LGfL SchoolProtect
The Future of Web Filtering from LGfL
To help meet the DfE Standards on filtering, we are moving all schools from WebScreen to our improved web filtering, SchoolProtect.
Introducing SchoolProtect
SchoolProtect Features
SchoolProtect filters all HTTP and HTTPS websites by default but additional granularity for filtering and reporting can be achieved by enabling HTTPS decryption and installing certificates on school devices. This allows the filter to intercept the full URL for HTTPS websites, not just the domain name (as is the case without decryption).
Many websites have content embedded from other sites that may be blocked. For example: schools often embed their own X (formally Twitter) feed or educational content providers may host videos on Vimeo. We recommend both these sites (X and Vimeo) be blocked for students as they have no enforceable safe search and a lot of unsuitable content.
By using the embedded content functionality in SchoolProtect, only the specific videos/content used by the website can be allowed without allowing the whole external site. This functionality requires HTTPS decryption to be turned on.
SchoolProtect can identify users by several methods:
IP address
USO Username
Active Directory Integration
Chromebook Integration
Further functionality is coming very soon to allow Intune-managed Azure AD devices to seamlessly authenticate into SchoolProtect.
SchoolProtect runs in the LGfL core, filtering all web traffic from LGfL schools. This means that you can be confident that all devices connected to your school network are protected. There is no installation or configuration required on devices.
The SchoolProtect management portal is designed specifically for schools, making the job of setting up, managing and reviewing filtering straight-forward for schools. Once policies are created, it is simple to review and change which websites and categories are allowed and blocked.
Our partners Netsweeper scan over 100 million websites each day, assigning each one a category. SchoolProtect has over 80 categories that schools can choose to allow or block and every website will fall into one of these categories.
Live categorisation stats can be found here.
The AI categorisation engine understands over 45 languages, not just English. Details of the languages scanned can be found here.
Managing multiple filtering policies is made simple with our 'bundles' feature that allows groups of allowed or blocked websites to be shared between policies. For our MAT customers, this feature allows centralised management of allowed and denied websites between schools in the group.
Schools can run a variety of reports on a schedule or on demand to check the filtering is working as intended, look for patterns in student browsing activity or to perform detailed investigations into specific activities.
Scheduled reports can be run monthly, weekly, daily or as often as once per hour.
Example reports include: Adult categories, Prevent, User Summary and Detail.
Schools can apply different filtering policies depending on the time of day, for example, you may want a more restrictive policy during break and lunchtime when students may be using the internet unsupervised. Boarding schools may apply different time policies for the school day and out-of-hours.
SchoolProtect FAQs
Starting from Summer 2023 we will be migrating all schools onto the new system. We hope to have all schools moved to SchoolProtect by Summer 2024. If you need to move sooner, please contact schoolprotect@lgfl.net
SchoolProtect represents a new era in filtering and will eventually encompass different products. SchoolProtect-WebScreen is the first, but don't worry - it's not just a name change - there is plenty of new functionality coming to help you keep children safer, as well as a multi-million pound refresh of technology to make sure that the infrastructure is fit for the future.
It certainly is. As we have had so many queries and KCSIE focuses so much on filtering, we have built a new page to help safeguarding teams understand their duties, the standards and what it means to manage filtering as a DSL.
The answer to that is best summed up by the video at the top of this page, but decryption (why is that important and a good thing? see the videos here) and more authentication, reporting and filtering by user group (this time Chromebook authentication being added to the Windows Active Directory synch) is just the beginning. Next year we will add more user auth opportunities. better audit logs and much more.
The infrastructure refresh is particularly important - you won't notice that, but it means we have the latest technology, futureproof protections and the ability to add the functionality you need. Much of this was already planned but its importance has been highlighted by the new standards and emphasis on a safeguarding-first approach (such as the DSL now having lead responsibility for filtering).
Good question - in fact we have made a series of videos to help with that for beginners and experts alike. Head over to this page and binge on SchoolProtect videos - who needs Netflix?
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If you use Windows, make sure your tech team has synchronised the filtering with your Active Directory (what's that? The 'address book' for Windows links user names with real names and year groups or key stages (depending on setup). If they haven't, ask them to request the Active Directory sync tool from the Support Site.
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If you use Chromebooks, make sure the Google directory is linked in the same way. If not, ask your tech team to follow this guide*.
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* Please note that Chromebook authentication is only available to schools on the new SchoolProtect platform (more than 50 percent of you so far). If your school is yet to move over to SchoolProtect and you are a Chromebook school, contact schoolprotect@lgfl.net and we will move you next!
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Speak to your Nominated Contact/s who can set you up with a log in.
