Privacy Notice

MEL International School ("the School", "we", "us") is an independent school located at 31 Argyl Street, Germiston South (Industries EA), Germiston, 1401. We are the responsible party for the personal information described in this notice, as that term is used in the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).

Through the enquiry and admissions forms on this website we collect: the learner's name (first, optional middle, and last) and the grade applied for; whether day or boarding placement is sought; the parent or guardian's name, relationship to the student, email address, telephone number and preferred method of communication; optionally a second parent or guardian's contact details; optionally the learner's previous school; and any additional information you choose to include in your message.

Submitting an application on this website requires a once-off R500 application fee. You may pay via PayFast (South African cards and Instant EFT) or PayPal. Card and wallet details are entered on those payment operators. We do not collect or store card numbers. We receive a payment confirmation from the chosen operator so we can match the fee to the application.

We deliberately do not collect identity numbers, dates of birth or home addresses through this website. Where those are needed for enrolment, they are collected on the enrolment form and handled by the Admissions Office directly.

Our web host records standard server logs, including IP addresses, for security and diagnostic purposes.

POPIA places specific restrictions on processing the personal information of a child. We process a learner's information on this website only where a parent or legal guardian (a competent person, in POPIA's terms) has given consent by submitting the form, and only to respond to that enquiry and administer the admissions process.

If you believe information about a child has been submitted to us without the consent of a parent or guardian, contact us using the details below and we will delete it.

We process the information above to respond to your enquiry, to administer applications and admissions, to confirm the application fee, and to communicate with families about the enrolment process. The legal bases we rely on are your consent, and the performance of a contract where a learner is enrolled.

We do not use enquiry details for marketing unless you have separately asked to receive school news.

We do not sell personal information and we do not share it with third parties for their own marketing.

Information is accessible to the School's Admissions Office and the School Directors, who make final admissions decisions. It is stored with our website and email service providers acting as operators on our behalf, under an obligation of confidentiality. PayFast and/or PayPal process the application fee as payment operators.

We disclose information where the law requires it, including to the Department of Basic Education where applicable.

Enquiries that do not lead to an application are deleted within 12 months. Records relating to enrolled learners are retained for as long as the learner is at the School and thereafter for the period required by South African education and records-retention law.

The website is served over HTTPS. Access to enquiry submissions is limited to staff who need it. We review these arrangements periodically and will notify you and the Information Regulator if a breach affects your personal information, as POPIA requires.

Necessary cookies: this website sets a first-party session cookie so the admissions application form can work securely (including CSRF protection). These cookies are required for the service you request and are not used for advertising.

Optional social embeds: the Instagram gallery on the home page is provided by Elfsight. That embed may set third-party cookies or similar technologies. It does not load until you accept social embeds in the cookie banner (or later via Cookie preferences in the footer). You can withdraw that choice at any time.

We do not currently use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or other advertising trackers on this website. If that changes, we will update this notice and ask for consent before non-essential cookies are set.

Your cookie choice is stored in your browser (local storage) so we remember it on later visits. Clearing site data resets the banner.

You have the right to ask what personal information we hold about you or your child; to have it corrected or deleted; to object to processing; and to withdraw consent at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that already took place.

To exercise any of these rights, contact the School using the details below. You also have the right to complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa.