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Pupils in schools that use ‘managed’ online systems have a better knowledge and understanding of how to stay safe when using new technologies, according to a report published today by Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills.

‘Managed’ systems are systems that have fewer inaccessible sites than ‘locked’ systems and so require pupils to take more responsibility for their own safety. ‘Locked’ systems make many websites inaccessible and although this ensures pupils’ safety in school it does not encourage the pupils to take responsibility for their actions or prepare them for dealing with systems that are not locked.

Ofsted was asked to evaluate the extent to which schools teach pupils to adopt safe and responsible practices in using new technologies following the publication of a commissioned report by Dr Tanya Byron, which reviewed the risk that children face when using the internet and video games.

The report, The safe use of technologies, shows that the provision for e-safety was outstanding or good in the majority of the 35 schools visited, which included infant, primary and secondary schools, a state boarding school, a special school and a pupil referral unit. The most effective schools visited had a well-considered, active approach to keeping pupils safe when they were online.

However the report also found that it is important for schools to work closely with families, and use pupils’ and families’ views more often, to develop e-safety strategies.

In addition there needs to be a focus on training for all staff so that they can continue to reinforce the importance of e-safety in schools and homes.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, said:

'New technologies are central to modern life and provide a powerful support for learning, but they can also present a risk for young people if they are not taught how to use them safely. Children and young people do not always have the knowledge, skills and understanding to keep themselves safe and so it is essential that our schools teach them how to stay safe online. There are some valuable lessons in this report for all schools.'

The schools where provision for e-safety was outstanding were helping students to become safe and responsible users of technology by allowing them to manage their own risk. Pupils were more vulnerable overall when schools restricted access to almost every site because they were not given enough opportunities to learn how to assess and manage risk for themselves.

In an example of best practice, pupils were helped from an early age to assess the risk of accessing sites and therefore gradually acquired skills that would help them adopt safe practices even when they were not supervised.

In one local authority, the schools adopted a ‘think before you click’ policy. Pupils were taught that, before clicking onto a site, they should ask questions such as:

1. Who wrote the material on this site?
2. Is the information on it likely to be accurate or could it be altered by anybody?
3. If others click onto the site, can I be sure that they are who they say they are?
4. What information about myself should I not give out on the site?

Those schools that were rated as outstanding for e-safety ensured that all staff felt responsible for e-safety. Assemblies, tutorial time, personal, social, health and education lessons, and an appropriate curriculum helped pupils to become safe and responsible users. The best schools tailored their approach to their own circumstances with one school giving collective responsibility for e-safety to all staff. Consequently ownership was strong and e-safety pervaded a rich ICT curriculum.

The schools visited reported that they had dealt with a variety of e-safety incidents, such as pupils accessing inappropriate websites, as well as problems with social networking sites and instant chat sites. At one primary school two pupils started to receive unpleasant messages through instant chat and the school discovered that some pupils had told other pupils their passwords. It dealt with the incident in the same way as other bullying, but it also took the opportunity to reinforce messages about the safety and security of passwords.

The report found that the aspect that needed the most improvement was the extent and quality of staff training in e-safety, which should involve all staff and be provided systematically.

The report’s findings will be presented today at the biennial BECTA conference on safeguarding, 'Empowering children and young people in a digital world', held in Birmingham.

1. The report, The safe use of technologies, can be found on the Ofsted website www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/090231.

2. Safer children in a digital world: the report of the Byron Review, 2008 can be found on the DCSF website www.dcsf.gov.uk/byronreview.

3. School self-evaluation: a response to the Byron Review (080203), Ofsted, 2008 can be found on the Ofsted website www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/080203.

4. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

5. Media can contact the Ofsted Press Office through 020 7421 6899 or via Ofsted's enquiry line 0300 1231231 between 8.30am - 6.30pm Monday - Friday. Out of these hours, during evenings and weekends, the duty press officer can be reached on 07919 057359.