Online-safety practice and reporting assurance checklist

Identify the online-safety policies, procedures, teaching, support and engagement arrangements included in this review. Record any areas that are not applicable to the school and why.

Review whether online-safety and online-harm principles are addressed across relevant aspects of school life, including culture, ethos, environment, teaching and partnerships with families and the community where those partnerships form part of the school's approach.

Check the relevant child protection, safeguarding, behaviour, bullying and other applicable policies for online-safety principles, online behaviour expectations and arrangements for responding to online incidents or concerns.

Check how applicable online-safety principles, behaviour expectations and reporting arrangements are communicated to staff, pupils and parents or carers, including accessible formats or alternative communication methods where needed.

Trace each reporting route used by the school for online-safety incidents or concerns. Check that the route identifies how a pupil, staff member, parent or carer can report, who receives the report, and how the report is handled under the school's safeguarding arrangements.

Check the reporting routes from a pupil's perspective, including whether instructions are understandable, the route is accessible to the relevant pupil population, and pupils know how to raise a concern about something they have seen or experienced online.

Record the reporting routes reviewed and the evidence used to check their clarity, accessibility and communication.

Check that the school applies the relevant standards of pupil behaviour consistently whenever pupils are online at school, including in lessons, in the library, in other school facilities and when using their own device on school premises where applicable.

Review available records or examples, subject to appropriate confidentiality controls, to check whether reports of unacceptable online behaviour and concerns about online content receive appropriate and consistent action under the school's arrangements.

Check that staff have access to up-to-date and appropriate online-safety training and resources, and that the materials are relevant to the pupils they support.

Use the school's chosen evidence, such as staff feedback, training records or supervision discussions, to check whether staff can locate and use the relevant online-safety resources and know how to respond or escalate concerns under school arrangements.

Consider whether the online-safety teaching and support are adapted for pupils whose vulnerability or access to support may differ, including looked-after children, pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, and pupils affected by changing personal circumstances.

Check whether relevant online-safety information, reporting routes and support are available in forms that meet identified communication, accessibility, developmental and individual support needs.

Where engagement with families or the community is part of the school's online-safety programme, check that the chosen engagement methods, messages and support reflect the school's principles and are communicated to the intended audience.

Where the school provides support for parents or carers, check that it helps them understand and apply the school's relevant online-safety principles at home, while preserving the school's safeguarding and reporting arrangements.

Review the information available to the school about pupil concerns, reported incidents, online behaviours and emerging issues. Check whether the review considers the needs and experiences of the school's pupil population.

Check whether information about concerns or emerging issues has been used to identify, record and review improvements to online-safety teaching, policies, reporting routes, staff resources, pupil support or engagement activity, where applicable.

Record the evidence reviewed, gaps or uncertainties identified, actions required, responsible role or team, and the planned review point. Do not include unnecessary personal data about pupils or reporters.