iyarn for schools has taken part in the Safer Technologies 4 Schools (ST4S) assessment process. The web app at app.iyarn.com.au and the iyarn mobile app, as they stood in mid 2026, were assessed against the ST4S assessment standards version 2025.1. They met the minimum required ST4S standards for that version of the service.

Safer Technologies 4 Schools is run by Education Services Australia for participating Australian education jurisdictions and sectors, and for the New Zealand Ministry of Education. It assesses the digital products schools use against a shared set of privacy, security and online safety standards. You can read about the program at st4s.edu.au.

What it means for your school

If your department or sector refers to ST4S in its procurement process, you can tell them that iyarn for schools took part in the 2025.1 assessment. Three things to be clear about, because ST4S asks vendors to be:

  • An ST4S assessment is not an endorsement, recommendation or approval of a product, and it is not a guarantee that a product is right for your school. It is an assessment against a shared standard.
  • Meeting the ST4S standards does not by itself mean a product meets every requirement of your own state, territory or sector. Your education authority decides how it uses ST4S assessments in its own review, and may have additional conditions. Check with them about what they need.
  • We are not permitted to provide the assessment report or any extract of it. Schools that want the detailed report should contact their education authority: government schools their State or Territory Department of Education, Catholic schools their diocese or commission, and independent schools their state or territory association of independent schools.
Three panels titled Three things to be clear about. One, not an endorsement: an ST4S assessment is not an endorsement, recommendation or approval of a product, it is an assessment against a shared standard. Two, your authority still decides: it does not by itself mean a product meets every requirement of your state, territory or sector. Three, the report comes from them, not us: iyarn is not permitted to provide the report or any extract of it, so schools should contact their education authority.

ST4S assessments are valid for two years and are not enduring. We are required to tell the assessment team about any significant change to the product in that time, and we will.

What was assessed

The assessment covered iyarn for schools as used by school staff and students for wellbeing check-ins, on the web and in the mobile app. iyarn’s optional AI features were switched off for the assessment, and the wearable integrations used in our research work were out of scope.

What we changed in 2026

Over 2026 we made a series of changes to iyarn:

  • Terms of Use. Our terms now say users keep ownership of what they write in iyarn. Our licence over it is limited to running and improving the service. We do not sell personal wellbeing information or use it for marketing. Schools get at least 30 days’ written notice before an account is closed, with their data available to export.
  • Independent security testing. We commissioned an independent penetration test of our web and API platforms in July 2026 and are acting on the results.
  • Staff passwords. Staff and administrator accounts now need longer, more complex passwords. Every new password is checked against known breached password lists before it is accepted.
  • School control over accountability buddies. When a student invites an accountability buddy, such as a parent or mentor, a school administrator approves the invitation before anyone gains access. A school can also turn the feature off entirely.
Four panels titled What we changed in 2026. Terms of Use: users keep ownership of what they write. Independent security testing: an independent penetration test of the web and API platforms in July 2026. Stronger staff passwords: staff and administrator accounts need longer, more complex passwords, checked against known breached password lists. School control over buddies: a school administrator approves a student’s accountability buddy invitation before anyone gains access.

Where to find more

For what iyarn looks like in a school, start at iyarn for schools. For our privacy and security practices, including where data is held and the services we rely on, see our trust page. For questions about the assessment report itself, contact your education authority as above. For questions about iyarn, email hello@iyarn.com.au.