All devices at St. Alban’s are monitored using the Securus Digital Monitoring Service. This is a forensic method of analysing what all pupils and staff are doing while connected to our school networks. The use of such software is to safeguard all users against online dangers such as extremism, drugs, radicalisation, inappropriate language, sexual content, grooming, cyber bullying, online chat rooms etc. The use of this software also helps to ensure the school are compliant with the latest statutory guidance issued by the government in Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) and the Prevent Duty, both of which are reported upon during Ofsted inspections.

When pupils and staff work on devices anything they type, search for or see on their screen is evaluated and captured if it is a risk.

These risks are graded as follows:

Grade 5 Potential Serious Safety threat: Urgent (High Risk) - child abuse; suicide indicator; extremism and radicalisation

Grade 4 Potential Serious Safety threat: Non-urgent (High Risk) - racist and hate material; gambling; bullying; adult content

Grade 3 Potentially Unsafe content or behaviour:  (Medium Risk) - social networks/chat rooms; giving personal contact information; extreme gaming Potentially inappropriate content or behaviour (Low Risk) - searches; video streaming; typed profanity; music and video download sites

Grade 2 Potential Cyberslacking (Low Risk) - celebrity gossip; playing non-educational games; TV catch ups (Not doing the assigned learning in class)

Grade 1 False Positive - No safety issue indicated

 The captures are evaluated by the Securus Monitoring Team and then sent to school for review. It is important that parents know we monitor everything your child does online in school and that any capture of concern will be dealt with to safeguard the children and staff.