Two years on and it was time for another Online Safety Mark Assessors Update Training; today was a hybrid version, with some in situ at the Lysaught Institute in Newport, Wales (8 individuals) and others joining online (10 people). Whilst it was lovely to see some familiar faces, it was great to meet a few new ones and do a spot of networking too. These days are always very intense as there is so much vital information to relay, but they are always engaging and thought-provoking.
After Ron Richards had formally welcomed and introduced everyone, he enlightened us about the 360 tools and Online Safety Mark (OSM) updates. Whilst registrations for the 360 tool had, once again, risen, the increase was slightly lower than the previous year. Concern was raised regarding the decrease in use of the tool in the last year and in those that had updated in the last year. The message that we need to share with schools is to register and update. Ron outlined some 360 developments, e.g. AI being included in level statements; increased reference to cyber security. Despite the number of registrations, there were only 24 schools who applied for Online Safety Mark accreditation. We discussed why this might be the case (largely due to the cost and time element involved). Those that had gained accreditation and completed the evaluation form were very positive about the whole experience, however, with few suggestions/improvements cited. It is important that we share this feedback with local schools to encourage them to apply for Online Safety Mark accreditation too. Ron mentioned Compass and 360 groups briefly as well; the overall picture was the same.
Next, David Wright joined us virtually from Florida, USA, and revealed the findings of Professor Andy Phippen‘s work (an analysis of data from the 360 tools – what we can learn about online safety provision in schools across the UK using the data from 360 school reviews). He displayed the usual infographic, which summarises the findings so clearly, and then zoomed in on various tables and charts to explain the data fully.
Kate Worthington provided updates on the various helplines (POSH, RHC and RPH). She gave an overview of each one, before talking about the current trends/threats and sharing the latest statistics. They are only a team of ten, but extremely effective at what they do; as Kate said, ‘We are small, but mighty!’.
Following a short comfort break, Ken Corish and Graham Lowe led a session on online safety updates, e.g. recent trends; developments; Online Safety Act; social media and smartphone debates re: U16; school use. Ken talked at length about AI and the potential impact on the safeguarding landscape and the 360 safe tool. He informed us about the changes being introduced re: AI to the original and Welsh tools in Spring 2025. AI is developing swiftly and there are ongoing debates about the pros and cons for the education sector. It appears to be something that we will all have to embrace sooner or later, but guardrails and legislation are urgently required.
David later focused on updates related to filtering and monitoring guidance, accredited filtering providers, DfE/Hwb technical standards and test filtering+. This stimulated several questions and comments via the chat feed and within the training room itself.
It was then time for a little more input from us. We divided into two groups, those participating in situ and others attending online. Discussions centred upon future 360 updates. We were given a number of questions to consider. All delegates involved themselves actively in the subsequent conversations. Hearing from individuals with different roles and responsibilities and located in other areas of the country provided a range of perspectives and highlighted the huge variations that exist.
Lunch called. On our return, Project EVOLVE, Project EVOLVE EDU and Project EVOLVE Safeguarding were visited; how this project has developed over the years is a real testament to the hard work and expertise of all those involved.
Ron Richards concluded the session, superbly summing up the key takeaways from the day and developments to watch out for.
Many thanks to all those contributing to today’s training. A day well spent, highlighting just how important and advantageous it is to be ‘in the know’ about such a rapidly advancing sector.