Contemporary online safety advice, innovative school information sharing tools and relevant safeguarding guidance is brought together in Safer Schools NI. Safer Schools NI ensures your essential information is available when you need it, where you need it – in your pocket! Designed for whole school communities, Safer Schools NI allows users of all ages to educate and empower themselves and those around them to stay safer on and offline.
To register your school for free now, visit https://saferschoolsni.co.uk/and click “Register Your School”.
HOW IT WORKS?
App users are categorised into ‘roles’ depending on their position within the school community e.g., Safeguarding Lead, Staff, Parents & Carers or Pupils. Each user role is provided with a specific QR, and four-digit entry code supplied by the school (upon organisation registration) to gain access to the App. If they don’t yet have a code, users can access the App by selecting “waiting for a code”.
ONLINE SAFETY GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES
- The App contains extensive age-appropriate guidance, resources, and advice on a wide variety of topics, including health & wellbeing, social media, and gaming. Each topic contains quick quizzes and digital tests to evidence and further reaffirm learning.
- For school staff, CPD certified training courses are available to take directly within the App. Topics include Safeguarding Level 1, Mental Health Awareness, and Appropriate Use of Social Media.
- ‘Daily Safeguarding News’ is delivered directly to the App for all school staff.
- Access to a weekly round-up news podcast and safeguarding alerts aredelivered to staff, parents, and carers.
- Teachers receive access to the ‘Teach Hub’, a dedicated library of downloadable resources, created by teachers for teachers for use in the school curriculum.
- Parents and Carers receive access to the ‘Home Learning Hub’, the Teach Hub’s counterpart, that ensures safeguarding education doesn’t stop at the school gates!
- All users have direct access to the ‘Online Safety Centre’ through their App or on desktop browser that explains how to set parental controls, block, mute, report, and much more, all divided by popular platforms and operating systems.
KEY FEATURES
- News Builder: Allows schools to craft and curate their own digital news content in real time.
- Push Notifications: Communicate important safety messages, news, and announcements directly to staff, parents, carers, and pupil's devices.
- Digital Noticeboards: One way communication from staff members to specific groups such as individual classes, after-school clubs, or parent groups.
- Travel Tracker: Users can choose to share their live location for a limited period of time to trusted contacts when it matters most, such as on school trips, remote working, or walking home alone.
- Report a Concern: Users can report safeguarding concerns 24/7 to a dedicated professional email inbox. These can be completed anonymously.
- School/Safeguarding directories: Interactive Directories allow immediate access to contact details for relevant staff members and signpost to credible help and advice
- Report an absence: Providing parents and carers with an effective, time-saving solution to inform the school of their child’s absence.
Join our mission to educate, empower and protect our school communities across Northern Ireland, and play your part in keeping children and young people safer on and offline by downloading the app today.
Safer Schools NI is a partnership between the Department of Education and Ineqe Safeguarding Group.
ABOUT INEQE SAFEGUARDING GROUP
A leading independent safeguarding organisation based in the UK. With over 250 years of combined safeguarding expertise and advanced software development capabilities, delivering innovative and unique safeguarding solutions and training.
The "Safer Schools" app claims to prioritize child safety but falls short in its approach. Rather than fostering a healthy environment, it appears to thrive on fear, encouraging parents to become overbearing in their quest for digital safety. This app's fear-mongering tactics seem more likely to create an atmosphere of paranoia than genuine security. Furthermore, the overstepping parental controls raise concerns about children's privacy, promoting an environment where trust is replaced by surveillance. A more balanced and respectful approach to digital safety would better serve both parents and their children.
Not impressed overall
SusanM.176
Not impressed with the app overall. I was asked to review it for use in school, but based on my experience I wouldn’t recommend it. It feels clunky and outdated, with repetitive content, slow features, and some pages that don’t work properly at all. I also don’t think it really meets the needs of its audience — it’s not very engaging for pupils, too detailed for busy staff, and not especially accessible or user friendly for parents. Overall, I didn’t feel it added much value compared to other information already available.
non safe app
zjhhgugg
it reinforces parents to be more sceptical about children’s privacy and to be more open to check their phones. I have also heard a lot of things to do with the privacy of the app and it can also track data,beware everyone who’s getting the app as I’ve been told by multiple people it isn’t safe with privacy security
Great support for teachers and parents
Jimdoagh
As a former primary school teacher and mother of three I think this App is a must have for anyone engaged with supporting children and young people. Alerts and prompts and the daily updates are great.
Anonymised Usage Analytics added across major features in the app.
Version 2.3.0
The developer, Ineqe Group Ltd, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Used to Track You
The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:
User Content
Data Linked to You
The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
User Content
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Location
Identifiers
Usage Data
Privacy practices may vary based, for example, on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Provider
Ineqe Group Ltd
Size
15.2 MB
Category
Education
Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
iPad Requires iPadOS 17.0 or later.
Mac Requires macOS 14.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.
Apple Vision Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
Location
This app may use your location even when it is not open, which can decrease device battery life.
