Not sure what Ofsted might ask about Online Safety & Digital Monitoring?
Here are 24 possible Ofsted safeguarding questions that may be raised at an Inspection [Updated for 2025]:
- What online safety, child protection and acceptable use policies are in place?
- Who has responsibility for online safeguarding and is the main contact when an incident should arise?
- What are the procedures for ensuring online safety policies are updated regularly and how often does this take place?
- How does the school identify whether policies are clear, understood and adhered to?
- Do you have a thorough understanding of the KCSiE statutory guidance, Prevent duty and Working Together to Safeguarding Children guidance?
- What monitoring solution does the school have in place to support pupils and staff with online safety?
- Does your monitoring solution protect pupils from accessing radicalisation & extremist content?
- Does your monitoring solution protect pupils from all topics of concern within the statutory guidance – bullying, exploitation, grooming, self-harm, racism & hate speech, sextortion, drugs and weapons, mental health and suicide, gaming & gambling, county lines?
- What record management system is in place and does it integrate with your monitoring solution?
- How are incidents dealt with and documented in your record management system and are risk profiles in place where necessary?
- Do you produce regular incident reports with those classed high-risk highlighted with a safeguarding intervention?
- Do you ensure all staff receive appropriate online safety training regularly and are they trained to identify the risk of neglect, abuse or exploitation?
- How does the school educate parents and the school community with online safety?
- Do your governors understand how the monitoring solution is used within the school?
- How does your school educate pupils to build the knowledge and skills required to ensure a safe online environment and understanding risks?
- How does your school ensure students can access the internet in an age-appropriate way?
- How does your school effectively protect vulnerable children from accessing harmful content?
- How is social media tackled within your school?
- What policies are in place for monitoring BYOD/personal devices
- How does your school protect children with special educational needs (SENCO) from the dangers online?
- What pastoral support and alert factors are in place for vulnerable students
- Do pupils know how to stay safe from online predators?
- How do pupils learn about their digital footprint and what they should be aware of online?
- How do you ensure that all school staff are suitable and vetted to be in contact with children?
Keeping children safe is one of Ofsted’s key strategies with plans set out to tackle safeguarding within the framework.
Inspections will also look at how schools address harmful sexual behaviour — a change that was introduced in the wake of the Everyone’s Invited scandal — adhering to the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance and the Prevent Duty.
The 4-point scale is used to make judgement on the effectiveness of safeguarding in your school – Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate.
Ofsted wants to assess how your pupils are taught to stay safe online and how effective your current policies are.
How Ofsted will assess online safety – At a glance
| Outstanding | Inadequate |
| Whole school consistent approach | Security of passwords is ineffective |
| Robust and integrated reporting routines | Children are not aware of how to report a problem |
| Effective staff development | There is no evidence of staff training |
| Clearly communicated and respected policy | Policies are generic and not updated |
| Progressive curriculum | There is no progressive, planned e-safety education |
| Secure and effective infrastructure | Personal data is unsecure |
| Effective monitoring and evaluation | There is no internet filtering or monitoring |
Further advice and help
We are available to talk to any education establishment who may have concerns with the safety of pupils using digital platforms and demonstrate how Securus monitors both school devices, and network activity, to meet Ofsted inspection requirements.
Many organisations such as NSPCC, LGfL & eSafety Support have resources that are part of this subject matter and offer information on safeguarding requirements for Ofsted inspections.