To what extent do schools protect their children online? It is a question which has been asked ever since the internet was brought into the everyday classroom.
With such a vast, unpredictable world online, it has been important for schools to take the necessary measures to ensure the safety of their students. Online safety should always be considered a high priority, which is why 360 degree safe was created.
This simple, digital tool allows schools to review their policy and practice to see where they succeed, but more importantly, need improvement. Since being created, 360 has allowed schools to develop their online safety to meet expected requirements - it has also shown where the strengths and weaknesses lie!
Online Safety Index 2021
The Schools Online Safety Index 2021, authored by Prof Andy Phippen, groups and ranks online performance information from over 12,500 schools in England by Local Authority area.
Based on self-review data from the 12,500 schools in England using 360degreesafe, the charts below show how everyone performs for 2021. A final score is shown as the ‘Index’ which is a combination of the performance and engagement score. This combination produces the final ranking. The performance value represents the aggregated rating for all schools in the area towards a good standard. The engagement value represents the percentage of schools engaged with the process, disclosing the priority placed on online safety in the area.
Top Performing Local Authority Areas
Rank 2021 | Rank 2020 | Index score | Performance | Engagement | |
North Somerset | 1 | 2 | 53.7 | 66.6% | 80.7% |
Swindon | 2 | 3 | 52.9 | 62.8% | 84.2% |
Dorset | 3 | 1 | 46.3 | 60.4% | 76.7% |
Plymouth | 4 | 6 | 36.7 | 58.6% | 62.7% |
Cornwall | 5 | 5 | 36.7 | 54.8% | 66.9% |
Warwickshire | 6 | 4 | 36.4 | 56.8% | 64.1% |
Somerset | 7 | 8 | 34.1 | 57.7% | 59.0% |
Stoke-on-Trent | 8 | 7 | 33.0 | 59.8% | 55.2% |
Torbay | 9 | 13 | 29.6 | 55.0% | 53.9% |
Staffordshire | 10 | 10 | 28.1 | 54.8% | 51.2% |
Lowest Performing Local Authority Areas
Rank 2021 | Rank 2020 | Index score | Performance | Engagement | |
Rotherham | 134 | 142 | 3.6 | 50.5% | 7.1% |
Hertfordshire | 135 | 137 | 3.6 | 55.3% | 6.5% |
Wandsworth | 136 | 140 | 3.5 | 50.2% | 7.1% |
North Tyneside | 137 | 136 | 3.5 | 46.7% | 7.5% |
Greenwich | 138 | 132 | 3.4 | 40.6% | 8.4% |
Leeds | 139 | 139 | 3.3 | 45.6% | 7.3% |
West Berkshire | 140 | 133 | 3.2 | 50.7% | 6.2% |
Westminster | 141 | 134 | 3.1 | 45.1% | 6.9% |
Hillingdon | 142 | 141 | 3.0 | 47.2% | 6.5% |
Merton | 143 | 143 | 2.5 | 43.6% | 5.7% |
School Online Safety Index by Local Authority Area Map
Explore the map to find the performance of your local authority! Included is a breakdown of the aggregated performance of all online safety aspects and can be found by clicking on the blue ranking numbers. The areas are colour coded as follows
- Green – Top performing Local Authority areas
- Yellow – Above average
- Orange – Below average
- Red – Lowest performing Local Authority areas
*Only 143 Local Authority areas are ranked. Those with less than 5 active schools are not included for statistical representation and also to ensure the anonymity of individual school information.
If your school has not signed up for 360 degree safe, you can register for free and find out how well your school performs in online safety policy and practice.
Register FREE for 360 degree safe
Over the last decade SWGfL has published an annual assessment report of school policy and practice, the most recent report can be found here