Terms of Use

1. Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to BrainBuzz. By accessing or using www.brainbuzz.co.uk ("the website," "BrainBuzz," "we," "us," or "our"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree with any part of these terms, please do not use BrainBuzz.

For Parents and Teachers: If you allow children to use BrainBuzz, you are responsible for ensuring they follow these terms.

For Pupils: Ask a parent or teacher to read these terms with you so you understand how to use BrainBuzz properly.

2. Who Can Use BrainBuzz

BrainBuzz is designed as an educational resource for:

• Pupils: Children learning maths and spelling skills (typically ages 5+)
• Parents: Supporting their children's education at home
• Teachers: Using the activities in classrooms or for homework
• Educational Institutions: Schools and educational organisations

Most BrainBuzz activities are free to use and do not require registration. BrainBuzz Mental Maths is a paid annual subscription service available to schools and individual teachers — see Section 10 for full subscription terms.

3. Acceptable Use

BrainBuzz is provided for educational purposes. Here's what is and isn't allowed:

You May:

• Use BrainBuzz for personal educational purposes
• Use activities in classrooms for teaching
• Share links to specific activities with pupils
• Recommend BrainBuzz to other teachers and parents
• Use BrainBuzz on multiple devices
• Track personal progress using local storage

You May Not:

• Copy, reproduce, or redistribute our content without permission
• Use automated tools (bots) to access the website
• Attempt to hack, disrupt, or damage the website
• Remove or modify copyright notices or branding
• Use BrainBuzz for any commercial purpose without authorization
• Scrape content or create derivative works
• Misrepresent your affiliation with BrainBuzz

4. Intellectual Property Rights

All content on BrainBuzz, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, activities, games, code, and design, is owned by or licensed to BrainBuzz and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.

What This Means:

• You can use BrainBuzz activities for learning and teaching
• You cannot copy our games or content for your own website
• You cannot sell or distribute our materials
• You cannot claim our content as your own

Educational Use:

Teachers and educational institutions may:

• Display BrainBuzz on interactive whiteboards for whole-class teaching
• Share direct links to activities with pupils for homework
• Reference BrainBuzz in lesson plans and curriculum materials
• Take screenshots for educational training purposes (with attribution)

5. User Conduct

While using BrainBuzz, all users must:

• Use the website respectfully and appropriately
• Not attempt to interfere with other users' experience
• Not use the website for any unlawful purpose
• Respect the educational nature of the platform
• Follow guidance from parents, teachers, or guardians

6. Mailing List Subscriptions

BrainBuzz offers a voluntary email mailing list for updates about new activities and features.

Subscription Terms:

• Subscription is completely optional - you can use all BrainBuzz features without subscribing
• We will only send emails about BrainBuzz updates, new activities, and relevant educational content
• We will not sell, rent, or share your email address with third parties
• You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email
• We will delete your information within 48 hours of an unsubscribe request

Email Frequency:

We send occasional updates only when we have meaningful new content to share. We respect your inbox and will not spam you.

7. Website Availability

We strive to keep BrainBuzz available and functional at all times, but we cannot guarantee uninterrupted access:

• We may perform maintenance or updates that temporarily affect availability
• Technical issues, server problems, or internet disruptions may occur
• We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of BrainBuzz
• We are not liable for any interruptions or technical difficulties

8. Advertising

BrainBuzz is provided free of charge and is supported by advertising. Our advertising practices:

Child-Appropriate Advertising:

• All advertisements displayed on BrainBuzz must be appropriate for children
• We work with third-party advertising networks that follow child safety guidelines
• Ads are reviewed and filtered to ensure educational appropriateness
• We comply with COPPA and other child protection regulations regarding advertising

Your Responsibilities:

• Advertising helps us provide free educational content
• Ad-blocking software may affect website functionality
• We are not responsible for the content of third-party advertisements
• Clicking on ads is at your own discretion

Reporting Inappropriate Ads:

If you see an advertisement that seems inappropriate for children:

• Take a screenshot if possible
• Contact us immediately at [email protected]
• We will investigate and take appropriate action

9. Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us, especially for young users. Quick summary:

• No Registration for Free Activities: Pupils can use the free areas of BrainBuzz without providing any personal information
• Mental Maths Subscriptions: Schools and individuals must register and provide contact and billing details to subscribe — see Section 10
• Local Storage Only: Pupil game progress is saved on your device, not our servers
• Minimal Data Collection: We collect only what's necessary to operate the service
• COPPA Compliant: We follow all children's privacy protection regulations
• Cookie Controls: You can manage your cookie preferences

For complete details, including the Data Processing Agreement for schools, please read our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

10. BrainBuzz Mental Maths — Subscription Terms

BrainBuzz Mental Maths is a paid annual subscription service providing structured mental maths tests for UK primary school pupils (Years 3–6). These terms apply to all school and individual subscribers.

