Safeguarding & Compliance

E-Safety & Student Protection

Every Broadband4 connection includes robust web filtering to keep students safe online. Choose from cloud-based filtering with our Managed Internet service, or on-premises control with Smoothwall on our Direct Internet Access service.

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Our Filtering Solutions

Two proven filtering platforms, each designed for different school requirements. Both are fully compliant with KCSIE, PREVENT and DfE digital standards.

Netsweeper

Powers our Managed Internet

Netsweeper is the cloud-based filtering engine powering our Managed Internet Access product. All traffic is filtered centrally — nothing to install or maintain on-site.

Included with Managed Internet

No additional cost — filtering is built into every Managed Internet connection as standard.

  • Cloud-based — nothing to install on-site
  • Real-time category-based URL filtering
  • PREVENT duty & KCSIE compliant
  • Customisable policies per school or user group
  • Detailed reporting & audit logs
  • Managed & maintained by Broadband4
Learn About Managed Internet →

Smoothwall

Broadband4 Partner

Smoothwall is an on-premises filtering and monitoring appliance. As a Smoothwall partner, Broadband4 can supply, deploy and support Smoothwall — available with or without our Direct Internet Access service.

Available with DIA or Standalone

Use Smoothwall with our Direct Internet Access, or deploy it independently on any existing connection.

  • On-premises appliance — full local control
  • Web filtering, monitoring & reporting
  • KCSIE, PREVENT & Ofsted compliant
  • Keyword & phrase alerting for safeguarding
  • Works with any ISP — not just Broadband4
  • Deployed & supported by Broadband4
Learn About Smoothwall →

Which Option is Right for Your School?

The right choice depends on your school's IT setup, budget and how much control you want over filtering policies.

Choose Netsweeper (Managed) if you:

  • Want zero on-site filtering hardware to manage
  • Prefer a fully managed, hands-off service
  • Need filtering included in a single monthly cost
  • Are a MAT wanting centralised filtering across sites

Choose Smoothwall if you:

  • Have an IT team that wants granular local control
  • Need keyword monitoring & safeguarding alerts
  • Want filtering independent of your internet provider
  • Already use our Direct Internet Access service

Compliance & Standards

Both filtering options meet all current UK education safeguarding requirements.

KCSIE 2025

Keeping Children Safe in Education

PREVENT Duty

Counter-terrorism compliance

DfE Standards

Digital technology standards

Ofsted Ready

Audit-ready logs & reporting

Why E-Safety Matters for Schools

Schools have a legal and moral obligation to safeguard students from harmful online content and create a secure digital learning environment.

Legal Compliance

Meet Safeguarding and PREVENT duty requirements while protecting your school from liability exposure and regulatory penalties.

Student Wellbeing

Reduce exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, and age-inappropriate material while promoting healthy online behaviour.

Accountability & Evidence

Generate detailed reports and audit trails to demonstrate safeguarding measures to governors, inspectors, and parents.

Netsweeper Web Filtering

Broadband4’s partnership with Netsweeper provides award-winning content filtering technology specifically designed for educational environments.

  • 50+ Filtering Categories: From adult content to gambling, gaming, and social media control
  • Real-time Threat Detection: Automatic blocking of emerging threats and malware sources
  • Granular Policy Control: Create user-specific or group-based filtering rules by department or year group
  • HTTPS Inspection: Secure monitoring of encrypted traffic to prevent circumvention
  • Zero Trust Architecture: Advanced protection against sophisticated cyber threats

PREVENT Duty & IWF Compliance

PREVENT Duty Compliant

Our filtering technology helps schools meet their Counter-Terrorism and Security Act obligations by restricting access to extremist content.

IWF Partner Filtering

All Broadband4 filtering is delivered through IWF-certified partners — Netsweeper and Smoothwall — ensuring industry best practices for child safety online.

UK GDPR Compliant

All data processing complies with UK GDPR requirements. Your school’s data is hosted in UK datacentres with appropriate safeguards.

Ofsted Ready

Our comprehensive safeguarding measures align with Ofsted expectations. We provide documentation and evidence to support inspection readiness.

BYOD and 1:1 Device Protection

Extend protection beyond school-owned equipment to personal and issued devices on your network. All devices connecting to your Wi-Fi receive filtering protection automatically — no software installation required on student devices.