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Trust & Verification

How sprk verifies instructors.

This page is maintained by sprk to answer common questions about how we verify instructor identity and credentials on the platform. It is not an independent audit or certification.

Verification tiers

Every instructor sits at one of six tiers. Tiers are earned progressively — an instructor cannot skip straight to a higher tier without completing the ones below.

Identity Verified
Government ID and contact details confirmed by sprk. This is the baseline trust tier.
  • Government-issued photo ID checked
  • Phone and email confirmed
  • Selfie match on file
Credentials Certified
At least one qualification and one teaching certificate independently verified.
  • Identity Verified tier achieved
  • At least one degree verified with the issuing institution
  • At least one teaching certificate verified
Master Educator
Experienced instructor with a strong record of student outcomes and repeat bookings.
  • Credentials Certified tier achieved
  • 3+ years of teaching on sprk or equivalent evidence
  • Sustained student rating ≥ 4.6
Top Mentor
Consistently top-ranked mentor by student outcomes and community feedback.
  • Master Educator tier achieved
  • Top decile by student outcomes in the last 12 months
  • Community endorsement from other verified instructors
sprk Elite
The highest tier — reserved for a small group of leading educators on sprk.
  • Top Mentor tier achieved
  • Editorial review by the sprk academic council
  • Public teaching artefacts (courses, articles, case studies)

What we verify

  • Government-issued identity documents against a live selfie.
  • Degree and academic qualifications with issuing institutions where possible.
  • Teaching certificates and professional licences.
  • Contact channels — phone and email — before profile activation.

What we don't verify

  • Individual class outcomes or exam results — these depend on the student and the instructor.
  • Statements made outside the profile page (WhatsApp, in-person, third-party ads).
  • Fees agreed privately outside sprk's booking flow.

Privacy of documents

Uploaded documents are stored securely and used only for verification. They are never shown on public profiles and are only accessible to reviewers with the required role. Documents are retained as long as the verification is active and deleted on request when a profile is closed.

Report a concern

If something feels off about an instructor's profile, credentials or conduct, tell us. Use the report button on the instructor's academy page, or reach out from the contact page. We review every report and act where verification standards have been breached.

Shared responsibility. sprk verifies who an instructor is and what they've earned. Instructors are responsible for the quality of their teaching. Students are responsible for confirming a session met their expectations before it's marked complete. This balance is what keeps trust real.