Online Safety

Online Safety is about understanding the potential risks of being online, knowing what is legal and appropriate, and learning how to protect yourself while using the internet. It includes being aware of how to stay safe when using any device—whether fixed or mobile—that gives access to online content and communication. This applies to all current and future technologies that children and young people might use, especially those that could affect their wellbeing or safety.

To support safer online browsing at CAST, we use a filtering system provided by Smoothwall. Smoothwall’s web filtering scans the content, context, and structure of every webpage to block harmful material. It includes 120 filtering categories, allowing us to tailor internet access and ensure that inappropriate content remains inaccessible. The system primarily targets content related to child sexual abuse, terrorism, and adult material, though it also covers a wide range of other risks. Importantly, it avoids excessive blocking, ensuring that online learning and safeguarding education are not unreasonably restricted.

In addition to filtering, we operate two monitoring systems: one from Smoothwall and another from Impero. These tools monitor everything typed by staff and students—whether in a browser or any document. When concerning content is detected, alerts are triggered and categorised by risk level:

• Low-level alerts are logged and can be reviewed at any time by the safeguarding team
• Medium-level alerts generate email notifications to prompt a review by the safeguarding team, with enough context to assess the situation.
• High-level alerts are escalated to external Smoothwall staff, who will immediately contact the school if urgent action is required.

KCSIE groups online safety risks into four areas: content, contact, conduct and commerce (sometimes referred to as contract). These are known as the 4 Cs of online safety.

Content

Content is anything posted online - it might be words or it could be images and video. Children and young people may see illegal, inappropriate or harmful content when online. This includes things like pornography, fake news, racism, misogyny, self-harm, suicide, anti-Semitism, radicalisation and extremism.

Contact

Contact is about the risk of harm young people may face when interacting with other users online. This includes things like peer-to-peer pressure or seeing inappropriate commercial advertising. Sometimes adults pose as children or young adults with the intention of grooming or exploiting a child or young person for sexual, criminal, financial or other purposes.

Conduct

Conduct means the way people behave online. Some online behaviour can increase the likelihood, or even cause, harm - for example, online bullying. Conduct also includes things like sharing or receiving nudes and semi-nude images and viewing or sending pornography.

Commerce

Commerce is about the risk from things like online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing or financial scams. Children and young people may be exposed to these risks directly.