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Coach Code of Conduct — WhiteKnight Academy

Scope — where this applies. This document covers WhiteKnight Academy as a whole: both the public website at whiteknight.academy and the learning platform at analytics.whiteknight.academy. Where it refers to "the Site", "the Service", or "the Platform", it means both unless a specific one is named.

Effective date: 2026-07-02

1. About this Code

This Coach Code of Conduct ("Code") describes the standards every coach ("Coach", "you") must meet while engaged through WhiteKnight Academy, operated by TheBroda sp. z o.o. ("we", "the Platform"). It is a binding part of the contractual relationship between you and the Platform.

The Platform teaches children aged 6–14 under parental consent. Your obligations under this Code exist because children are involved. Commercial coaching norms that may be acceptable between adults do not all translate to a youth-coaching context.

2. Acceptance

By ticking "I have read and agree to the Coach Code of Conduct" at onboarding (and on any material update), you:

  • confirm you are 18 years old or over and hold any professional licences or qualifications you have represented to us;
  • confirm you have read the Safeguarding Policy and understand your duties under it;
  • agree that this Code is enforceable against you as part of your Contractor Agreement.

3. Behavioural standards

3.1. Baseline respect

  • Treat every student with courtesy, patience, and encouragement regardless of their playing strength, age, personality, or background.
  • Use language appropriate for the age of the student. No swearing, no derogatory remarks, no insults.
  • Give feedback constructively. Frame mistakes as learning opportunities; do not humiliate.
  • Avoid discussing politics, religion, or any topic unrelated to chess or the student's learning. Parents entrust their child to you for chess coaching, not for ideological influence.

3.2. Appearance and setting during live lessons

  • Be on camera with your face visible and well-lit for the duration of the lesson.
  • Wear appropriate clothing — long sleeves/shirts, no sleepwear, no swimwear.
  • Use a neutral background where practical; avoid anything in-frame that could be inappropriate for a child.
  • Silence notifications from other apps; do not accept phone calls during a lesson.
  • Do not eat a full meal during a lesson; a drink is fine.

3.3. Lesson time

  • Start on time. End on time (or up to 2 minutes early). Do not extend beyond the scheduled slot unilaterally.
  • If a student is late, wait the courteous interval (5–10 minutes) and then end the session with a message. Do not wait in an empty call indefinitely.
  • If you must cancel, give as much notice as reasonably possible via the Platform and propose a reschedule.

4. Communications — strict on-platform rule

  • All coach↔student communication goes through the Platform's messaging + video features.
  • Do not give out your personal email, phone number, social-media handles, gaming handles, home address, or any other off-platform contact method to a student.
  • Do not ask a student (or a parent) for any off-platform contact method with the purpose of bypassing Platform messaging.
  • Do not encourage a student to move to Discord, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, or any other third-party chat for continuing conversations.
  • Parents are welcome to contact you through the Platform and may observe any lesson.
  • Exception: one-to-one exchanges with a parent that have no child as a party, about a scheduling matter, may use email if the parent initiated it — and a copy of that email must be forwarded to contact@whiteknight.academy within 48 hours.

5. Recording

  • You may initiate recording on a lesson only when (a) the student account has parental consent for recording ticked, and (b) you press "Start recording" in the UI with the student's awareness. The UI will show a visible "REC" indicator to all participants.
  • You must never claim a session is not being recorded when it is, nor mislead a student about recording state.
  • You may not capture the session with any external tool (OBS, QuickTime, mobile camera aimed at your screen, etc.). The only approved recording path is through the Platform's Daily.co integration.
  • You may not download, export, share outside the Platform, or retain for personal use any recording made on the Platform.
  • Recordings auto-delete after 30 days; if you want to reference a specific session, do so within that window via the Platform UI.

6. Student-data responsibilities

Students' personal information, performance data, and messages are personal data under GDPR, COPPA, PIPEDA, and similar laws. As our contracted teacher (and potentially as a joint controller — classification joint controller), you agree:

  • Do not export student data (screenshots, copy-paste, CSV export, screen-share to an unrelated third party).
  • Do not discuss specific students with anyone outside the Platform, except where you must report a safeguarding concern to us or to an authority.
  • Do not use aggregated student data for your own marketing, for a newsletter, for social-media content, or for any purpose outside teaching that specific student.
  • Do not train any AI model on student-derived content.
  • Do not contact a former student after your coaching relationship ends, unless a re-engagement is arranged through the Platform.

If you suspect a data-protection breach (you lost a device logged into the Platform, you received a message meant for someone else, etc.), email security@whiteknight.academy immediately.

7. Prohibited behaviour (zero tolerance — grounds for immediate termination)

Any of the following is a material breach of this Code and the Contractor Agreement. It will lead to immediate suspension, investigation per Safeguarding Policy § 10, and — where appropriate — a report to law-enforcement or a professional licensing body.

