Safeguarding at Learnaroo Hub

1. Our commitment

Learnaroo Hub is a learning platform used by children. Their safety is a primary design constraint, not a marketing afterthought. This policy sets out how we put children first in everything we build and how we expect adults using our platform to behave.

We comply with the relevant UK frameworks, including: the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, the ICO’s Age Appropriate Design Code (the “Children’s Code”), the Online Safety Act 2023, and — where we work with schools — the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance.

2. Designated Safeguarding Lead

Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is [NAME], [ROLE]. You can contact them directly at safeguarding@learnaroohub.com. A deputy is available when the DSL is on leave.

The DSL is responsible for: receiving and triaging safeguarding concerns; deciding referrals to children’s social care or the police; maintaining our incident log; reviewing this policy annually; and ensuring our team is trained to recognise the signs that a child might be at risk.

3. How our design protects children — in detail

3.1 No under-18 self-registration

We technically prevent anyone under 18 from creating an account themselves. Birth year is the first thing we ask before any other data is collected. Under-18s are routed to a parent-handoff flow that invites a parent or teacher to create the account on their behalf.

3.2 No public communication

Children cannot send messages to anyone except their linked parent or teacher account. There is no public chat, no forum, no comments section, no peer-to-peer messaging, and no friend system. Strangers cannot contact a child through our platform.

3.3 No public profiles, no discoverability

Child profiles are not searchable, not indexed, and not visible to anyone outside the parent or teacher account they belong to. There is no “users near you” feature and no profile photo upload.

3.4 No third-party advertising

We do not show third-party ads to anyone on our platform. We do not allow ad-network tracking pixels in children’s sections. We do not sell or share children’s data for marketing purposes.

3.5 No behavioural profiling of children

We do not build behavioural profiles of children. Content recommendations on a child’s dashboard are rules-based (matching curriculum stage and subject of resources their teacher has assigned), not machine-learning-based, and we will be transparent about that on the dashboard itself.

3.6 No autoplay, no infinite scroll, no nudges

We do not use design patterns shown to increase children’s screen time beyond what serves their learning. Sessions have natural end points. We do not gamify engagement metrics in ways that pressure a child to keep using the platform.

3.7 Content moderation

All Learnaroo-published resources are created or commissioned by our editorial team and reviewed for age-appropriateness before publication. Teacher-uploaded resources on the Educator plan are reviewed before they become visible to that teacher’s pupils.

3.8 Parental and teacher oversight

Every child profile is linked to an adult account. The adult can view what the child has accessed, set assignments, see progress, change settings, and delete the profile and all associated data at any time.

4. What to do if you have a safeguarding concern

4.1 A child is in immediate danger

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, dial 999. Do not wait to contact us first.

4.2 You have a non-urgent concern about a child’s welfare

Contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 (free, 24-hour) or visit nspcc.org.uk. If the concern relates to a specific child known to you, contact your local authority children’s services — find yours at gov.uk/report-child-abuse-to-local-council.

4.3 You have a concern about a child’s use of Learnaroo Hub

Email our Designated Safeguarding Lead at safeguarding@learnaroohub.com. Include the child’s account or the parent’s email if known, and a brief description of your concern. We respond within 24 hours, Monday-Friday.

4.4 You suspect inappropriate content on the platform

Use the “Report this resource” link visible on every Learnaroo resource page. We review reports promptly and remove anything that breaches our standards while we investigate.

5. Online Safety Act 2023 compliance

As a service that is likely to be accessed by children in the UK, we comply with our duties under the Online Safety Act 2023, including: an age-assurance mechanism at sign-up (our hard block on under-18 self-registration); regular risk assessment of harm to children; transparency reporting where required by Ofcom; and a clear, accessible complaint route through our safeguarding email above.

6. Working with schools

Schools using Learnaroo Hub for pupils enter into a separate data sharing agreement that aligns with the Department for Education’s data protection guidance for schools. Where a school is the data controller for pupil records, we act as a data processor under that agreement.

We do not require schools to deliver a Learnaroo-specific safeguarding briefing to staff, but we recommend that the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead reviews this policy and the way Learnaroo Hub fits into the school’s wider safeguarding arrangements before deployment.

7. Staff and contractor checks

Members of our team who could come into contact with children’s personal data are vetted on hiring, complete annual safeguarding training, and operate under formal information-security and confidentiality obligations. Contractors involved in safeguarding-sensitive work are subject to additional checks proportionate to their role.

8. Review

This policy is reviewed at least annually, and immediately after any safeguarding incident or regulatory change. The next scheduled review is [REVIEW DATE].