Managing online safety

Online safety toolkit

The South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL) template online safety policies have been adopted by local authorities, schools and academies across the UK, and are acknowledged as good practice documents.  We’re using these with Solihull schools to help schools develop good practice to help keep children and young people safe when they’re online.

This is a link to the SWGFL’s website area for school online safety policy templates.

But, to make it easier for you, the main documents are here as well.

SWGFL online safety policy template (including appendices)

SWGFL online safety policy template (including appendices)

Process flowchart for implementing an online safety policy

Checklist of main elements in an online safety policy

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Template for staff meeting looking at use of social media

Solihull council – sample social media policy for school staff

Kent Online Safety have now produced a suite of documents and templates that education settings may find useful. This includes guidance on managing parental complaints expressed through social media, engaging with parents and families and dealing with incidents of youth produced sexual imagery.

There is also staffing information available on the Solgrid extranet for our partner schools.

Solgrid Extranet > School Management > Staffing > SMBC Schools’ HR

You will need to have a username and password.

Training Opportunity

Keeping children safe online course is a newly updated online introductory safeguarding course for anyone who works with children. The intended outcome of the course, developed by the NSPCC, is for participants to learn how children use the internet and how they can be kept safe from abuse.

Research and reports

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has published guidance for clinicians and parents on screen time use and the effects of screen time on children and young people. A systematic review of evidence found that children with higher screen time tend to have: a less healthy diet, a higher energy intake, and more pronounced indicators of obesity; more depressive symptoms, although it has been found by some studies that some screen time is better for mental health than none at all. Recommendations include: avoid screens an hour before the planned bedtime; families should negotiate screen time limits with their children based upon the needs of an individual child. The health impacts of screen times