  • Any sexual conduct, gesture, comment, or innuendo directed at, or referenced to, a minor.
  • Asking or persuading a minor to remove clothing, to show their home, to show their body, or to do anything of a sexual nature.
  • Requesting or sending nude, sexualised, or sexually suggestive images.
  • Sharing, receiving, or possessing child sexual-abuse material (CSAM) through the Platform's channels (the Platform will report such incidents to NCMEC/CyberTip and local authorities regardless of your consent).
  • Physical threats or physical violence, or instructing a minor in ways of violence.
  • Grooming behaviours: pattern of private contact, excessive praise, gift-offering, gradual isolation, creating secrets between coach and student.
  • Attempting to move a minor off-platform to private communication channels.
  • Using the Platform to promote third-party services, political causes, or personal business ventures.
  • Sharing your Coach account credentials with anyone else, or coaching on the Platform as someone else.

8. Gifts, payment, and financial conduct

  • Do not offer gifts, prizes, or money to students (or to parents) outside the reward mechanisms provided by the Platform (XP, badges).
  • Do not accept gifts beyond a nominal thank-you note from a student or parent; any gift over EUR 30 / CAD 50 / USD 30 in apparent value must be reported to contact@whiteknight.academy.
  • Do not solicit tuition, charges, tips, or any payment outside the Platform's billing (the Platform handles all commercial transactions; your compensation is per your Contractor Agreement).
  • Do not ask a parent for financial assistance, loans, or crowdfunding contributions at any time.

9. Tournaments and off-platform events

Where coaches accompany students to in-person tournaments organised through the Platform:

  • Written parental permission per event is required (separately from Platform general consent).
  • Two-adult rule: no single coach is alone with a minor at any point; a parent, a second coach, or a tournament official is always present.
  • Accommodation: no shared sleeping arrangements between coach and student; transport shared only with parental presence.
  • This section applies only to Platform-organised events, not to tournaments where you and a student happen to cross paths independently.

10. Discoveries and duty to report

You must report to contact@whiteknight.academy (or the in-app "Report a concern" button) any of the following as soon as you become aware:

  • A student discloses abuse, neglect, violence, or self-harm ideation.
  • A student tells you that another coach, teacher, caregiver, or adult has behaved inappropriately.
  • You suspect a student is in danger.
  • You become aware of a breach of this Code by another coach.
  • You observe or receive anything that could constitute CSAM (do not copy; preserve metadata; report immediately).

You must not investigate on your own; your role is to report so that the Platform can triage and escalate.

11. Cooperation with investigations

If an investigation is opened involving your conduct or a lesson you led, you agree to:

  • preserve the relevant evidence (do not delete messages, rescheduled lessons, notes);
  • respond to the Platform's questions within the time we request;
  • not discuss the matter with the student or parent (unless we direct you otherwise);
  • not retaliate against the reporter, the student, or their family in any way.

Cooperation is a condition of continuing as a Coach; obstruction of an investigation is grounds for termination and, where applicable, a report to authorities.

12. Background checks and qualifications

During the free beta we rely on your own attestations; from Phase 2 we will introduce formal checks (government-ID verification, where available enhanced DBS/police-check equivalents, and at least two professional references). Providing false information at onboarding is grounds for termination at any time once discovered.

You confirm that:

  • You have not been convicted of, or formally charged with, any offence involving harm to a minor, sexual offences, fraud against vulnerable persons, or any offence that would bar you from working with minors in your jurisdiction.
  • You are not subject to any current disciplinary proceedings by a professional body that would affect your ability to coach minors.
  • If any such matter arises after onboarding, you will inform us within 7 days.

13. Consequences of breach

Breaches are handled per Safeguarding Policy § 10. Summary:

  • Minor breach — verbal reminder, logged.
  • Material breach — written warning and re-training requirement.
  • Serious or repeat breach — suspension pending review → termination of Contractor Agreement.
  • Zero-tolerance breach (§ 7) — immediate suspension; termination unless cleared; referral to authorities as appropriate.

Termination under this Code:

  • ends your right to access the Platform;
  • ends the Contractor Agreement per its own termination clauses;
  • does not discharge payment you are owed for work up to the termination date;
  • may be communicated to any licensing or professional body where our legal obligations require (e.g., FIDE disciplinary processes, national chess federations, professional coaching bodies).

14. Changes to this Code

The Platform may update this Code. For material changes we will:

  • post the updated version and email you with 15 days' notice;
  • require your e-signed acknowledgement of the new version before your next scheduled lesson;
  • decline to schedule new lessons for coaches who have not acknowledged the update.

15. Acknowledgement (to be captured electronically at onboarding)

By proceeding I confirm:

  • I have read this Code of Conduct in full.
  • I have read the Safeguarding Policy in full.
  • I understand and agree to abide by both at all times when engaged with WhiteKnight Academy.
  • I understand that certain breaches (§ 7) will result in immediate suspension and potential reporting to authorities.
  • The statements I have made about myself during onboarding (§ 12) are true to the best of my knowledge.

Signed electronically by:

  • Coach name: ________________________
  • Coach account email: ________________________
  • Date: ________________________
  • Code version: coach-code-of-conduct.v1
Effective date: 2026-07-02 · TheBroda sp. z o.o. · KRS 0000677402, NIP 5242831345Back to site →