Online Safety

Technology is changing how we work, socialise and learn. Using technology can help young people positively in many ways.. However, there are online risks and responsibilities which people must be aware of. On this page we will continue to collect resources to help both students and parents stay safe online.

Online Safety @ The Ashcombe

At the Ashcombe we take students' online safety seriously. Inside school we protect our young people by both filtering and monitoring all online traffic.

What does this mean?

We have carefully balanced putting restrictions on what content can be viewed with the freedom to explore topics online as part of growing up. These restrictions have been set up to ensure students can only see content that is age-appropriate to them. These restrictions are continually being monitored to ensure they are effective and that we are not over-blocking content.

How do we monitor computer use?

As well as the filters we have in place, we use both physical and software-based monitoring to ensure students make good choices when learning online. Staff will physically check screens periodically in classes and will also use software to monitor and guide computer use during lessons.

All devices on the school network including those on the school's Wi-Fi are also remotely monitored 24/7 for various key terms and triggers. If any student makes a choice to try and access material that is inappropriate, even though this will be blocked by filters, a message will be passed to the pastoral team. This allows them to have a learning conversation with the student to help them make better choices in the future to use IT in a safer way.

Reporting Issues Online

If you experience any issue when online it is important that you report what has happened so that you can get the help you need, and the incident can be dealt with appropriately. Below are three ways different incidents can be reported:

Bullying and Safeguarding Reporting - to School

Reporting to Police

Reporting Harmful Content

Report Harmful Content - We Help You Remove Content

An online platform for students to report anonymously any issues they are experiencing. The information is passed to the Safeguarding team to look into.

CEOP - Child Exploitation and Online Protection - is there to keep children safe from sexual abuse and online grooming.

An online platform to report any content you think is harmful. This will be evaluated and may be removed or amended.

Acceptable Use Policy for School Technology

Our school is committed to providing safe and effective access to digital technologies for learning. To ensure this, all students must follow our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) when using any school computer, device, or network service.

Why is this important?
Digital technologies are powerful tools for learning, but they must be used responsibly to protect students, staff, and school systems.

Key Expectations for Students:

Use school systems responsibly and safely.
Keep usernames and passwords secure—never share them.
Do not access or share inappropriate or harmful content.
Respect others online—no bullying, aggressive language, or misuse of images.
Do not install software, bypass security, or damage equipment.
Report any suspicious activity, unpleasant content, or technical issues immediately.
Only use AI tools provided and approved by the school.

Consequences for Misuse:
Failure to follow the AUP may result in loss of access to school systems, disciplinary action, and, in serious cases, police involvement.

Full Policy & Agreement:
Please read the full Acceptable Use Agreement (shown below).

Safety Tips for Parents

The world our children explore daily is very different to the one that existed when most of our parents were children. This can cause some parents to feel unprepared to support their children in how to navigate this new world in a safe way. To help with this we are creating an online safety guide that goes through some of the ways you can do this.

Parental Online Safety Guide

Another great resource for parents is the UK Safer Internet Centre which gives amazing advice for schools, parents and children on safer internet use. They produce very clear information guides on a huge range of online topics and platforms. We will highlight below a few that we feel are currently very relevant for parents to look at, and keep this list updated.