Smoothwall Reminder letter

Three students talking and smiling while walking towards the camera.

Dear Parents/Carers, 

RE: Smoothwall Reminder 

As a reminder we are working in partnership with Smoothwall to ensure that all school accounts and devices whether inside or outside of school are appropriately monitored. Smoothwall is a real-time, digital monitoring solution that flags incidents as they happen. The smoothwall platform will be fully embedded on all devices by Monday 22nd May. It will monitor both keystrokes and screen views and will notify the safeguarding team if users try to view or type any content that could be harmful. 

This is a safeguarding led remote monitoring arrangement aimed at protecting all users from risks of online bullying, and pupils who may be at risk of wellbeing or safeguarding concerns. Data from student accounts is never seen in its entirety but identified risk words and phrases are reviewed and risk is assessed by Smoothwall and then passed to the school safeguarding team if they meet the thresholds of concern or risk. This is an important strengthening of our safeguarding arrangements to protect our users as we increasingly operate in electronic forums as part of our wider digital strategy. 

The safeguarding team will review the content of the monitoring and will consider if there is a need to further educate pupils, undertake individual discussions, set sanctions or provide any further support that is required. If appropriate parents/carers will be contacted to ensure we are working together to support our pupils. 

Children and young people need advice and protection when it comes to managing their lives online. Issues that your child may encounter on the internet will vary depending on their age and online activities. Privacy settings online may also allow you to customise the information that each friend is able to access. If you have concerns that your child is, or has been, the subject of inappropriate sexual contact or approached by another person, it’s vital that you report it to the police via the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (www.ceop.police.uk).

If you have any concerns about your child’s experiences online or in school, please contact the safeguarding team through the following email address safeguarding@stroodacademy.org in the first instance and we will work with you to address these. 

Thank you for your continued support. 

Yours sincerely 

Miss Julie Lindsay | Vice Principal, Victory College