Cymraeg
Hwb

Five key questions for governing bodies to help challenge their schools and colleges to effectively safeguard their learners

This document is to support governing bodies to undertake their safeguarding duties as a governing board.

Audience

This document has been produced by Welsh Government and the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) to support governing bodies of schools and colleges in Wales.

It might also be of interest to local authorities, diocesan authorities, and any other interested parties that have a lead responsibility for online safety.

Overview

This document is to support governing bodies to undertake their safeguarding duties as a governing board. It can be considered a supporting document to the Welsh Government’s Keeping learners safe statutory guidance, which sets out roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding children. This includes supporting schools to provide a safe, responsible and supportive environment to learn and prevent access to inappropriate or harmful content.

Action required

No action is required. This document is a guide only, intended to support governing bodies to ensure that good practice around online safety policy and provision is operational in their school or college.

Further information

Enquiries about this document should be directed to:
Digital Resilience in Education Branch
Digital Learning Unit
Digital and Strategic Communications Division
Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ
e-mail: support@hwbcymru.net

 

Five key questions

  • What to look for?

    • Systematic and documented regular review of safeguarding policies, including
      online safety, at least on an annual basis.
    • Evidence that online safety policies are readily available and clearly
      communicated (for example, school or college website, staff handbooks, posters, etc.).
    • Learners, staff and parents and carers are aware of, and respect, online safety rules
      and expectations.

    What good practice looks like?

    • Collaborative production and review of policies, for example, evidence of the active use of learners and parents and carers views as well as evidence of
      appropriate cognisance of national and international standards of online safety.
    • Evidence of monitoring and evaluation processes to ensure understanding of,
      and adherence to, online safety policies.
    • Learners, staff and parents and carers are alert to online safety behaviour and
      expectations, including the acceptable use of technologies and the use of
      mobile technology.
    • The school or college child protection policy recognises peer on peer abuse
      concerns which can take place online.
    • Linked to and a part of other policies, such as safeguarding and child
      protection, learners behaviour (including anti-bullying), staff code of conduct.
    • Policies do not use and, where appropriate, actively challenge ‘victim blaming’. Policies do not use and, where appropriate, actively challenge ‘victim blaming’ language and recognise that children are never responsible for the harm which they may experience, especially given the online context/pervasive nature of
      social media technology.

    When should you be concerned?

    • There are minimal or no online safety policies in place.
    • Policy is generic and not specifically relevant to the learners needs in the
      school or college.
    • Online safety policies are being reviewed infrequently or not at all.
    • Policies exist but are not publicised to the school or college body and/or are not known by staff, learners and parents and carers.

  • What to look for?

    • Online safety clearly recognised as a safeguarding issue within the roles and responsibilities of all staff in the school or college with overall responsibility held by the designated safeguarding person (DSP) for child protection.
    • Whole school or college approach, in which robust reporting channels are well-defined, clearly understood and consistent and known by all school or college staff, learners and parents and carers.
    • Clearly documented and visible procedures for responding to different online risks, for example, sexting, upskirting, online bullying and online grooming.
    • Learners, staff and parents/carers understand the sensitive nature of online abuse as well as the rights of individuals.
    • Links into other relevant policies and procedures, for example,  whistleblowing, managing allegations, complaints, etc.
    • Leadership staff are aware of and understand the decisions made by the
      school or college in respect of implementing appropriate filtering and monitoring.
    • Regular review of monitoring and filtering provisions as part of safeguarding responsibilities, for example, evidence of communication between technical staff and DSPs.

    What good practice looks like?

    • Regular review of provision using the 360 Safe Cymru self-review tool and inclusion of the 360 review in team meetings.
    • Online reporting mechanisms for learners and parents and carers.
    • All staff are aware of sources of support for online safety issues, such as the Professionals Online Safety Helpline, Reporting Harmful Content, CEOP and Internet Watch Foundation.
    • The DSP and deputies have the appropriate skills and are trained to deal with the various risks related to online activity. There may be additional nominated members of staff who support this area with their expertise.
    • All staff should receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety, which is regularly updated.
    • Planned and effective peer support strategies, for example, reporting mechanisms/escalation processes supported by all school or college staff.
    • Auditing of online behaviour and risks which provides baseline information from the learners about the levels and types of online issues prevalent in the school or college.
    • Learners contribute to the development of the provision through their own knowledge and expertise, peer activities, and learner voice activities.
    • Regular evaluation of reporting channels and response procedures.
    • Online safety information and data highlighted within the headteacher’s report to the governing body.
    • Appropriate filtering and monitoring decisions are regularly reviewed in line with the school or college’s needs and relevant information is clearly communicated to staff, learners and parents and carers. 

    When should you be concerned?

    • There are no reporting channels in place, or they are unclear/inconsistent.
    • There are no recording processes to enable the school or college to identify and monitor concerns.
    • Learners and parents and carers unaware of or have a lack confidence in reporting channels.
    • Staff are unclear of how to support learners and parents and carers with online safety concerns.
    • Appropriate filtering and monitoring approaches are not in place, and/or there is a lack of understanding of the decisions made with respect to appropriate filtering and monitoring by the leadership team.

  • What to look for?

    • Training opportunities available in the Keeping Safe online area of Hwb. 
    • Training which improves staff knowledge of, and expertise in, safe behaviours and appropriate use of technologies.
    • Audit of the training needs of all staff.
    • Online safety training as an integral part of the required, at least annual, safeguarding training for all staff. Online safety training as an integral part of induction for all new staff.
    • Online safety training coordinated by the DSP.
    • Evidence that the DSP (and their deputies) has ensured that their knowledge and skills regarding online safety is robust.

