Safeguarding Statement

Last updated: October 2026

What this app does

Mr Sear's MTC is a multiplication tables practice tool for primary schools. Children practise times tables questions and teachers track their progress.

Children answer maths questions by pressing number buttons. The only thing they can personalise is their own seat, and only by choosing from a fixed set of background colours and stickers. They cannot upload anything, type their own text, or send their own content to other children, so there is no free content to moderate.

No social or communication features

The app has:

• No chat or messaging
• No comments or posts
• No friend lists or profiles
• No way for children to contact each other
• No social media links or sharing
• No photo, video, or audio uploads
• No free typing or open text of any kind

The class game modes do let children take part together: in some modes a child can affect another child's score as part of the game (for example passing or taking points). Even then, children only ever see each other as generic usernames like "Star" or "Moon", they cannot send messages or free text, and game settings and access remain under the teacher's control.

How children's identities are protected

• Children see their own first name only - no surnames are collected
• Other children appear as generic usernames like "Star", "Moon", or "Penguin" - children never see each other's real names
• Leaderboard scores are visible to the class but shown under generic usernames, not real names
• Children log in with a shared class username and password, then authenticate individually with their own 4-digit PIN

This name-hiding applies between pupils only. Teachers can see all real names and results for their class, and school leads can view individual classes and pupil names for oversight purposes. See the Privacy Policy for full details on who can see what.

Age-appropriate design

The app is designed with the ICO's Children's Code (Age Appropriate Design Code) in mind:

• We collect first names, maths scores, and performance data such as response times and which tables need more practice. Teachers can also choose to record whether a child is pupil premium, SEND or EAL, used only for the school's own progress reporting and never shown to pupils. We also save in-app rewards, seat designs, reading preferences and login/session information. We do not ask for children's surnames, email addresses, home addresses or dates of birth
• No advertising or marketing
• No advertising profiles or third-party analytics - maths performance data supports teaching, and limited connection diagnostics help us investigate technical problems
• Tokens can be earned through completed practice, with at most two sessions per day counting towards the next token. The app shows how many sessions can still count that day.
• Crowns and badges reward game results and progress. Teachers can also set game prizes. Rewards are not based on minutes spent logged in, and tokens and decorations cannot be bought with real money.
• No location tracking
• No data shared with third parties for their own purposes

School filtering and monitoring

The app is compatible with school web filtering and monitoring systems (as referenced in Keeping Children Safe in Education):

• Runs as a standard HTTPS website. School IT teams may need to allow the app and its supporting services through their filters
• No social media or external content links within pupil practice and game activities
• No app downloads or software installation required - children access everything through the browser
• Traffic is visible to school monitoring tools like any other website

Supervised use

The app is designed primarily for classroom use but can also be used for interventions, homework, and independent practice at home with a parent or carer. Teachers can:

• See when children last logged in and when they last practised
• See who is currently answering questions during live game modes
• Remove a child from an active session
• Reset the class password to force all children to log in again
• Control game modes (battles, team games) from the teacher dashboard
• The app can be taken offline via a global maintenance mode if needed

Invite-only access

The app is not publicly available. Access is by invitation only:

• Sear Education invites an organisation lead
• The organisation lead invites teachers
• Teachers create pupil accounts within their class

No one can sign up without an invitation.

Contact

If you have safeguarding questions or concerns:

Sear Education
Email: info@mrsearmtc.uk

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