NEW FOR 2026
We have now created a separate version of the Online Safety Audit for schools that are LGfL broadband customers. This version of the template is pre-populated with information about the filtering and monitoring systems that we provide to LGfL customers, but please remember to check the content and edit as required. Compliance with the DfE Standards for Filtering and Monitoring is reliant on much more than just having filtering and monitoring systems (e.g. having the right identified and enacted roles and responsibilities, customising your systems for your pupils, maintenance and ongoing response to these systems).
The 2026 versions of the Online Safety Audit have a new section on 'Roles and Responsibilities', making it clear that although the DSL has the lead responsibility for online safety, there are many others in the school with their own important responsibilities too. To achieve an effective whole school approach to safeguarding, it is important that these various roles work in harmony.
We have also added further detail about the use of Gen AI, wearable technologies and data protection.
We would love to hear your feedback on how you have used the tool and any suggestions for improvements: safeguarding@lgfl.net
What is the LGfL Online Safety Audit?
Keeping Children Safe in Education states that “schools and colleges should consider carrying out an annual review of their approach to online safety”. This should be led by the designated safeguarding lead because they “take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection (including online safety and understanding…filtering and monitoring…” (KCSIE 2026).
We are proud that KCSIE references our Online Safety Audit as a resource for schools to use to fulfil this.
The LGfL Audit is a simple Word document that you can download and edit. It includes questions to answer with RAG (red-amber-green) ratings, with space to collate your evidence and action points in the final column.
The audit gives a robust overview of online safeguarding split into two broad sections:
Curriculum, General Approach & Communication
Safe School Systems (technology for safeguarding and safeguarding for technology)
We recommend you:
Use the Audit to evaluate the effectiveness of online safeguarding in your school, gather evidence of this and highlight any areas for development.
Link/integrate this into your Section 175 / LA safeguarding audit
Use the sections on filtering & monitoring as your annual F&M review (saves time but above all ensures an integrated, whole-school approach)
Share results with your school governors/trustees
DO NOT ask colleagues to complete the separate sections in isolation and simply paste them together at the end (mitigates against knowledge transfer and a whole-school approach)
Download your Online Safety Audit
LGfL Customers - Online Safety Audit
Use this version of the Online Safety Audit if you are an LGfL Broadband customer. This version of the Audit has some pre-populated sections in relation to filtering (SchoolProtect and HomeProtect) and monitoring (LGfL Senso)
Non-LGfL Schools - Online Safety Audit
This version of the template is appropriate for any school that is not an LGfL broadband customer. As referenced in KCSIE, our template gives schools a robust and comprehensive mechanism for annually reviewing online safety.
Early Years Online Safety Audit (non-school based)
Use this version of the Online Safety Audit if you work in a non-school-based early years setting (school-based settings should use one of the other 2 versions).
Why use our Online Safety Audit?
