Child Internet Safety summit: online safety and inspection

Online safety and inspection

David Brown HMI@DavidBrownHMI Friday 3 July 2015

Child Internet Safety summit

Online safety survey:March 2015

March 2015 – online safety survey

During March 2015 a survey on online safety practice was carried out during all HMI-led S5 school inspections. A total of 39 primary and 45 secondary schools were involved. During their inspection inspectors discussed online safety issues in the school with:

senior leaders

groups of teachers

governors

groups of students


Online safety policy

5% of schools did not have an online safety policy students, and to a lesser extent governors, are not always aware of

this policy


Online safety policy

a large majority of schools do not involve students in designing their online safety policy


Online safety policy (primary)

policies are mainly written by senior leaders, teachers and governors

student involvement in writing online safety policies remains low


Online safety policy (secondary)

the involvement of the wider school community in writing online safety policies remains low


Acceptable use policy

student responses indicate that less than half of schools implement acceptable use policies for technology use in school


The online safety curriculum

assemblies and computing/ICT lessons are the main focus for online safety teaching for many schools

PHSE lessons play a significant role in the delivery of online safety


Online safety teaching

over 25% of secondary students cannot recall if they have been taught about online safety over the last 12 months


Online safety teaching

just over a quarter of secondary students have less confidence in their teacher’s knowledge of online safety issues


Online safety training for staff

training can be inconsistent, and what senior leaders might see as training may not be reflected by staff


Online safety training for staff

confidence in recognising, responding to and resolving online safety issues is slightly stronger in secondary schools than in primary schools


Bring your own (device)

a significant majority of schools do not allow the use of personal devices

personal devices are more likely to be allowed in secondary settings


Reporting online safety issues

senior leaders

staff

governors students


Inspection of education and online safety from September 2015

Inspecting safeguarding


In relation to children and young people, safeguarding and promoting their welfare is defined in ‘Working together to safeguard children’ as: protecting children from

maltreatment preventing impairment of

children’s health or development

ensuring that children are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care

taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.

Inspection and safeguarding


Definition of safeguarding (extract paras 10 and 11)

Safeguarding action may be needed to protect children and learners from: bullying, including online bullying and prejudice-based

bullying the impact of new technologies on sexual behaviour, for

example sexting

Safeguarding is not just about protecting children, learners and vulnerable adults from deliberate harm, neglect and failure to act. It relates to broader aspects of care and education, including: online safety and associated issues

The term ‘online safety’ reflects a widening range of issues associated with technology and a user’s access to content, contact with others and behavioural issues.


The signs of successful safeguarding arrangements (extract para 13)

In settings that have effective safeguarding arrangements, there will be evidence of the following: Adults understand the risks posed by adults or learners

who use technology, including the internet, to bully, groom, radicalise or abuse children or learners. They have well-developed strategies in place to keep children and learners safe and to support them to develop their own understanding of these risks and in learning how to keep themselves and others safe.

Leaders oversee the safe use of technology when children and learners are in their care and take action immediately if they are concerned about bullying or children’s well-being. Leaders of early years settings implement the required policies with regard to the safe use of mobile phones and cameras in settings.


Inspecting how effectively leaders and governors create a safeguarding culture in the setting (extract para 18)

Inspectors will want to consider evidence that: staff, leaders and managers understand the risks posed

by adults or young people who use the internet to bully, groom or abuse children, young people and vulnerable adults

there are well-developed strategies in place to keep learners safe and to support them in learning how to keep themselves safe

staff, leaders and managers oversee the safe use of electronic and social media by staff and learners and take action immediately if they are concerned about bullying or risky behaviours


Arriving at judgements about safeguarding arrangements (extract para 34)

Online safety survey

Inspectors will make a judgement on the personal development, behaviour and welfare of children and learners by evaluating, where applicable, the extent to which the provision is successfully promoting and supporting children’s and learners’ safety.


Arriving at judgements about safeguarding arrangements (extract para 34)

In order to make this judgement, inspectors will consider, among other things, children’s and learners’ understanding of how to keep themselves safe from relevant risks such as exploitation and extremism, including when using the internet and social media.

Inspectors should include online safety in their discussions with pupils and learners (covering topics such as online bullying and safe use of the internet and social media).

Inspectors should investigate what the school or further education and skills provider does to educate pupils in online safety and how the provider or school deals with issues when they arise.


Grade descriptor for personal development, behaviour and welfare (extract)

Similar text is found in the outstanding descriptor in the inspection handbooks for maintained schools (including free schools and academies), for non-association independent schools, and for further education and skills providers: Pupils/learners work hard with the school/provider to

prevent all forms of bullying, including online bullying and prejudice-based bullying.

Pupils/learners have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe online, the dangers of inappropriate use of mobile technology and social networking sites.


Leadership and management

Inspectors will always make a written judgement in the section on leadership and management about the effectiveness of the arrangements for safeguarding pupils.

Short inspections of good schools will always report on the effectiveness of safeguarding. If safeguarding is not effective, HMI will always convert the short inspection to a section 5 inspection.



David Brown HMI@DavidBrownHMI Friday 3 July 2015

Child Internet Safety summit

Education

Child Internet Safety summit: online safety and inspection