How we look after your information.

Last updated: June 2026

Who we are

Fernway Global Ltd ("Fernway", "we", "us", "our") is a New Zealand company that designs and delivers immersive cultural, educational and sporting programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand for international students, athletes, families, schools and organisations.

This privacy policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what your rights are under the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020.

What information we collect

We only collect information that we genuinely need to provide our services. This typically includes:

• Identification information: name, date of birth, nationality, passport details (where required for programme participation).
• Contact information: email address, phone number, postal address, country of residence.
• Family information: parent or guardian names, contact details, and emergency contacts.
• Programme information: educational background, English proficiency, sporting background, dietary requirements, medical considerations relevant to safe programme delivery.
• Communications: the content of your messages to us and our replies, including any messages exchanged through the Fernway Connect app.
• Website usage: standard analytics data such as pages visited, time on site, device type and approximate location — collected only after you accept analytics cookies.

Why we collect it

We collect personal information for the following purposes:

• To respond to your enquiries and provide the information you've asked for.
• To assess suitability for, and deliver, our programmes (including matching students to schools, homestays and activities).
• To communicate with families, schools, homestays and partners during programmes.
• To meet legal, immigration, safeguarding and accreditation requirements.
• To improve our website and programme materials.

We do not use your information for any purpose you wouldn't reasonably expect. We do not sell or rent your data to anyone.

Sharing your information

We share your personal information only with parties directly involved in delivering your programme, and only to the extent necessary. This may include:

• Partner schools, homestay families, and sporting clubs hosting you in New Zealand.
• Insurance providers, transport operators and activity providers used during the programme.
• Service providers who help us operate (for example, our email host, website host, and the Fernway Connect app infrastructure).
• Government agencies where required by law (for example, Immigration New Zealand, Inland Revenue, or in response to a lawful request).

Every service provider we use is bound by confidentiality obligations and is permitted to use your information only for the specific purpose we've engaged them.

Information about minors

A significant proportion of Fernway participants are under 18. We treat information about minors with particular care:

• We collect information about minors only with the explicit consent of a parent or legal guardian.
• Photographs and updates involving minors are visible only to the family circle, homestay and host school of the relevant child — never publicly shareable through the Fernway Connect app.
• We retain a child's information only for as long as needed to deliver and properly close out their programme, plus any retention period required by law.

How we store and protect your information

Personal information is stored on systems hosted in New Zealand and Australia, with industry-standard encryption in transit and at rest. Access is restricted to Fernway staff and authorised partners with a legitimate need.

We review our security practices regularly. If a breach were to occur, we would notify affected individuals and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner in accordance with our obligations under the Privacy Act 2020.

How long we keep your information

We keep your information for as long as is reasonably necessary for the purpose it was collected, and to meet legal and accreditation requirements. Enquiry data from people who do not progress to a programme is typically deleted within 24 months.

Your rights

Under the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:

• Ask what personal information we hold about you.
• Request a copy of that information.
• Ask us to correct anything that is wrong or out of date.
• Ask us to delete information we no longer need to hold.
• Withdraw your consent to ongoing communications at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please email info@fernwayglobal.co.nz. We aim to respond within 20 working days, as the Act requires.

Cookies and analytics

Our website uses a small number of cookies. Strictly necessary cookies (used to remember your cookie preference) load by default. Analytics cookies — which help us understand which pages are useful — load only after you accept them via the consent banner. You can clear cookies and change your preferences at any time through your browser settings.

Complaints

If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us first — we'd like the chance to put it right. If you remain unsatisfied, you can raise a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of New Zealand:

• Website: privacy.org.nz
• Phone: 0800 803 909 (within New Zealand)

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services or to legal requirements. The "last updated" date at the top of the page shows when the current version came into effect. We'll never make changes that reduce your rights without telling you directly.

Contact us

Fernway Global Ltd
Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand
Email: info@fernwayglobal.co.nz
Phone: +64 21 774 250