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Online Safety in Schools: 2025 Compliance Guide

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Quick answer (for busy leaders):

The Online Safety Act 2025 mainly regulates online platforms, not schools. However, it has increased focus on online safety in schools and adds pressure to evidence strong online safety in schools, especially around filtering, monitoring, safeguarding, and supplier oversight.

Schools must still meet statutory duties under Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and the DfE Filtering and Monitoring Standards.

If you lead safeguarding, IT, or governance, this guide shows:

• What the Online Safety Act 2025 does
• What applies to schools (and what does not)
• What governors should ask
• The minimum evidence you should have ready

If you’re reviewing your online safety evidence pack for governors or inspections, a quick MagicBooking demo can show how schools keep key safeguarding and operational records organised in one place.

What is the Online Safety Act 2025?

The Online Safety Act 2025 (UK) creates legal duties for online platforms. It requires regulated services to assess potential risks and reduce them, such as illegal content and harm to children and young people. Ofcom is the regulator responsible for enforcement.

• Read the UK government’s online safety act explainer.
• Read Ofcom’s implementation roadmap.

The key point: The Act regulates user-to-user services and search services. It does not directly regulate schools in most cases.

Recent research shows that 77% of children aged 9–17 have experienced online harm, highlighting why effective online safety in schools and robust evidence frameworks remain critical.

Does the Online Safety Act apply to schools?

In most cases, no.

Schools are typically users of online platforms, not providers of regulated online services. That means Ofcom does not inspect schools under the Online Safety Act in the same way it regulates platforms.

However, there are two important exceptions to understand:

1. If a school or MAT operates its own public-facing platform that allows user interaction (for example, a forum or app with messaging features), it should check whether it falls within scope.
2. Schools must still meet statutory safeguarding duties under existing education law.

You can check whether a service falls within scope on Ofcom’s illegal and harmful content guide.

For most schools, the Act changes expectations indirectly, not directly.

See MagicBooking’s previous blog on digital education management in schools and clubs.

UK data shows that over 92% of children aged 10–15 go online every day, and nearly one in five has contacted someone online they’ve never met, reinforcing the importance of effective online safety in schools and the need for strong filtering and monitoring.

Want to see how school leaders reduce admin noise while keeping oversight clear? Book a MagicBooking demo to explore how trusts manage systems and reporting more confidently.

Online Safety in schools – What schools must evidence in 2026

The core statutory framework for online safety in schools remains:

1. Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)

KCSIE requires governing bodies and proprietors to ensure:

• Appropriate filtering and monitoring systems are in place
• Roles and responsibilities are clear
• Staff receive safeguarding training that includes online safety

Read our previous blog on Keeping Children Safe in Education or the current statutory guidance on KCSIE.

2. DfE filtering and monitoring standards

The Department for Education sets clear expectations that schools must:

• Identify and assign roles for filtering and monitoring
• Review effectiveness regularly
• Understand the limitations of technical systems
• Act on alerts

Official guidance on meeting digital and technology standards in schools and colleges is available on the filtering and monitoring core standard page on gov.uk.

The Online Safety Act 2025 does not replace these duties. It sits alongside them.

Simple reinforcement tools such as online safety posters for schools can support pupil awareness alongside technical controls.

If your MAT is tightening supplier oversight and compliance processes in 2025, book a MagicBooking demo to see how schools streamline operational control without adding workload.

What changes in practice for schools?

Even though the Act regulates platforms, it changes the conversation in four practical ways.

1. Supplier due diligence matters more

If you use platforms with messaging, file sharing, or social features, ask suppliers:

• How do you assess and manage risks to children?
• What reporting and moderation tools exist?
• What is your response time for harmful content reports?

If a supplier cannot answer clearly, that creates governance risk.

This is where the Online Safety Act 2025 becomes relevant. Platforms must now show stronger child safety controls. Schools should expect better answers.

