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GSMSby Golad

Security and governance

Connected does not mean open.

A school's records describe children and families. GSMS is built so each person sees only what their responsibilities require — enforced by the database, not just the screens.

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  • Each school's data kept apart

    Database-enforced tenant isolation

  • Role + permission + scope

    Least-privilege roles set by the school

  • Safeguarding treated as restricted

    Designated-only access

  • Records you can stand behind

    Five-stage results trail

Controls

Eight safeguards built into the platform.

Every control below exists in GSMS today. Where something depends on how a school configures it, we say so.

01

Each school's data kept apart

Every table that holds school data carries the school group it belongs to, and the database itself (row-level security) stops one group's users from reading another's records — not just the screens.

  • Database-enforced tenant isolation
  • Group → school → campus structure
  • Golad's own console has no access to student records
02

Role + permission + scope

What a person can see depends on their role, the specific permissions that role carries, and the school or campus they are assigned to. Families only ever see their own children.

  • Least-privilege roles set by the school
  • Scope by organisation, school or campus
  • Parent access levels per guardian
03

Safeguarding treated as restricted

Safeguarding cases are visible only to designated staff. Case notes are encrypted with a key held outside the database, and every read is recorded.

  • Designated-only access
  • Field-level encryption of notes
  • Read logging and action history
04

Records you can stand behind

Results move through a fixed approval trail and can only be changed after publication through a recorded correction. Documents keep every version.

  • Five-stage results trail
  • Append-only document versions
  • Audit trail of sensitive changes
05

Private files, short-lived links

Documents, lesson files and photos sit in private storage and are only reached through the app, with links that expire after minutes. Phone photos have location data removed before upload.

  • Private storage buckets
  • Signed links that expire
  • Location data stripped from photos
06

Retention and legal holds

Schools set how long each type of document is kept. Expired documents are flagged, reviewed for 30 days and then archived or removed — unless an administrator places a legal hold.

  • Per-type retention rules
  • 30-day review window
  • Legal holds and audit trail
07

Documents anyone can verify

Report cards, transcripts and fee statements carry a verification code and QR code. Anyone can check one is genuine without seeing the learner's details.

  • Verification code and QR code
  • Superseded copies marked
  • No learner data shown publicly
08

Money confirmed by the provider

A fee is marked paid only when the school's payment provider confirms it through a signed notification — never because a browser said so. School fees never pass through Golad.

  • Signed payment webhooks
  • Each school's own provider account
  • Verifiable fee statements

Everyday practice

How access is handled day to day.

Sign-in
Accounts are created by the school — there is no public sign-up. Passwords are generated for new accounts and can be changed or reset; administrators can deactivate an account at any time.
Access re-checked
Signed-in sessions are re-checked regularly, so a suspended school or deactivated account loses access promptly.
Public forms
Enquiry, demo and contact forms are rate-limited and validated on the server.
Secrets
Service keys stay on the server. The browser never receives database administrator credentials.
Children's data
The school is the data controller for its learners; Golad processes data on the school's instructions. Photo consent and guardian consents are recorded.
AI boundaries
Where AI features are enabled for staff, they only see what that person may see, never safeguarding or health records, and never make decisions about children.

What we don't claim

GSMS is built to help schools meet the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and similar laws, but it does not by itself make a school compliant, and Golad does not currently hold third-party security certifications. Ask us for details of hosting and data processing during your demo.

Read more

Ask us anything about how your data is protected.

We'll walk your team through access, safeguarding and data handling during the demo.

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