Some online risks are more common in FE settings.

Risk of radicalisation, racism and violence in the community often emerges first in a student's digital behaviour.

Digital monitoring makes invisible risks, visible

Digital monitoring gives you real-time sight of what students are doing, saying or sharing that may indicate they are in harm's way, or at risk of harming others.

Filtering alone is not enough.

Filtering stops students from accessing harmful content. But it doesn't show you risks revealed in what they are typing or sharing beyond the search bar. For example, in emails, in chats, to chatbots, in documents, in spreadsheets and on forums.

Monitoring bridges that gap — alerting you to signs of harm, distress, or intent within minutes of them occurring. And, in the case of Smoothwall Monitor, this happens with full human-moderated contextualisation, that removes false positives and enables you to intervene fast and appropriately.

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The 6 imperatives to digital monitoring success:
What every FE safeguarder needs to know

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Download our paper now to learn...

  • Why early detection is even more critical in FE.
  • 26 examples of what monitoring detects that filtering does not.
  • Why digital monitoring is critical for KSCIE early detection & compliance.
  • The 6 factors essential to digital monitoring success.
  • The 2 pitfalls to avoid.

Download now

The evidence is clear

In 2024, Smoothwall Monitor's team of moderators alerted a DSL
to an FE student at serious risk every 18 minutes.

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minutes

Every 18 minutes, Monitor identified an FE student suspected to be at serious risk.

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minutes

Every 46 minutes, Monitor identified an FE student suspected to be involved in a serious cyberbullying or violent incident.

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hours

Every 10 hours, Monitor identified an FE student suspected to be facing a very serious risk to their health or life.

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hours

Every day, Monitor identified an FE student involved in a suspected terrorism alert.

Hear what other Safeguarding Leaders say

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Irene Farragher
Director of Student Services
Lakes College 
Cumbria

andrew

Andrew Ottey
Deputy Director of Student Life

Luminate Education Group
Leeds

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Samantha Gunnarsson
Assistant Principal Learner Experience 

The College, Merthyr Tydfil
Wales

christian

Christian Phillips
Learner Experience Co-ordinator
The College, Merthyr Tydfil
Wales

eevee

Evie Stannard
Student Safeguarding Manager

Leeds City College
Leeds

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Irene Farragher
Director of Student Services
The Lakes College 
Cumbria

Why the time for digital monitoring is now:
A further education roundtable discussion

Safeguarding leaders from the United Colleges Group and Birmingham Metropolitan College came together to talk to us openly about the realities of trying to spot students at risk online.

The conversation makes it clear that digital monitoring is no longer optional in FE environments — it’s essential to keep learners safe.

We discussed...

  • The biggest concerns that FE colleges face around student digital safety and visibility of risk.
  • The gaps that appear when digital monitoring isn’t in place and its impact when it is.
  • How it's helping FE colleges to spot student safeguarding trends and address them as soon as possible.
  • Advice and guidance to other colleges that are yet to adopt digital monitoring.

Book a call with our FE monitoring expert Sean

Hi, my name is Sean Lazenby and I've been helping FE safeguarding leaders successfully implement monitoring for many years.

I can show you how it works and answer any questions, as well as share the life-changing impact it has had in other FE environments.

Simply fill in the form and I'll get straight back to you to arrange an informal chat.

Sean-Lazenby

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Head of Further Education
Smoothwall