our reasonable control.

9.3 AI processing

The platform uses Anthropic AI for governance document analysis, School Improvement Plan extraction, report generation, and website compliance assessment. Data sent to Anthropic for processing is subject to Anthropic's data processing terms. Anthropic does not use your data for model training. AI-generated outputs (reports, recommendations, compliance assessments) are provided as professional reflection aids and do not constitute legal or regulatory advice.

9.4 Breach notification

If we become aware of a data breach affecting your Assessment Data, we will notify you as soon as reasonably practicable and comply with UK GDPR notification obligations.

9.5 Data retention

Assessment Data is retained for as long as your account is active. Upon account termination or deletion request, Assessment Data will be deleted within 30 days. See the Privacy Policy for full retention details.

10 Limitation of liability

10.1 Disclaimer of warranties

The service is provided "as is" without any express or implied warranties or conditions. To the extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

10.2 Limitation of liability

Subject to section 10.3, our total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising out of or relating to these terms or the service shall not exceed the total amount you have paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or £100 (whichever is greater).

10.3 Exceptions to limitation

The limitation in section 10.2 does not apply to:

• Death or personal injury caused by our negligence
• Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
• Liability for data breach under UK GDPR
• Liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law

10.4 Exclusion of indirect damages

We are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, revenue, data, or business opportunity, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

10.5 Assessment tool disclaimer

The assessment tool provides a professional reflection framework and is not a guarantee of governance compliance, regulatory approval, or external validation. Assessment results are for internal governance reflection only. You are responsible for interpreting and acting on assessment outcomes, seeking independent advice where necessary.

11 Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Changes will be effective when we post the updated terms on the website. Material changes will be notified to users with at least 30 days' notice.

Your continued use of the service following notification of changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms. If you do not accept the changes, you must discontinue use of the service.

The date at the top of these terms reflects the most recent update.

12 Termination

12.1 Termination by you

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us at info@governanceassurance.co.uk. Upon termination, your access to the service will be removed. Your Assessment Data may be archived for a period before deletion (see Privacy Policy for retention details).

12.2 Termination by us

We may terminate or suspend your access to the service if:

• You breach these terms or our Acceptable Use Policy and fail to cure the breach within 14 days of notice
• Your account is used in violation of UK law
• Payment is not received for a Membership subscription and remains unpaid after 30 days' notice
• We cease providing the service (with at least 90 days' notice to all users)

12.3 Effect of termination

Upon termination, your right to access the service ends immediately. Sections 5 (Intellectual Property), 9 (Data and Privacy), 10 (Limitation of Liability), and 13 (Governing Law) survive termination.

12.4 Survival of obligations

Payment obligations for unpaid billing periods survive termination and must be settled before access is restored.

13 Governing law

13.1 Jurisdiction

These terms and all matters relating to the service are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales, without regard to its principles of conflict of law.

13.2 Dispute resolution

Before initiating formal legal proceedings, we encourage you to contact us to attempt to resolve disputes informally. Contact details are in section 14.

Any dispute, claim, or proceeding arising out of or relating to these terms or the service shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

13.3 Consumer rights

If you are a consumer (as defined under the Consumer Rights Act 2015), you may have additional rights that cannot be excluded. This clause does not limit your statutory consumer rights under UK law.

13.4 Statutory compliance

These terms comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the UK GDPR. In the event of conflict between these terms and UK law, UK law shall prevail to the extent required.

14 Contact

If you have questions about these terms, the service, or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:

14.1 Contact details

• Email: info@governanceassurance.co.uk
• Service operator: Joshua Mangas
• Online contact form: Available on the main website

14.2 Response time

Free Tools users: We aim to respond within 5 business days. Membership users: We aim to respond within 24 hours on business days. Support is provided during UK working hours (Monday to Friday, 09:00-17:00 GMT).

14.3 Complaints

If you are not satisfied with our response to a complaint, you may escalate the matter by contacting info@governanceassurance.co.uk with "Escalation" in the subject line. We will investigate and respond within 10 business days.

14.4 Data protection enquiries

For enquiries about data protection, privacy, or to exercise your rights under UK GDPR, see our Privacy Policy for contact details and the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) escalation process.