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| Field | Graded Pro (Grade Direct) |
|---|---|
| Staff rating | Green Processor, no training on inputs, UK/EU storage or stated transfer safeguards, school DPA available |
| Pupil rating | Amber 18+ to create an own account; under-18 students submit only through accounts and assignments set up by their teacher or school |
| Main use | AI essay and work marking |
| SupplierThe company that makes and runs the tool. | EdSystems Ltd (UK, company 16551984), trading as Grade Direct |
| CategoryWhat sort of tool it is, for example a chatbot or a lesson-planning helper. | AI marking / feedback |
| Pupil-facingWhether pupils use it directly, or only staff. Pupil use needs extra care. | yes - students can submit work through teacher or school set-up accounts (portal, app, Google Classroom) |
| Processor or controllerA processor only uses data on your school’s instructions. A controller makes its own decisions about the data, which means your school has less say. | processor for pupil data uploaded on behalf of a school (school is controller, under a DPA); controller for account data |
| Where data is storedWhich country the data is stored in. UK or EU storage is usually simpler for schools. | DigitalOcean (US, with EU data centre options) for hosting; OpenAI (US) gets the student first name and the work; transfers under SCCs, UK IDTA/Addendum and DPF where certified (compliance statement) |
| Trains AI models on inputsWhether what you type (or upload) may be used to improve the supplier’s AI. “No” is what you want for anything about pupils or staff. | no - "We do not use Pupil Data to train AI models"; OpenAI API terms: not retained for training (privacy policy) |
| How long inputs are keptHow long the supplier keeps what you type before deleting it. | kept as long as the school needs; deleted submissions removed from backups within 30 days; on termination deleted from active systems within 30 days and backups within 90 days |
| Data processing agreement (DPA)The data processing agreement: the contract that sets out how the supplier must look after your school’s data. | Link (opens in a new tab) |
| Signs individual DPAs with schoolsWhether the supplier will sign a data agreement with your school specifically, rather than just standard online terms. | yes - downloadable Data Privacy Agreement for schools to sign |
| UK GDPR representative / DPOWhether the supplier names a data protection officer or UK representative you can contact about data questions. | DPO contact: richard@grade.direct (DPA) |
| Minimum ageThe youngest age the supplier allows to use the tool. Check this before any pupil uses it. | 18+ to create an own account; under-18 students submit only through accounts and assignments set up by their teacher or school |
| Key safety noteAnything else worth knowing, such as admin controls or content filtering. | DPA template is short and generic (sub-processor list on request); recommends pseudonymised student data and no special category data |
| Research statusHow complete our research on this tool is. | sourced (privacy policy, terms and compliance statement effective 9 May 2026 plus DPA read 26 Oct 2026) |
| Last checked | 2026-11-01 |
Ratings are a rules-based summary of each supplier’s published terms. Not legal advice. How we rate tools