Updates to the 360safe Cymru Online Safety Self Review Tool – August 2026
The 360 safe Cymru online safety self-review tool has received significant updates to make the tool easier for schools to use, to reflect recent updates to national guidance in England and the ongoing developments in the use of digital technologies.
In summary the changes in the 360 safe Cymru tool are:
- The aspects in the tool have been reduced from 21 to 18.
- The following aspects have been deleted, but their content added to other aspects: Professional Standards; Contribution of Learners; Agencies and Social Media
- There is a new Cyber Security aspect (the level from the Technical Security aspect will be copied to the new aspect, but the commentary will be blank)
- All level statements and improvement actions have been updated to increase their clarity and to reflect national guidance and developments in the use of digital technologies.
Overview
Key: ● Updated ↰ Renamed & Updated ✦ New ⊘ Removed
STRAND | CURRENT ASPECT (PRE-AUG 2026) | NEW ASPECT (FROM AUG 2026) | CHANGE | |
POLICY AND LEADERSHIP | ||||
Responsibilities | Online Safety Responsibilities | → | Online Safety Responsibilities | ● Updated |
Online Safety Group | → | Online Safety Group | ● Updated | |
merged into Acceptable Use | ✗ | — | ⊘ Removed | |
Policy | Online Safety Policy | → | Online Safety Policy | ● Updated |
Acceptable Use | → | Acceptable Use | ● Updated | |
Reporting and Responding | → | Reporting and Responding | ● Updated | |
EDUCATION | ||||
Learners | Online Safety Education | → | Online Safety Education | ● Updated |
merged into Education & Outcomes aspects | ✗ | — | ⊘ Removed | |
Adults and Agencies | Staff | → | Staff | ● Updated |
Governors | → | Governors | ● Updated | |
Families | → | External Stakeholders | ↰ Renamed & Updated | |
merged into External Stakeholders | ✗ | — | ⊘ Removed | |
TECHNOLOGY | ||||
Web Filtering and Online Safeguarding | Filtering | → | Web Filtering | ↰ Renamed & Updated |
Monitoring | → | Online Safeguarding | ↰ Renamed & Updated | |
Security | Technical Security | → | Technical Security | ● Updated |
— | → | Cyber Security | ✦ New | |
Data Security | → | Data Security | ● Updated | |
Practice | Device Management | → | Device Management | ● Updated |
merged into Acceptable Use, Public Online Communications & Education | ✗ | — | ⊘ Removed | |
Digital & Video Images | → | Digital Content | ↰ Renamed & Updated | |
Online Publishing | → | Public Online Communications | ↰ Renamed & Updated | |
OUTCOMES | ||||
Impact of Online Safety Policy and Practice | → | Impact of Online Safety Policy and Practice | ● Updated | |
The school’s data will be migrated to the updated tool.
While the content in the tool has been significantly updated, the level of expected provision required for each level has only minimal change. We recommend that schools revisit their 360 safe Cymru reviews to ensure that their provision continues to meet national standards and relevant guidance. We also suggest that you add a school specific commentary to the new Cyber Security aspect.
Online Safety Policy Templates
The Online safety policy templates in Keeping Safe Online on Hwb have been updated to reflect the changes in the 360 safe Cymru tool and to make them more user friendly. The main changes are:
- The policy templates have been simplified and are now significantly shorter – without losing any of the essential statements required for a school Online Safety Policy
- There is a new “Online Safety Policy Statement” (Appendix A7) which summarises the main points from the Online Safety Policy Templates into a two page statement
- There is a new Cyber Security Policy Template (Appendix C3)
With the significant updates to the Policy Templates we recommend that schools adopt the latest versions, adapting them to the school’s particular needs and circumstances.
If you would like any further information or clarification please contact us at 360safe@swgfl.org.uk