SaferSpace: The new app that allows parents or pupils to submit safeguarding concerns straight to schools

• A new app available to schools will let staff, pupils, and parents directly report safeguarding issues
• They can even use it to follow the outcomes of their complaint
• It has a built-in chatbot allowing users to discuss their concerns before making an official report
• These can even be made anonymously

A confidential reporting app will let parents and pupils send safeguarding concerns straight to school leaders - and follow up to make sure action is being taken.

SaferSpace, which was first released last year, has this month been re-launched in partnership with schools experts EducationScape - the publishers behind Schools Week and FE Week. The freshly-reinvigorated app will allow teachers, students and potentially even parents report safeguarding issues like harassment, bullying and discrimination.

Several higher education and further education institutions are already trialling the platform ahead of the new academic year, and SaferSpace is now inviting other school safeguarding leads and senior leadership teams to give it a try.

But how exactly does the app work, and why would schools even need it? Here’s what you need to know:

How it will work

In schools that have subscribed to SaferSpace, users will be able to submit either anonymous or named reports about any safeguarding concerns via its mobile app. They’ll also be able to look at the school’s specific safeguarding policies, and receive updates on the outcomes of their reports.

Depending on what type of education institution it is, SaferSpace will be able to be used by staff, pupils themselves, or even their parents, according to Schools Week.

The app has integrated guidance from Ofsted, the Office for Students and the new Worker Protection Act, and even has a built-in chatbot trained on the UK Equality Act. It can help users understand if what they’ve experienced might constitute discrimination or harassment before they make an official report.

EducationScape chief executive Shane Mann said that they had worked extensively with SaferSpace “to ensure the app is genuinely useful to those on the front line”. He added: “This is about giving HR, designated safeguarding leads, pastoral staff and students a reliable and secure tool that fits within existing reporting frameworks. The emphasis is on good reporting, not just technology.”

At the school’s end, the platform will display a “comprehensive governance dashboard”. Safeguarding staff will be able to identify trends, track incident resolution timelines, and monitor activity across campuses or departments. Each report will be triaged, using a confidential system that can be audited at any time.

For especially large or multi-site providers like universities or multi-academy trusts, the platform will also make sure that data is no longer siloed - and that safeguarding is consistently managed across the entire institution.

Why it’s needed

Originally launched in 2024, SaferSpace was created to address what its creators described as a lack of secure, accessible reporting routes in education. Now, they say that its relaunch comes at a time where safeguarding expectations are under increased scrutiny.

A 2021 review by Ofsted found that nearly 90% of girls in some secondary schools had been sent unwanted explicit images. Most said incidents of sexual harassment were so common that they did not see the point in reporting them. In higher education, nearly one in three female students told the Revolt Sexual Assault campaign that they had experienced sexual harassment during their studies.

Meanwhile, apprentices - who often worked in employer settings without full access to safeguarding support - faced similar challenges. One Department for Education study found that many were not being adequately informed about their rights or how to report inappropriate behaviour.

SaferSpace co-creator Ruth Sparkes said that was where the app, and tools like its AI chatbot, could help. “Some students don't always know whether what they've experienced is serious enough to report,” she said. “The chatbot helps them check, understand what’s happened, and supports them if they choose to submit a report.”

Teaching staff were also facing issues with harassment, violence and discrimination. A NASUWT survey found that in the last year, one in five teachers reported being hit or punched by pupils, with nearly two in five (38%) being shoved or barged. Female teachers experienced more frequent verbal abuse, while black teachers experienced more frequent physical abuse than their peers - with the union reporting a “rising tide” of misogyny and racism”.

Parents could be a problem too. More than four out of five headteachers say they have been abused by parents in the last year. Hundreds have also had to ban parents from the schoolgrounds, or get the police involved.

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