Safeguarding Incidents Involving Online, Digital, Mobile Phone or Social Media Activities

Dear Walton High, Milton Keynes,

Generation Alpha is collecting data from a range of public authorities, related to online, digital, mobile phone, or social media activities, and their potential harm to children.
We are writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”) to request the following information.

1 - TOTAL SAFEGUARDING INCIDENTS
How many safeguarding incidents of any type did the school record in total during the 2023-2024 academic year (“the Total Incidents”)? Please provide separate numbers for:
1.a) incidents classified as “low-level” concerns
1.b) concerns or allegations that may meet the harm threshold.

2 - RELEVANT SAFEGUARDING INCIDENTS
Of the Total Incidents, how many incidents involved or were influenced by an online, digital, mobile phone, or social media component (“the Relevant Incidents”)? Please provide separate numbers for:
2.a) incidents classified as “low-level” concerns
2.b) concerns or allegations that may meet the harm threshold.

[Note for question 2: Incidents involving or influenced by mobile phones and/or social media could include the following examples: sending inappropriate text messages; playing online challenges that endanger health and life; participating in cultural extremism of any kind; taking or posting a student’s picture without their consent; viewing or sharing pornographic images and videos; sharing a student’s mobile phone number without their consent, in particular with adults; showing another student a violent video; creating or distributing fake nudes of staff or students; bullying a student by excluding them from a WhatsApp group; etc.]

[Note for question 2: Social media includes: BeReal; BlueSky; Facebook; Instagram; LinkedIn; Mastodon; NextDoor; Pinterest; Reddit; Signal; SnapChat; Telegram; TikTok; X (formerly Twitter); WhatsApp; YouTube; other widely used platforms not listed here.]

3 - CLASSIFICATION OF RELEVANT INCIDENTS
If recorded, how many of the Relevant Incidents involved each of the following incident type:
3.a) Cyberbullying
3.b) Online grooming or inappropriate contact with an adult
3.c) Sexting or sharing of explicit images
3.d) Exposure to harmful online content (e.g., self-harm, radicalisation, violent content)
3.e) Other digital or online-related safeguarding concerns (please specify if recorded)

4 - POLICY AND RECORDING
4.a) Does the school have a Mobile Phone Policy or equivalent, governing the use of mobile phones and smartphones? If so, please provide an online link so that we can access the policy document.
4.b) Does the school have a specific policy or format for recording safeguarding incidents with an online, digital, mobile phone, or social media component? If yes, please provide a copy of any policy or guidance used to define and record such incidents.

5 - REFERRALS
How many of the Relevant Incidents led to a referral to external agencies?
5.a) Police
5.b) Child Exploitation and Online Protection (“CEOP”)
5.c) Social services
5.d) Other agencies not listed here (please specify if recorded)

6 - CONSEQUENCES OF THE RELEVANT INCIDENTS
Please provide details of material consequences related to the Relevant Incidents, as follows:
6.a) How many of the Relevant Incidents led to criminal proceedings?
6.b) How many pupils were temporarily excluded from the school as a direct result of the Relevant Incidents?
6.c) How many pupils were permanently excluded from the school as a direct result of the Relevant Incidents?
6.d) How many pupils suffered physical injury as a direct result of the Relevant Incidents?
6.e) How many pupils died as a direct result of the Relevant Incidents?
6.f) How many members of staff faced disciplinary action as a direct result of the Relevant Incidents?

7 - RELEVANT INCIDENT INSTIGATORS
If recorded, please provide aggregate information about instigators of the Relevant Incidents, as follows:
7.a) How many of the Relevant Incidents involved harm (or low-level concern) caused by a child attending the school?
7.b) How many of the Relevant Incidents involved harm (or low-level concern) caused by a child attending a different school?
7.c) How many of the Relevant Incidents involved harm (or low-level concern) caused by an adult affiliated with the school (including members of staff, supply teachers, caretakers, administrators, governors, trustees, etc.)?
7.d) How many of the Relevant Incidents involved harm (or low-level concern) caused by an adult not directly affiliated with the school (e.g. parents, external contractors, visitors, etc.)?

8 - RELEVANT INCIDENT LOCATIONS
If recorded, please provide aggregate information about locations of the Relevant Incidents, as follows:
8.a) How many of the Relevant Incidents occurred on the school premises?
8.b) How many of the Relevant Incidents occurred while in transit to or from the school (e.g. students travelling to school on a local bus)?
8.c) How many of the Relevant Incidents occurred during a day-trip organised by the school?
8.d) How many of the Relevant Incidents occurred during a residential trip organised by the school?

CONCLUSION

If you have any queries about our request, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will be very happy to clarify what we are asking for, and to discuss the request.

Please acknowledge receipt of this request.

If any part of this request exceeds the cost/time limits set under FOIA, please prioritise questions 1-4, and advise on how we might refine the request to remain within limits.

Thank you for your time and assistance. We look forward to your response within the statutory 20 working days.

Yours faithfully,
Generation Alpha