Online safety: requirements and guidance

Understand what arrangements you should have in place to keep pupils safe online, including appropriate filtering and monitoring systems. Get further resources to help you manage online safety in your school.

Last reviewed on 20 June 2023
See updates
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 13530
Contents
  1. Develop policies that cover the 4 areas of risk
  2. Put in place appropriate filtering and monitoring systems
  3. Take action to prevent online child-on-child abuse 
  4. Teach online safety through the curriculum
  5. Safeguard pupils and staff during remote learning
  6. Include online safety in staff safeguarding training
  7. Understand Ofsted's expectations
  8. Further guidance and resources

Develop policies that cover the 4 areas of risk

You should include your approach to online safety in your statutory child protection policy, because it's a key part of safeguarding. This is explained in paragraph 138 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE). 

You should consider the 4 areas of online safety risks when developing your policy: content, contact, conduct and commerce. See paragraph 136 of KCSIE to get details on each area. You should also include how your school approaches filtering and monitoring on school devices and school networks. This is explained in paragraph 138 of KCSIE.

Use our model child protection policy to help you cover these issues.

Make sure online safety is

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