2. Governors will ask more questions

Search demand around “online safety act 2025” and “online safety in schools” is rising. Governors are aware of the law. Many will ask:

• Are we compliant?
• Are we exposed to risk?
• Are our filtering systems effective?

Schools need clear, simple answers backed by evidence.

3. Filtering and monitoring scrutiny increases

The DfE filtering and monitoring standard already requires:

• Clear named responsibility
• Regular review
• Documented oversight

Under increased national focus on online harm, weak processes are more likely to be challenged.

Technical systems alone are not enough. Leaders must show oversight and action.

4. Incident handling must be clear

When harmful online behaviour occurs, schools should be able to show:

• How the concern was identified
• Who reviewed it
• What action was taken
• Whether external agencies were involved

That is safeguarding, not new legislation. But the Online Safety Act raises awareness of these risks.

Online safety governance works best when responsibilities are clear and information is easy to access. Book a MagicBooking demo to see how schools centralise processes across teams.

RACI: Who is responsible for online safety in schools?

Clear roles prevent gaps.

This structure aligns with:

• KCSIE safeguarding expectations
• DfE filtering and monitoring standards

It also gives governors a clear oversight model.

Minimum viable evidence pack (what you should have ready)

If someone asks about online safety in schools, you should be able to show:

1. Current online safety policy (dated and reviewed)
2. Named filtering and monitoring roles
3. Staff training records covering online safety
4. Filtering and monitoring provider details
5. Evidence of review meetings or reports
6. Sample anonymised safeguarding logs triggered by monitoring
7. Record of annual system effectiveness review
8. Supplier due diligence questions relating to online safety

This is practical evidence. It avoids panic. It shows control.

If governors are asking sharper questions about monitoring, evidence, and accountability, a MagicBooking demo can help you explore better visibility across school operations.

Common failure points

From governance reviews across the sector, the usual weaknesses are:

• IT manages filters but DSL does not understand system limits
• Monitoring alerts are generated but not reviewed consistently
• Governors receive technical jargon instead of risk summaries
• Online safety is treated as a one-off assembly, not ongoing education

These are governance and process issues, not software issues.

Preparing for stronger scrutiny around filtering, safeguarding, and oversight? Book a MagicBooking demo to see how schools simplify day-to-day systems management.

Online safety in schools: What leaders must do now

The Online Safety Act 2025 does not create new direct duties for most schools. But it increases national focus on child online harm.

For school leaders, the priority remains clear:

• Strong filtering and monitoring
• Clear safeguarding processes
• Documented oversight
• Informed governance

Online safety in schools is not about reacting to headlines. It is about calm, structured compliance and clear responsibility.

Schools that can explain their systems simply and show evidence confidently will always be in a strong position.

For MAT leaders balancing compliance and workload, a MagicBooking demo can show how operational systems support clearer reporting and accountability.

So, if you want online safety processes to feel calm and structured rather than reactive, book a call to see how schools keep leadership oversight simple.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is online safety in schools?

Online safety in schools means assessing the risks of the internet and search engines, and ensuring compliance by protecting users/pupils from harmful or illegal content online.

Protective measures include safeguarding systems, filtering, monitoring, safeguarding processes, and education.

For example, it’s important for teachers to understand risk profiles, and educate and safeguard children on risks so that they can make informed decisions.

Does the Online Safety Act 2025 apply to schools?

In most cases, no. It regulates online platforms. Schools remain accountable under education safeguarding law.

Will Ofcom inspect schools?

Ofcom regulates platforms under the Online Safety Act. Schools are regulated through existing safeguarding and education frameworks.

Similarly, schools and staff are subject to the legal frameworks of their national and local authorities.

What should governors ask about online safety?

Governors should ask:

• Who reviews filtering alerts?
• How often is effectiveness reviewed?
• What training do staff receive?
• How are incidents logged and escalated?
• What sites and apps are being accessed by children?