Filtering and monitoring: toolkit and resources

Get a rundown on how to make sure filtering and monitoring in your school is top notch. Download our templates and resources to support you to review what you have now, and to make sure any new providers are up to scratch.

Last reviewed on 5 July 2023
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 46764
Contents
  1. 4 things you need to do to have effective filtering and monitoring
  2. Identify and assign roles and responsibilities
  3. Your filtering system should block harmful and inappropriate content
  4. Select an effective monitoring strategy that meets your school’s safeguarding needs
  5. Review your filtering and monitoring provision at least annually
  6. Choose a new provider with confidence

This article is based on the DfE's guidance and advice from Tom Newton, Katherine Howard and Luke Godfrey from Smoothwall, and Sian Stockham (King Ecgbert School) and Gareth Harle from Mercia Learning Trust.

4 things you need to do to have effective filtering and monitoring

You need to:

  • Identify and assign roles and responsibilities to manage filtering and monitoring systems
  • Block harmful and inappropriate content without unreasonably impacting teaching and learning
  • Have effective monitoring strategies in place that meet your safeguarding needs
  • Review filtering and monitoring provision at least annually

This article will take you through each area below.

Filtering and monitoring is a key part of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2023. Get an overview of filtering and monitoring in our QuickRead and find out what's changed in KCSIE this year.

Identify and assign roles and responsibilities

It's really important that as senior leaders

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