Encryption on iCloud from iPad

I am a psychologist and want to get an iPad to use as tool to keep notes, calendar, etc. Don't need a full fledged computer to do these things. But I need to know if I can encrypt the data on an iPad and will it be encrypted before it is synced up to the Cloud.

I know I can password protect an iPad but does that actually turn on encryption on the iPad itself, or are the data files still stored in plain text? Is there another step that I would need to take to enable hardware encryption for my data files?

Because if my files are not actually encrypted on the iPad this is a serious problem and I will have to find another option. Because if I can't sync them in an already encrypted format so that no one at Apple can see them without having the encryption key they aren't safe enough. Even if they are encrypted while being transfered, this isn't a secure enough system for me if they are then stored in plain format on the Cloud for anyone there to see.

I know that Apple is doing their best to keep the data center secure but the hackers of the world will only take that as a challenge so I need to be able to prove, if questioned or audited, that the data I stored on the Cloud was encrypted before I uploaded it.

So has anyone gotten a straight answer to this question or should I just buy a new laptop and buy an encryption program to run on it?