Social media safety guide for schools

This document arises the review of the use of social media in a primary school by two academics working in the fields of childhood studies and data management and governance at the University of Suffolk. Upon reviewing the school's social media accounts, which was implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic to enhance engagement with families we identified several areas of concern related to the type of followers engaging with X-Twitter, as it seems that the target audience (parents and carers) is not engaging with the accounts, instead a large number of adult content producer accounts and bots seem to be the primary followers. In an effort to contribute to the safety of the school community and safeguard both children and staff, we have gathered examples of existing issues surrounding follower activity to raise awareness of the potential risks. Our aim is to provide guidance on how to mitigate these risks and support school staff in understanding how certain accounts may operate, particularly in relation to accessing information about students, to support the school enhancing its online safety measures and create a more secure environment for everyone.