RRCongratulations to Harrow School on successfully achieving the Online Safety Mark, recognising the school's commitment to providing a safe, supportive and well-managed digital environment for its students.
The Online Safety Mark is awarded to schools that can demonstrate that online safety is embedded across leadership, safeguarding, teaching and learning, technical provision and the wider life of the school. Harrow's assessment highlighted a mature and well-established approach in which policies, procedures, governance and staff responsibilities are closely aligned and continually reviewed to ensure that online safety remains an integral part of the school's safeguarding culture.
Encouraging Responsible Digital Behaviours
The Assessor, Peter Lillington, was particularly impressed by the way online safety is woven into the unique pastoral arrangements of a full boarding environment. Through Harrow's House system, students receive consistent guidance and support that helps them develop healthy and responsible digital behaviours both during and beyond the school day. This is complemented by a comprehensive programme of online safety education, embedded within the PSHE curriculum and enhanced through expert speakers, peer mentoring, debates on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, and practical advice to help students manage their online lives confidently and safely.
Another notable strength identified during the assessment was the school's commitment to collaboration. Harrow actively shares expertise across the John Lyon Foundation family of schools, the wider Harrow network and other national and international partnerships, recognising that improving online safety is strengthened through professional collaboration and the sharing of effective practice. The assessment also recognised the school's strong engagement with parents, ensuring that expectations for online safety are supported consistently both during term time and at home.
Recognising Strengths and Areas for Improvement
Reflecting on the assessment process, the school commented that the Online Safety Mark framework had provided a clear structure for evaluating and strengthening its provision, leading to around eighteen months of further development before the assessment. Staff also valued the constructive feedback, noting that it recognised both the school's strengths and areas for future improvement, while taking full account of the distinctive context of a full boarding school.
Congratulations once again to everyone at Harrow School on this well-deserved achievement. Their work demonstrates how a whole-school approach to online safety, underpinned by strong leadership, effective pastoral care and a commitment to continuous improvement, can help create an environment in which young people are supported to use technology safely, responsibly and confidently.
