Online Safeguarding Checker for Nurseries and Preschools
Answer a few quick questions to see how your setting is doing with online safety, staff awareness and data protection and get clear, jargon-free next steps you can use in your safeguarding work.
Every nursery and preschool handles personal information every day, from child records and photos to staff details and parent communications. Protecting that data is part of your legal duty under UK GDPR and it sits alongside your broader safeguarding responsibilities under Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE).
This quick checker helps you review both the online safety and data protection sides of safeguarding. It’s not an audit, just a simple way to see what’s already working well and where there may be gaps, whether that’s email protection, staff training or how you store personal data. You’ll also find links to trusted tools used by other nurseries to meet Ofsted expectations and strengthen their data protection compliance.
Online Safeguarding & Data Protection Checker for Nurseries & Preschools
Answer a few quick questions to see how your setting is doing with online safety, data protection and staff awareness. You’ll get a simple view of where you’re doing well and where things may need attention, with links to helpful resources if you want to go further.
This checker is for guidance only. It supports your safeguarding and compliance work with Ofsted and KCSiE, while also helping you meet your responsibilities under UK GDPR by reviewing how personal data is stored, shared and protected. You may also find the NCSC guidance for early years practitioners helpful.
Your results
Here’s a simple view of where your nursery is doing well and where online safeguarding or data protection may need more attention.
🌟 You’re doing well with:
📝 May need attention:
Helpful guidance and next steps
Key online safeguarding areas for nurseries & preschools
This table links the main areas in the checker to everyday risks and practical ways to strengthen your setting’s online safeguarding and data protection.
| Safeguarding area | Why it matters | What good looks like | How we can help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policies & procedures | Staff need clear expectations for online safety, data handling and incident reporting. | Written, shared and reviewed policies covering online safety, UK GDPR and acceptable use. | Support to align your policies with KCSiE, UK GDPR and NCSC early years guidance. |
| Staff devices & protection | Unprotected laptops and PCs can be lost, stolen or infected, risking sensitive child and staff data. | Managed protection on all work devices, with regular checks that security is working as intended. | Heimdal Next-Gen Antivirus, Huntress Managed Endpoint Security |
| Web filtering & DNS protection | Children or staff may accidentally reach unsafe, harmful or inappropriate sites. | Consistent web/DNS filtering on relevant networks and devices, reviewed regularly. | Heimdal DNS Protection |
| Email & phishing protection | Phishing emails can lead to data breaches, fraud or malicious software being installed. | Advanced filtering to block phishing and spoofed emails, plus clear reporting routes for staff. | Check Point Harmony Email (Avanan), Sendmarc (DMARC) |
| Passwords & MFA | Weak or shared passwords make it easier for unauthorised people to access systems. | Strong, unique passwords stored in a password manager, with MFA on key systems. | Keeper Password Manager |
| Updates & patching | Out-of-date devices and software contain known weaknesses that attackers can exploit. | Updates installed automatically or centrally, with regular checks for missing patches. | Heimdal Patch & Asset Management |
| Backups & recovery | Hardware failure, accidental deletion or ransomware could remove access to key records. | Daily backups of key systems, with tested restore and clear retention periods. | ConnectWise Cloud Backup (Microsoft 365), Axcient Server & Endpoint Backup |
| Staff awareness & training | Most incidents start with a person clicking a link, opening an attachment or mishandling data. | Regular, short training and reminders tailored to early years staff and real scenarios. | CyberSmart Learn, Huntress Training |
| Incident response & 24/7 support | Without a plan, it’s hard to know who to call or how to respond to a possible breach. | A simple, written incident plan and access to expert help if something goes wrong. | Heimdal MXDR, Huntress Managed EDR, Huntress ITDR |
| Assurance & certification | External assurance helps show parents, trustees and inspectors that you take online safety seriously. | Recognised certificates or audits that cover core technical and organisational controls. | Cyber Essentials (via CyberSmart), SMB1001 certification |