Keeping up to speed with the digital world can feel like a full-time job for schools and families alike. The UK Government recently published its full response to the Growing up in the Online World national consultation, mapping out a strict new blueprint for youth digital safety.
The headline news centres on:
introducing mandatory default protections for 16- and 17-year-olds on social media.
clamping down on addictive features and enforcing safeguards on AI chatbots to prevent underage exposure to explicit interactions.
helping young people build healthier online habits, boosting digital resilience.
expanding practical guidance for the support systems at home.
At RM, we welcome these steps. But we also know that policy on a page doesn’t automatically equal safety in the classroom or comfort at the dinner table. Here is how we are stepping up to support your school community through these legislative changes:
Our web filtering software, RM SafetyNet, is built specifically for education, blocklisting harmful content and alerting staff to vulnerabilities before they escalate. But software is only as good as the human intelligence behind it.
RM SafetyNet’s Product Manager, Tasha Henstock, also serves as an active Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). This unique crossover gives us direct insight into the shifting digital landscapes in real time, ensuring our tools evolve dynamically to manage new threats. To ensure we are aligned with global safety standards, we work closely with bodies like the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit and proudly stand as a supporter of the UK Safer Internet Centre.
The government's plan rightly highlights that protecting children online cannot stop at the school gates. Families need practical, accessible resources.
To bridge the gap between school and home, RM regularly hosts free Online Safety for Primary and Secondary School Parents webinars alongside renowned e-safety expert Alan Mackenzie. These sessions strip away the technical jargon, giving parents actionable ways to manage screen time and understand gaming platforms, empowering them to be able to talk to their children about digital wellbeing.
With the updated Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance continually raising the bar for digital filtering and monitoring, compliance can feel overwhelming. We take the burden off school leadership by providing guidance and break down exactly what the statutory updates mean for you and your school. Recently, we published a handy guide to KSCIE 2026, review today or save to your reading list.
A quick guide to KCSIE 2026.
As edtech providers, we believe safety features should be robust behind the scenes but clear and transparent for the user so we are reviewing User Experience (UX) across our platforms to ensure safety settings are intuitive rather than buried in complex menus.
The RM promise: We are proud to partner with schools for the long term. Technology will keep evolving, and so will online risks. Our promise is to ensure your defences evolve alongside them, keeping your staff focused on what they do best - delivering exceptional learning experiences in an environment where students feel safe and secure.
If you want to learn more about aligning your school's filtering with the latest safety standards, explore our Keeping School Safe page.