ONLINE SAFETY POLICY
Reviewed by: Designated Safeguarding Lead
October 2025
Approved by: CLG
Date of next review: September 2026
Policy Aims
The policy aims to ensure that:
Safeguarding and Protection: All staff, students, apprentices, and visitors of Bath College are safeguarded and protected while engaged in online activity.
Commitment to Online Safety Education: There is a commitment across Bath College to identify and embed approaches to educate and raise awareness of online safety.
Responsible Online Conduct: Staff work safely and responsibly, role modeling positive behavior online, and maintaining professional standards and practice when using technology.
Effective Response to Concerns: Bath College is effective in responding to online safety concerns.
The College acknowledges that online-safety risks are wide-ranging and continually evolving. In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2025, these risks are grouped into four interrelated categories:
Content – Exposure to illegal, inappropriate, or harmful material, including misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories, as well as extremist or radicalising content.
Contact – Harmful or exploitative interaction with others online, such as grooming, coercion, harassment, or unwanted contact.
Conduct – Personal online behaviour that causes or increases the likelihood of harm, for example cyberbullying, sharing indecent images, or misuse of digital technologies (including generative AI).
Commerce – Risks from online fraud, scams, gambling, or exposure to age-inappropriate commercial content and advertising.
These categories guide the College’s safeguarding measures, staff training, learner education, and technical controls to ensure a comprehensive approach to online safety.
Policy Scope and Application
This policy applies to all staff, students, apprentices, and other College users, including volunteers, external contractors, remote students, and employers where students/apprentices have work placements or are engaged in work-based learning.
The policy should be read with the Safeguarding Policy, providing specific guidance on the risks associated with online activity and a framework to protect all College users from potential harm online.
The policy covers all internet access and use of technology, including personal devices and any Bath College-issued devices used off-site, such as work laptops, tablets, or mobile phones. The College recognises that while some online risks can be minimised by enforcing behavior expectations and codes of conduct, along with teaching and learning about online safety, not all risks can be flagged to the Safeguarding Team through web-filtering unless individuals are accessing the internet via College-managed equipment.
Online Safety Commitment
Bath College recognises that online safety is a critical aspect of safeguarding. The College is committed to protecting students and apprentices from potential harm online, while also acknowledging that the internet and related devices such as computers, tablets, laptops, mobile phones, and game consoles are integral to everyday life. The College believes in empowering students and apprentices to build resilience and develop strategies to manage and respond effectively to online risks.
Students and apprentices will be supported to:
Bath College Governors and Senior Leaders, in collaboration with ICT Services, the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), and Heads of School, have ensured that the College has age- and ability-appropriate filtering and monitoring in place to limit students' and apprentices' exposure to online risks while on College premises.
The Governors and Senior Leaders recognise the need to prevent “over-blocking,” as this may unreasonably restrict educational content related to online activities and safeguarding.
Filtering
The College employs an appropriate filtering system to block sites deemed harmful, distracting, or unnecessary for a comprehensive learning experience, including all sites on the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) list.
Staff, students, apprentices, and visitors are encouraged to report accessible but unsuitable sites to ICT Services.
Any material believed to be illegal will be reported immediately to the appropriate agencies, such as the IWF, Police, or the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP).
Monitoring
Internet usage is appropriately monitored on all Bath College-provided internet-enabled devices, in compliance with data protection, human rights, and privacy legislation. Any identified concerns are reviewed by the DSL or DDSL in accordance with the College’s Safeguarding Procedures.
Use of Personal Devices and Mobile Phones
Bath College acknowledges that personal communication through mobile technologies is an integral part of daily life for students, apprentices, staff, and other members of the College community. However, these technologies must be used safely and appropriately within the College setting.
Staff members are required to follow the IT Acceptable Use Policy and the Staff Code of Conduct when using personal devices and mobile phones on college premises.
Promoting the safe and appropriate use of personal devices and mobile phones will be included in the educational approach for students and apprentices across the College. All students and apprentices are expected to comply with the Student Code of Conduct and any specific classroom management instructions regarding the use of personal devices and mobile phones.
Social Media
Bath College will regulate student and staff access to social media while using college-provided devices and systems on-site.
The College expects all staff members to use social media safely and responsibly. Concerns regarding staff conduct on social media platforms should be reported to the People and Culture Team. If the concern involves safeguarding, it should be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or the nominated deputy, as outlined in the College’s Safeguarding Policy and Procedures.
Safe and appropriate use of social media will be part of the educational approach for students and apprentices across the College. They will be advised on the following:
Safer Use of Technology in the Learning Environment
Bath College employs a wide range of technology to deliver its services, including:
All devices provided by Bath College will be used in accordance with the IT Usage Policy and will have appropriate safety and security measures in place. Internet-connected devices, including Bath College-issued mobile phones, will be managed using mobile and other device management software.
Staff members will thoroughly evaluate websites, online resources, tools, and apps before using them in the learning environment or recommending them for home use.
