Privacy policy
FernHub ("we", "us") operates fernhub.co.nz as an informational website. This page explains what data may be involved when you visit and how we use it.
What FernHub is
FernHub publishes publicly available information about New Zealand schools, early childhood education (ECE) services, and related topics. We do not run accounts or logins on this site. We do not sell your personal information.
Information we do not collect
This static website does not require you to create an account. We do not intentionally collect names, addresses, or contact details you enter into forms on this site (other than what your browser sends to third parties when you use features described below).
Data sources
School and ECE service data is sourced from the Ministry of Education school and ECE directories, published under the New Zealand Government Open Access and Licensing framework (NZGOAL — open government data). These directories may include contact details (phone, email, address) for institutions. Home-based care listings may additionally include residential addresses and personal contact details of individual educators, as published by the Ministry. FernHub reproduces this data as supplied; we do not independently verify or augment it.
Maps and location
School and childcare search and map features use Google Maps and related Google services when you load those pages. Google's privacy policy applies to how they process data. If you use address autocomplete or nearby search, your queries may be sent to Google to return results.
If you allow browser location, we may use your coordinates to show schools near you. That processing happens in your browser; we do not store your GPS coordinates on our servers (we do not operate application servers for this static site).
Approximate location (IP)
If precise location is unavailable, we may use a third-party IP geolocation service to suggest an approximate area for "nearby" school listings. That provider receives your IP address as part of the request. We do not control their retention policies; refer to their documentation.
Cookies and local storage
Google Maps and other embedded services may set cookies or use browser storage according to their policies. You can manage cookies through your browser settings.
If you contact us, we will use your address only to respond to your message and for related communication about that enquiry.
Children
FernHub is a general information site for adults and caregivers. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently received information about a child, please contact us.
Changes
We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date at the bottom reflects the latest version.
Contact
Questions? Get in touch
Last updated: 20 April 2026