Is online safety just for the computing department?

No. It runs through PSHE, RSE, tutor time, assemblies, and how staff respond to incidents in any subject. Computing covers technical understanding; the wider safety conversation belongs to everyone.

How often should the online safety policy be reviewed?

At least annually, and after any significant incident or change in platforms (for example, a new AI tool entering routine pupil use). The DSL leads the review with input from IT, curriculum, and governors.

What about pupils who go online at home?

Schools cannot control home networks, but the curriculum, parent communications, and behaviour policies should all reflect that the same expectations apply on and off the school site.

Whole school

Whole-School Online Safety Checklist

A whole-school checklist covering policy, curriculum, staff training, parent education, pupil voice, device rules, reporting routes, platform risks, and AI risks.

Overview

Online safety under KCSIE 2025 is a whole-school priority. It cannot live solely in the IT department or in a single computing lesson. This checklist brings together the policy, the curriculum, the staff training, the parent communication, and the technical controls. Use it as a self-assessment at the start of the academic year and after any significant incident.

Key points

Online safety has four layers: content, contact, conduct, contract (the 4 Cs).
Policy, curriculum, and technical controls must reinforce each other.
Parent education is part of the school's online safety duty, not an optional add-on.
AI-generated content (deepfakes, chatbots, image-to-image) is now a routine risk to plan for.
Pupil voice is essential evidence — ask them what they actually see and do online.
Reporting routes must be visible to pupils and known by every adult.

Practical steps

Step 1

Audit your online safety policy against KCSIE 2025 and refresh annually.

Step 2

Map online safety teaching across year groups — not just computing.

Step 3

Refresh staff training at the start of each year, with a mid-year top-up on emerging issues.

Step 4

Run at least one parent event per year covering current platforms and risks.

Step 5

Survey pupils each year about safety, devices, and reporting confidence.

Step 6

Display reporting routes (DSL name, CEOP, Report Remove, IWF) in every classroom.

What not to do

Do not equate "the filter blocks it" with "the children are safe."
Do not assume parents already know — speak in plain English, with examples.
Do not treat AI as a niche concern — it is now mainstream in pupil use.

Frequently Asked Questions

External sources

Education for a Connected World framework — UK Council for Internet Safety
Online safety in schools (training and resources) — NSPCC Learning
Reporting harmful online content — UK Safer Internet Centre
Report Remove (under-18 nude image removal) — Childline / IWF

Last reviewed: 2026-05-20Next review: 2026-08-20Reviewed against: KCSIE 2025

This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.