Pencilwick is in early access. This page says plainly what’s done, what will be ready at launch and what’s planned.
A tutor your school can approve
Pencilwick is built for the questions your privacy officer and digital learning lead will ask: where data lives, who can see it, what the AI is allowed to do, and how teachers switch it off.
ST4S is the Safer Technologies 4 Schools assessment run by Education Services Australia, recognised by every state and territory education department.
The procurement pack
What we’ll give you, and where each piece stands today.
ST4S assessment
We’ll complete the readiness check and the full Safer Technologies 4 Schools assessment, including the AI module, and share the report with schools.
PlannedPrivacy impact assessment
Completed before launch and before any material change, and listed on a public register. Written against the Australian Privacy Principles and the draft Children’s Online Privacy Code.
Before launchData processing agreement
Purpose limits, our sub-processors and where they are, breach notification, and deletion of student data when your contract ends.
Before launchAustralian data hosting
Accounts, learning records, backups and logs stored in Australian data centres.
At launchSingle sign-on
Google Workspace for Education and Microsoft Entra ID first, then state identity providers. Roster sync from Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams after that.
RoadmapAccessibility
Designed to WCAG 2.2 AA, with an independent audit before launch. Atkinson Hyperlegible type throughout, chosen for readers who find text hard.
Before launchSecurity
Passwords stored with scrypt, sessions in secure cookies, encryption in transit, and rate limits on sign-in and AI features. Staff accounts will use multi-factor sign-in.
In place
The Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools was agreed by all education ministers in 2023 and is reviewed each year.
How Pencilwick maps to the Australian Framework for Generative AI in Schools
| Framework element | What Pencilwick does |
|---|---|
| Teaching and learning | Hints before answers. Teachers set the tutor’s help for each task: hints only, full working, or off. Tutor transcripts can be exported to check how work was produced. We make no AI-detection claims. |
| Human and social wellbeing | A tutor, not a companion: no friendship role-play, no claims of feelings, break suggestions, and crisis support with Kids Helpline, Lifeline, 13YARN and 000. |
| Transparency | Students are always shown who can see their tutor conversations. Generated content is labelled. The privacy policy explains which automated decisions we make, such as mastery levels and practice recommendations. |
| Fairness | WCAG 2.2 AA, explanations in a student’s home language, EAL/D versions of teacher resources, and a web app that runs on low-cost laptops and Chromebooks. |
| Accountability | Teachers approve every generated resource. AI never sets a final grade. Every tutor message has a “Report a problem” button, and a person reviews safety reports. |
| Privacy, security and safety | Names, emails and school names are never sent to the AI model. Student data doesn’t train AI models. Australian hosting from launch, and an ST4S assessment planned. |
This is our understanding of each system’s process, not legal advice. Your sector’s guidance always wins.
Approval differs by state and sector
We’ll help with the paperwork your system asks for.
Western Australia
Public school principals confirm a department risk assessment of third-party services, which decides whether parents are notified or asked for consent.
Victoria
Government schools need opt-in parental consent for tools that collect more than a school email and password, complete their own privacy impact assessment, and must not use tools rated high-risk by ST4S.
New South Wales
Department devices and networks restrict student access to generative AI apps outside NSWEduChat. Pencilwick works well for home learning and in Catholic and independent schools.
Catholic and independent schools
Usually decided by the school or system, often with ST4S reports as evidence. We can start with a single faculty.
Teachers are always free. You pay per student, per year.
Per-student pricing
$8 per student per year for Foundation to Year 6, and $12 for Years 7 to 12. The minimum is $1,500 a year. Every student gets Student Plus and every teacher gets Teacher Pro.
- Invoices that suit schools. Tax invoices with our ABN and the GST shown, purchase order numbers and 30-day terms.
- Onboarding for staff. A session for teachers, and a short guide for families you can send home.
- Early access pilots. During early access we’re running one-term pilots with a small number of schools. Ask us about one.
Estimate your licence
Estimated cost per year
0 × $8 + 650 × $12, per year.