    What good practice looks like?

    • DSP and their deputies have a higher level of training, knowledge and expertise on online safety issues, with clearly defined responsibilities related to online safety provision for the school or college community.
    • Expertise in online safety is developed across a pool of staff, to ensure transfer and sustainability of knowledge and training.
    • Online safety training clearly established within the school/college’s wider safeguarding training.
    • Training content updated to reflect current research and advances in technology as well as local policy and procedures.
    • Online safety training is given to all new staff as part of induction.

    When should you be concerned?

    • DSP and their deputies lack appropriate training and authority in online safety.
    • There is no recognised individual or group for online safety or they lack appropriate training and authority.
    • There is a lack of training for all staff, or training is out-of-date.
    • There are some staff that have no online safety training.
    • Regular updated training (at least annual) is not undertaken.
    • Training on online safety does not meet the needs of staff.
    • Training based on outdated resources or materials which lack accuracy.
    • Lack of clarity on who coordinates staff training.

  • What to look for?

    • Implementation of the Digital competence framework (DCF), with digital skills, knowledge and attitudes embedded across the curriculum and integrated into lessons.
    • Planned online safety education programme which:
      • is taught across all age groups and progresses as learners grow and develop
      • is recurring and progressive as opposed to a one-off online safety session
      • supports learners in developing strategies for navigating the online world and developing resilience
      • is embedded across the curriculum
      • incorporates/makes use of relevant national initiatives and opportunities such as Safer Internet Day and Anti-bullying week.
    • Use of appropriate and up-to-date resources.
    • Resources, including visitors from external providers used appropriately to support and compliment internal provision.
    • Accessible to learners at different ages and abilities, such as learners with additional learning needs (ALN), or those with English as an additional language.
    • Learners are able to recall, explain and actively use online safety education.
    • Education practitioners have access to appropriate training, ensuring expertise and understanding underpins their teaching.

    What good practice looks like?

    • Online safety is embedded throughout the school or college curriculum. This means that the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence of learners, on issues related to online safety, are planned into all relevant lessons such as in the Health and Well-being Area of Learning and Experience, personal and social education (PSE), relationships and sexuality education (RSE) and computer science.
    • Regular review of online safety across the curriculum to ensure its relevance to learners.
    • The learning activities provided include a diverse range of topics relating to online safety that reflects current and emerging issues.
    • Learners are regularly consulted through appropriate channels (learner groups, forums, etc.) for input on the online safety issues relevant to them.

    When should you be concerned?

    • Ad-hoc or one-off sessions on online safety, such as sessions only delivered through assemblies.
    • Content used is inaccurate, irrelevant or out of date and/or inappropriate for the age or ability of the learner.
    • Resources or materials used with learners rely on fear, shock or victim blaming approaches.
    • The programme of study in place is not progressive or sustainable, for example, substantial reliance on external providers or visitors to deliver online safety education and/or is delivered in response to a specific issue.
    • No means to evaluate the effectiveness of provision and assess learners’ understanding in the area.
    • The school or college is failing to have regard for online safety as part of its relationships and sexuality provision.
    • The school or college does not use the 360 degree safe Cymru tool for regular review of its provision.
    • The school or college is not embedding digital competence across the school curriculum.

  • What to look for?

    • Regular communication, awareness-raising and engagement on online safety issues and reporting routes, such as the school or college websites, social media platforms and newsletters.
    • Regular opportunities for engagement with parents and carers on online safety issues such as awareness workshops.
    • Sharing good practice with other schools in clusters and/or the local authority.

    What good practice looks like?

    • Interactive engagement with parents and carers, with the aim of building skills and confidence to support their children and young people in dealing with online risks, as well as general awareness on online safety issues.
    • Regular and relevant online safety resources and sessions offered to parents and carers. Relevant resources will tackle key online risks and behaviours displayed by learners at different ages in the school/college.
    • Evidence of learners educating parents and carers and members of the community.
    • Online safety information available in a variety of formats, such as for those with English as an additional language.
    • A willingness to engage with other schools and local agencies to promote, share and learn from good practice and expertise.

    When should you be concerned?

    • There is no or only minimal awareness-raising on online safety issues.
    • There is no online safety engagement with parents and carers, the wider community, other schools or organisations.
    • Recurrent concerning online behaviours among learners (such as younger children playing games aimed towards older adolescents and adults).

Supporting your school or college to improve online safety
practice

360 degree safe Cymru

The 360 degree safe Cymru audit tool can be accessed from the main menu when logged in to Hwb. It supports schools to review their online safety policy and practice. You should check that the school has an account and, if they do, when they last used the tool.

Keeping safe online 

The Keeping safe online area of Hwb hosts resources for learners, parents and carers, education practitioners and governors on a range of specific online issues, including online bullying, online reputation and misinformation.

There are also more general resources available, such as the How to keep myself safe online (Governors) playlist, which provides advice on how you can support your learners, school and each other to stay safe online.

Training

Online safety training

Educational practitioners and professionals can register for online safety training and events on the Keeping safe online area of Hwb. Digital regional consortia leads will be able to advise if there are any training events taking place in your area.

Keeping learners safe modules

Supporting the statutory guidance Keeping learners safe, there are three safeguarding modules available for education practitioners. There are two further modules (4 and 5) which solely focus on online safety issues. Module 4 is for teachers and Module 5 is for governors.

Related Welsh Government documents

Further resources and information

The UKCIS Education Working Group is comprised of the following organisations:

Documents

  • First published 22 September 2020
  • Last updated 29 April 2024