10.1 Subscription Model

• Subscriptions are sold on an annual basis per teacher seat
• The price per seat and the minimum annual charge are set by BrainBuzz and displayed at the point of registration. Current pricing is shown on the registration page at https://www.brainbuzz.co.uk/mentalmaths/register
• Schools subscribe for a set number of teacher seats. Each seat gives one teacher login access to the platform
• Individuals subscribe for a single seat at the minimum annual charge

10.2 Invoicing and Payment

• Invoices are issued via Stripe and sent to the billing email address provided at registration
• Payment is due within 30 days of the invoice date
• Access to the platform is activated once payment is confirmed by Stripe
• BrainBuzz does not accept cash, cheque, or payment methods other than those supported by Stripe
• All prices are exclusive of VAT. Where VAT applies, it will be shown on the invoice

10.3 Renewal

• Subscriptions do not renew automatically by direct debit or card charge
• On the expiry date, a renewal invoice is automatically issued by Stripe and sent to the billing email address
• Access is suspended on the day of expiry and restored once the renewal invoice is paid
• BrainBuzz reserves the right to adjust pricing at renewal with reasonable notice. Any price change will be communicated by email before the renewal invoice is issued

10.4 Adding Seats (Top-ups)

• Additional seats can be requested at any time from the admin dashboard
• Top-up invoices are prorated based on the number of days remaining in the current subscription period
• Additional seats activate on payment of the top-up invoice

10.5 Cancellation

• You may cancel your subscription at any time from the admin dashboard or by emailing [email protected]
• Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current subscription period. Access continues until the expiry date
• Cancelling a subscription does not cancel any outstanding unpaid invoice

10.6 Refunds

• Subscriptions are non-refundable once the invoice has been paid and access has been granted
• If you experience a significant technical failure of the service that prevents use for a prolonged period, please contact us at [email protected] and we will consider a partial credit or extension at our discretion
• Refunds are not provided for unused seats, unused access periods, or change of mind

10.7 Acceptable Use of Seats

• Seats are for use by teaching staff and employees of the registered school only
• Seats must not be shared with, or transferred to, individuals outside the registered school
• Schools may reassign a seat to a different teacher at any time via the admin dashboard
• Sharing login credentials between multiple individuals is not permitted
• BrainBuzz reserves the right to suspend access where misuse or sharing is suspected

10.8 Service Availability

• BrainBuzz will use reasonable endeavours to ensure the Mental Maths platform is available during normal school hours (8am–6pm, Monday–Friday, term time)
• Planned maintenance will be carried out outside these hours where possible
• We are not liable for loss of access due to circumstances outside our reasonable control

10.9 Changes to Subscription Terms

BrainBuzz may update these subscription terms from time to time. Existing subscribers will be notified by email before any material change takes effect. Continued use of the service after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

11. Disclaimers and Limitations

Educational Content

BrainBuzz is designed to supplement, not replace, formal education:

• Our activities are educational tools, not complete curricula
• Always follow guidance from teachers and schools
• We aim for accuracy but recommend verifying important information
• Consult educational professionals for specific learning needs

Technical Limitations

While we work hard to provide a reliable experience:

• Technology may occasionally fail or contain bugs
• We cannot guarantee the website will always work perfectly
• Performance depends on your device and internet connection
• We are not responsible for data loss due to browser issues
• Different devices and browsers may display content differently

External Links

BrainBuzz may contain links to external educational resources:

• We do not control content on other websites
• External sites have their own terms and privacy policies
• Parents should supervise children visiting external links
• We are not responsible for external website content

12. User Responsibilities

Users of BrainBuzz are responsible for:

• Maintaining the security of their devices
• Ensuring appropriate browser settings and safety features
• Supervising children's internet use (for parents and teachers)
• Backing up any important data stored locally
• Using BrainBuzz in accordance with these terms
• Reporting any problems or inappropriate content

13. Reporting Problems

If you encounter any issues while using BrainBuzz, please contact us:

Technical Issues:

• Games not loading or functioning properly
• Website errors or broken pages
• Problems with score saving
• Mobile or tablet compatibility issues

Content Concerns:

• Inappropriate advertisements
• Mathematical or educational errors
• Accessibility problems
• Suggestions for improvements

Contact: [email protected] or use our contact form

When reporting issues, please include: device type, web browser, what you were doing, and any error messages.

14. Termination

We reserve the right to:

• Restrict or terminate access to BrainBuzz for users who violate these terms
• Modify or discontinue any part of the website at any time
• Remove content that violates these terms or applicable laws
• Block access from specific IP addresses if necessary

Users may stop using BrainBuzz at any time. Local data can be deleted by clearing browser storage.

15. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms of Use from time to time to:

• Reflect new features or changes to BrainBuzz
• Comply with changes in laws or regulations
• Improve clarity and understanding
• Address user feedback

When we make significant changes:

• We'll update the "Last updated" date at the top
• We'll post a notice on the website
• For major changes, we may notify mailing list subscribers
• Continued use of BrainBuzz constitutes acceptance of updated terms

16. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms of Use are governed by the laws of England and Wales, United Kingdom. Any disputes arising from these terms or use of BrainBuzz will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Severability:

If any provision of these terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

Entire Agreement:

These Terms of Use, together with our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and BrainBuzz regarding use of the website.

17. Contact Information

18. Summary

Key Points:

• BrainBuzz is free educational content for pupils, parents, and teachers
• Use BrainBuzz for educational purposes only
• Do not copy, redistribute, or misuse our content
• Mailing list subscriptions are voluntary and can be cancelled anytime
• We display child-appropriate advertising to support free access
• All content is protected by intellectual property rights
• We comply with COPPA and data protection regulations
• Report any problems or inappropriate content to us
• These terms may be updated - check periodically

Thank you for using BrainBuzz and helping pupils develop their maths and spelling skills!