Key takeaways:
- The UK Government’s Growing Up in the Online World consultation is a key opportunity for schools and trusts to shape future digital safeguarding policy and practice.
- Effective safeguarding requires more than blocking alone — a balanced approach combining proportionate filtering and proactive monitoring is essential to reduce risk and maintain visibility.
- In an AI-enabled world, early insight, strong governance and digital literacy are critical to protecting students while enabling safe, effective use of technology.
The UK Government’s national consultation, ‘Growing up in the Online World,’ is now open for responses until 26 May 2026. For UK schools and trusts using Lightspeed Systems, this is an important opportunity to help shape how national policy balances protection, innovation, access and accountability in the digital environments our children use every day.
For those of us working in safeguarding, the conversation has evolved. We must move beyond simply asking what to restrict.
To be clear, this does not mean allowing young people to access content that is inappropriate, harmful or unlawful. Safeguarding still requires firm boundaries, age-appropriate filtering and decisive action where there is risk. But effective safeguarding in 2026 cannot rely on blocking alone.
Blocking Alone Is Not Safeguarding
Through a Lightspeed lens, we see daily that filtering is essential but not sufficient. The Department for Education filtering and monitoring standards require both appropriate filtering and effective monitoring. One without the other leaves gaps.
Over blocking can create unintended consequences. When access is shut down too aggressively, students often move to unmanaged devices, unfiltered mobile data or platforms that sit outside school visibility. That does not reduce risk. It reduces oversight.
Proportionate filtering through Lightspeed Filter allows schools to apply age-appropriate controls, manage risk categories and adapt policies by key stage, time of day or device type. This ensures compliance while maintaining legitimate access to educational content, research and increasingly AI driven learning tools.
Why Monitoring Matters More Than Ever
At the same time, under monitoring is no longer defensible.
With the rise of generative AI, anonymous social platforms, encrypted messaging and fast changing online behaviours, contextual insight is critical. Schools must be able to identify indicators of harm early, not after a disclosure or incident escalates.
Lightspeed Alert™ provides that proactive layer. It monitors student activity across devices and supported cloud environments for indicators of self-harm, bullying, violence, drugs, sexual abuse and explicit content. Incidents are grouped into cases, prioritised by risk level and surfaced to designated safeguarding staff for review.
This is not about surveillance. It is about early warning and informed intervention.
Alert supports human review, not replaces it. Safeguarding leads assess context, apply professional judgement and determine proportionate responses. Monitoring gives visibility. Professionals make decisions.
In an AI enabled world, this is particularly important. Students are increasingly interacting within AI tools for research, creativity and conversation. Monitoring must evolve alongside this, ensuring that emerging risks within AI environments are not invisible simply because they are new.
Education and Culture Still Matter
Technical controls alone will never solve online risk.
Digital literacy, critical thinking and awareness must sit alongside filtering and monitoring. Young people need to understand algorithmic influence, persuasive design, misinformation, privacy risks and responsible AI use. Monitoring and education are not opposites. They are complementary.
A mature safeguarding culture in 2026 looks like this:
Clear, proportionate filtering.
Proactive, contextual monitoring.
Strong safeguarding leadership and governance.
Ongoing student education and awareness.
This is the balance policymakers must get right, and it is the perspective UK schools and trusts should bring to the consultation.
A Call to UK Education Leaders
If you are a safeguarding lead, trust leader, IT director or education technology professional, this consultation is directly relevant to your work. It will influence future expectations around digital safety, platform accountability, parental engagement and age-related access to services.
Those of us working with or in schools understand the daily reality of balancing protection with opportunity. We see the benefits of technology for learning and inclusion, and we understand the risks when safeguards are not thoughtful or proportionate. Your experience matters in shaping a framework that is both protective and practical.
If you are able, take a little time to share your perspective before 26 May 2026. Even a short response can help ensure that future policy reflects the lived experience of schools and the professional judgement of those who work closest with children.
The future digital world for young people will be shaped by informed, balanced voices from across education.
If you’re interested in reading the new government consultation, you can do so here.
If you’d like to know how Lightspeed Systems can help you, your school or your MAT with filtering, monitoring, and compliance, you can contact a member of our team here.