Bath College will ensure that the search tools provided are appropriate, such as enforcing safe search settings when using Google.
Teaching and Learning of Online Safety
Bath College will develop and integrate comprehensive online safety tuition via the Personal Development curriculum to promote responsible internet use among students and apprentices by:
This education will be adaptable and differentiated according to the learning programs, allowing for more specific or less intensive delivery as needed. Specialist technical support will be provided to groups requiring significant internet and technology access, especially where it would typically be restricted.
To ensure students and apprentices understand the acceptable use of IT facilities in a manner suitable for their age and ability, Bath College will:
Vulnerable Learners
Bath College acknowledges that some students and apprentices are more vulnerable online due to various factors, including but not limited to:
When developing and implementing online safety education, the college will seek specialist support from staff responsible for safeguarding, mental health, and SEND.
Awareness and Engagement with Parents/Carers of Students Under 18 or Those with an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP)
Bath College recognises the crucial role that parents and carers play in helping young people become safe and responsible users of the internet and associated technologies. To support this, the college will, where appropriate:
Training and Engagement with Staff
As part of the induction process, new staff members will be introduced to the Safeguarding Policy, including the Online Safety Policy. Both new and existing staff will be informed that:
Managing Email
The college email system will be managed in compliance with data protection legislation and internal policies such as the IT Usage Policy, Information Security Policy, and Codes of Conduct:
Management of Learning Platforms and Applications Used to Track Student and Apprentice Progress
Bath College utilises various learning platforms and software packages to monitor the progress of students and apprentices, including:
As part of its normal business practices, Bath College may adopt new platforms, replace existing ones with suitable substitutes, or discontinue the use of a platform.
Platform Monitoring and Access
The use and content of learning platforms will be monitored, including messaging, communication, and publishing facilities.
Access to learning platforms is restricted to current staff members and students/apprentices. Accounts are disabled once an individual leaves the College Group.
Data Security and Risk Assessment
All systems holding student or apprentice data, images, videos, or other digital information undergo risk assessments prior to use and on an ongoing basis to ensure secure storage and compliance with data protection legislation. To safeguard student and apprentice data:
Reducing Online Risks
Bath College acknowledges that the internet is a constantly evolving environment with new apps, devices, websites, and material emerging rapidly. To mitigate online risks, we will:
All staff members are informed of our expectations regarding safe and appropriate online behavior. They are reminded of the importance of not posting content, comments, images, or videos that could cause harm, distress, or offense to members of the College community.
Responding to Online Concerns
The College recognises that timely and effective reporting of online safety issues is essential to safeguarding students, apprentices, and staff. In accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2025, the following principles apply:
Immediate Reporting
All staff, volunteers, and contractors must report any online concern — no matter how small or uncertain — without delay to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or a Deputy DSL.
Concerns include incidents that occur on or off campus, on personal or college devices, or via external platforms and social media.
Scope of Concerns
Reports should cover (but are not limited to):
Escalation and External Referrals
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) will assess all reports and, where appropriate, make prompt referrals to local authority children’s social care, the police, the Prevent team, or other relevant agencies.
Allegations or low-level concerns about staff conduct online must follow the College’s Managing Allegations procedures or Staff Code of Conduct.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Staff must be alert to the mental-health impact of online harm. Reporting should include any observed or disclosed emotional distress so that appropriate support can be provided.
Record-Keeping
All online-safety concerns and actions taken will be logged securely, in line with safeguarding record-keeping requirements, and reviewed regularly to identify patterns or emerging risks.
Training and Awareness
All staff, governors, and volunteers receive induction and annual safeguarding training that includes how to identify, report, and escalate online concerns, with updates communicated at least annually through briefings or bulletins.
Students are informed through induction and curriculum activities about how to raise online-safety concerns.
No Threshold for Reporting
Staff are not expected to determine the seriousness of a concern before reporting. Professional curiosity is encouraged: if something “does not feel right,” it must be shared with the DSL.
Safeguarding and Online Safety Responsibilities
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and deputies hold primary responsibility for safeguarding and child protection, including online safety. However, all members of Bath College play a crucial role in ensuring online safety.
The DSL and deputies will:
Responding to Online Concerns
All concerns will be managed in accordance with the college’s Safeguarding and Prevent Policy and/or Bullying and Harassment Policy. These concerns may include:
Responsibilities of the Senior Management Team and Senior Leadership Team
The Senior Management Team and Senior Leadership Team will:
Responsibilities of ICT Services
ICT Services will:
Responsibilities of All Staff
All staff have the responsibility to:
Monitoring
Technology in this area evolves and changes rapidly. Bath College will review this policy at least annually. The policy will also be revised in response to any national or local policy requirements, child protection concerns, or changes to the College’s technical infrastructure.
Bath College will regularly monitor internet use and evaluate online safety mechanisms to ensure consistent policy application. Available audit tools will be used to inform any necessary developments.