Terms of Service

Last updated: 5 April 2025

1. About these terms

These terms of service ("Terms") govern your use of the ReadingBridge platform at readingbridge.co.uk ("the Service"). ReadingBridge is a trading name of Next Generation Forge Ltd. ("we", "us", "our").

By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Service.

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, except where you have a statutory right to bring proceedings in a different jurisdiction.

2. The Service

ReadingBridge provides voice-guided reading support for Key Stage 2 children (typically aged 7–11). The Service includes real-time speech-to-text transcription, comprehension activities, fluency assessment, and progress tracking.

The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. While we aim to maintain a reliable and high-quality service, we do not guarantee that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or available at all times. We may carry out scheduled maintenance or updates from time to time.

3. Account types and eligibility

3.1 Parent and tutor accounts

Parents and tutors may create an account to manage one or more pupil profiles. You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account and for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials.

3.2 School administrator and teacher accounts

School administrators may create accounts on behalf of their school and invite teachers. School accounts are governed by both these Terms and any separate data processing agreement between ReadingBridge and the school. Where a conflict exists between these Terms and a data processing agreement, the data processing agreement shall prevail.

3.3 Pupil access

Children do not create their own accounts. Pupil profiles are created by a parent, tutor, teacher, or school administrator. Children access the Service under the supervision and responsibility of the adult who manages their profile. You are responsible for ensuring that children in your care use the Service appropriately.

4. Subscriptions and payment

4.1 Free and paid plans

ReadingBridge may offer free and paid subscription plans. Details of current plans, features, and pricing are available on our parent plans. Prices are stated inclusive of VAT where applicable.

4.2 Billing and renewal

Paid subscriptions are billed in advance on a recurring basis (monthly or annually, depending on your chosen plan). Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless you cancel before the renewal date. Payments are processed securely by Stripe.

4.3 Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings. Upon cancellation, your subscription will remain active until the end of your current billing period. After the billing period ends, your account will revert to the free plan (if available) and access to paid features will cease.

4.4 Refunds

We do not generally offer refunds for partial billing periods. However, if you believe you have been charged in error, please contact us at support@readingbridge.co.uk and we will review your case.

4.5 Consumer rights

If you are a consumer, you have a statutory right to cancel a subscription within 14 days of purchase under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. If you have used the Service during the cooling-off period, you may be charged a proportionate amount for the service received.

4.6 Price changes

We may change our subscription prices from time to time. If we increase the price of your plan, we will give you at least 30 days' notice before the change takes effect. If you do not agree to the new price, you may cancel your subscription before the change applies.

5. Acceptable use

You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You must not:

• Use the Service in any way that breaches any applicable local, national, or international law or regulation
• Use the Service in any way that is fraudulent or deceptive, or has any fraudulent or deceptive purpose or effect
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Service, the server on which the Service is hosted, or any connected database or system
• Use automated tools, bots, scrapers, or other software to access the Service without our prior written consent
• Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Service
• Create accounts on behalf of others without their authorisation
• Share your account credentials with third parties
• Submit, upload, or transmit any content that is offensive, harmful, threatening, abusive, or otherwise objectionable
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Service

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if we reasonably believe that you have breached these Terms.

6. Intellectual property

6.1 Our content

All intellectual property rights in the Service — including but not limited to the software, design, text, graphics, logos, and AI models — are owned by or licensed to ReadingBridge. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any part of the Service without our prior written consent.

6.2 AI-generated content

The Service uses artificial intelligence to generate reading activities, questions, and feedback. AI-generated content is provided for educational purposes within the Service and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional educational assessment.

6.3 Your content

You retain ownership of any content you submit to the Service (for example, book titles entered for reading sessions). By submitting content, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use that content solely for the purpose of providing the Service to you.

7. Privacy and data protection

Your privacy is important to us. Our use of your personal data is governed by our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

We comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the ICO's Age Appropriate Design Code. Full details of how we collect, use, and protect your data are set out in our Privacy Policy.

8. Children’s safety

ReadingBridge is designed for use by children, and safeguarding is central to how we build and operate the Service:

• All AI-generated content is filtered for age-appropriateness
• Children cannot communicate with other users through the Service
• Children do not have publicly visible profiles
• We do not display advertising to children
• We apply the highest standards of data minimisation for children's data

If you have a safeguarding concern, please contact us immediately at safeguarding@readingbridge.co.uk.

9. Availability and service changes

We may update, modify, or discontinue features of the Service at any time. Where changes materially affect your use of the Service, we will give you reasonable notice.

We aim to ensure the Service is available at all times but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. We shall not be liable for any unavailability caused by factors outside our reasonable control, including internet service disruptions, hosting provider outages, or force majeure events.

10. Limitation of liability

10.1 Educational tool, not professional advice

ReadingBridge is an educational support tool and does not replace professional educational assessment, special educational needs provision, or qualified teaching. Progress data and reading scores are indicative and should be considered alongside professional judgement.

10.2 Our liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, ReadingBridge shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, revenue, data, or goodwill, arising from or in connection with your use of the Service.

Our total aggregate liability to you for any claims arising under or in connection with these Terms shall not exceed the total amount you have paid to us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

10.3 Nothing excluded

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for:

• Death or personal injury caused by our negligence
• Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
• Any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under English law

11. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless ReadingBridge, its directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with your breach of these Terms or your misuse of the Service.

This indemnity does not apply to the extent that a claim arises from our own negligence or breach of these Terms.

12. Termination

12.1 By you

You may close your account at any time by contacting us at support@readingbridge.co.uk. If you have an active paid subscription, cancelling your account will also cancel your subscription at the end of the current billing period.

12.2 By us

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately if:

• You breach these Terms
• We are required to do so by law or a regulatory authority
• Your account has been inactive for a prolonged period (we will give you notice before doing so)

12.3 Effect of termination

On termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. We will retain your data in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You may request a copy of your data or its deletion before or after account closure by contacting privacy@readingbridge.co.uk.

13. Third-party services

The Service integrates with third-party providers for authentication, payment processing, AI models, and analytics. Your use of these third-party services is subject to their own terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for the practices of third-party providers, though we carefully select and monitor our partners.

14. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email or by a prominent notice on the Service at least 30 days before the changes take effect.

Your continued use of the Service after the changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you should stop using the Service and close your account.

15. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be severed from these Terms and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

16. Entire agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any applicable data processing agreement, constitute the entire agreement between you and ReadingBridge regarding your use of the Service. They supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings.

17. Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

Any disputes arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. If you are a consumer, you retain any mandatory rights available to you under the laws of your country of residence.

18. Contact us

If you have any questions about these Terms or the Service:

• General support: support@readingbridge.co.uk
• Privacy enquiries: privacy@readingbridge.co.uk
• Safeguarding concerns: safeguarding@readingbridge.co.uk
• Website: readingbridge.co.uk