The Ofsted Inspection checklist can be used to assess your schools readiness to meet the monitoring standards expected for Ofsted Inspections, adhering to Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024 and the Prevent Duty.
Meeting Digital & Technology Standards for schools and colleges March 2025 is also an extremely important guide and is available on the Government website highlighting what is expected for filtering and monitoring.
Ensure Your School Meets Ofsted Standards for Monitoring
Download our printable Ofsted Inspection Checklist to prepare for your next Ofsted Inspection and uphold safeguarding standards in your School or Multi Academy Trust.
Also, check out our updated list of Ofsted safeguarding questions
Ofsted Inspection Checklist:
- Roles and responsibilities are assigned and kept updated of staff who have responsibility for digital monitoring and safeguarding
- An Annual Review policy is in place for filtering & monitoring solutions
- Online safety & child protection policies are in place, covering the framework for risks falling into the four categories: Content, Contact, Conduct and Commerce
- The school acceptable use policies are in place and up to date for digital users
- Behaviour policies are in place regarding harmful sexual behaviour and the sanctions that should be applied
- The school identifies whether policies are clear, understood and adhered to
- The monitoring solution in place supports the online safety of both pupils and staff
- Policies are in place for monitoring BYOD/personal devices
- The monitoring solution protects pupils from radicalisation & extremist content & alerts to incidents such as racism and hate speech, bullying, mental health, exploitation, grooming, self-harm, drugs & weapons, hacking, gambling, sextortion, fake news etc.
- All incidents of concern are recorded and followed up
- Weekly digital monitoring reports are scheduled to document all incidents with those classed high-risk highlighted with a safeguarding intervention
- All staff receive appropriate online safety training on a regular basis
- The school educate parents and the school community with online safety
- School Governors understand how the monitoring solution is used within the school
- The school regularly educates students to build knowledge & skills required to ensure a safe online environment
- The school ensures students access the internet in an age-appropriate way, with risk profiles in place where necessary
- The school effectively protects vulnerable children & SEND students from accessing harmful content and abuse
- Social media platforms & apps are monitored when utilising the school network
- Robust incident reporting processes are in place, with effective pastoral support and alert factors in place for vulnerable students
- A monitoring solution is in place across all devices, platforms & applications on the school network
Meeting with the designated safeguarding lead
Inspectors will meet with the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) to explore the culture of safeguarding more fully. We’ll specifically ask the DSL whether there have been any safeguarding incidents or allegations since the last inspection. If there have been, leaders should be able to demonstrate how they have used the guidance in KCSIE to respond appropriately.
Having the right monitoring tools in place to fulfil your duty of care is vital for all schools whether individual or part of a group, Federation or Multi Academy Trust
Our advanced digital monitoring solutions cover ALL devices and applications, ensuring the welfare and wellbeing of pupils is paramount by safeguarding against a wide range of concerns including bullying, racism, sexual exploitation, misogyny, radicalisation, hacking, mental health & wellbeing, hate speech, suicide and self-harm, substance abuse and gang culture and others.