Smoothwall by Qoria

01/10/2026

KCSIE 2026 clarifies that mental health concerns can develop into safeguarding risks. In this clip, our VP of Product, Gabi Walshaw, describes 3 student mental health trends she's seeing:

- Young people turning to AI chatbots for emotional support

- More students reaching crisis point outside of school hours

- Growing threats like sextortion increasing the risk of su***de

These concerns largely appear in online spaces. They are easily hidden and escalate fast.

To keep students safe and meet KCSIE guidelines, safeguarding teams need to be able to spot them early.

Smoothwall Monitor identifies risks in what students type across Google, Microsoft 365, web chats, AI tools, social media and offline documents.

Our UK moderation team reviews every serious alert, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to provide DSLs with the evidence and context they need to act quickly.

See how Smoothwall Monitor works: https://hubs.la/Q04ySNV10

23/09/2026

We are so very sad to hear of the passing of John Jackson, CEO of LGfL. Our team's thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family and friends at this difficult time, and everyone at LGfL.

LGfL provides fast, filtered and fortified broadband for schools, including resilience, cloud backups, free upgrades and more!

17/09/2026

What a fantastic day at Child Protection in Education: The National Safeguarding Conference 🎉

Thank you to the Optimus Education team and everyone who came to Kat's workshop and stopped by the stand.

The conversations we've had with safeguarding leads are invaluable and ensure our work remains grounded in what schools and their students actually need.

If you'd like to continue any of the conversations we had, get in touch at [email protected] — or take a closer look at what we discussed: https://hubs.la/Q04xMDb70

17/09/2026

Smoothwall is at Optimus Education's Child Protection in Education conference today!

Come and pay us a visit:

· Our safeguarding expert Kat Howard is running a workshop at 12:05 in the main theatre on the early warning signs of students at risk online, and how to spot them.

· Robbie and Kat are on stand all day to discuss all things digital safeguarding: emerging online risks, building a whole-school strategy, or what you're seeing in your setting and how we can help.

We look forward to seeing you soon 😀

Not at the conference? You can still see what we're showing: https://hubs.la/Q04xK5ch0

15/09/2026

We're excited to be attending Optimus Education's Child Protection in Education conference in London this Thursday!

Our very own Katherine Howard will be running a workshop at 12:05 on the early warning signs of students at risk online, and what schools can do to intervene before a crisis emerges. Don’t miss it ⌚

We’ll also be on the exhibition floor all day, so if you’re attending be sure to stop by as we’d love to talk!

📅 Thursday 17 September | Royal National Hotel, London

Can't make it? Here's what we'll be talking about: https://hubs.la/Q04xlPhS0

09/07/2026

📢 LIVE KCSIE 2026 WEBINAR | Monday 13th July @ 1pm

The for information version of KCSIE 2026 was published on Tuesday. This version features some of the most extensive updates in recent years, that education settings are now having to prepare for ahead of September.

With time now of the essence, Smoothwall is hosting a free live webinar that covers the key KCSIE changes that relate to student digital safety.

Kat Howard, our Head of Education & Wellbeing, will walk through these as well as the the practical steps you can take now before the new term starts.

You'll leave with a clear understanding of:
• The new digital risks KCSIE wants schools and colleges to recognise
• What good practice around filtering and monitoring now looks like
• How DSLs can meet the new early detection expectations
• What leaders need to oversee, evidence and review

Places are limited, so early registration is advised.

Book your place now: https://hubs.la/Q04p0cNy0

08/07/2026

📢 KCSIE 2026 is here!

The DfE has released the “for information” version of Keeping Children Safe in Education, due to come into effect this September.

Changes include:

✅ Expanded mental health guidance for all staff
✅ Deepfakes named explicitly for the first time as a notable risk
✅ Stronger focus on misogyny and harmful sexual behaviour
✅ Filtering and monitoring guidance updated to reflect AI risks
✅ New standalone guidance on gender questioning children
✅ Strengthened guidance on the DSL role & cover arrangements
✅ Cyber security recognised as a safeguarding concern

We've broken everything down in our section-by-section guide, so your team can quickly focus on the points that matter to you.

Explore what’s new here 👉 https://hubs.la/Q04nT0hd0

06/07/2026

DSLs hope cases like these never land on their desk.

For Kay-Burton Williams at BMet College, it did: a highly vulnerable student in urgent need of support.

When a young person is showing signs of risk online, the window to act is small.
But a web filter can only see so much.

Without wider visibility and context of worrying digital behaviours, DSLs are left piecing together the picture with limited time and information.

That wasn't the case here.

Because BMet College uses Smoothwall Monitor, Kay could quickly see the early signs of concern.

The human moderation team called, and she was able to act within minutes.

When cases like this emerge, the right monitoring is often what stands between catching a concern early and potentially missing it altogether.

See how Smoothwall Monitor helps DSLs like Kay see the signs of risk and intervene to keep students safe.

Book a quick walkthrough with Sean in our FE team today - https://hubs.la/Q04nB4Fy0

23/06/2026

We're at the Working Together to Safeguard Learners Conference today!

Events like this one really matter because the DSLs, senior leaders and safeguarding practitioners in this room are doing some of the most important work in education - and the conversations that happen here shape how schools think about keeping children safe.

If you're attending, be sure to find us in the marketplace. Matthew and David are on the smoothwall stand ready to chat about what effective digital monitoring looks like in your school, setting or trust.

Come and say hello 👋

15/06/2026

The UK has today announced a ban on social media for under-16s.

The plans set out stronger age verification on platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. They also propose blocks on livestreaming and stranger contact on gaming sites, and a minimum age for romantic chatbot companion apps.

It's a significant moment. But will a ban, on its own, keep children safer online?

Tim Levy, Managing Director of Qoria (Smoothwall's parent company), has watched this question play out before. Drawing on first-hand learnings from Australia's ban, he shares why removing access is rarely the whole answer. And why real protection takes more: age-appropriate safeguards, the right tools in parents' hands, and genuine accountability from platforms.

Read Tim's full statement here... https://hubs.la/Q04lnbs20