Acceptable Use Policy

This policy sets out what is and isn't allowed on SchoolVillage. It exists to keep the community respectful and, above all, to protect children. It applies to every community on the platform — school classrooms and activity groups such as clubs, Scouts, sports teams, dance and drama schools.

1. The purpose of SchoolVillage

SchoolVillage is a calm, private alternative to group chats — a place for guardians, verified school staff and activity organisation leaders to coordinate school and activity life without exposing children's personal information. Keep this purpose in mind whenever you post.

2. What you agree to do

• Use your real identity and accurate details.
• Respect child aliases — first name and last initial only — in every classroom and group.
• Keep invite codes private to your classroom or group community.
• Treat other guardians, carers, staff and organisation leaders with courtesy.
• Report safeguarding concerns and inappropriate content promptly.

3. What you must not do

• Post a child's full name, date of birth, photo, address, or the location they can be found (including school, meeting point, pitch, studio or hall).
• Share another guardian's or child's details outside the relevant classroom or group, or in public posts.
• Bully, harass, threaten, or demean any person, including children, school staff or activity leaders.
• Post discriminatory, sexual, violent, or otherwise unlawful content.
• Impersonate another person, or claim a school or organisation you don't represent.
• Use the platform to advertise, spam, or solicit outside of clearly relevant community posts (for example, uniform-swap or second-hand kit).
• Attempt to access accounts, data, or communities you are not authorised to use.
• Record or screenshot children's information in ways that defeat the platform's privacy design.

4. Posting & messaging

All communication on SchoolVillage is visible within its community — there are no private or direct messages. Do not share identifying information about a child in posts or messages. Party notices should use child aliases only. Organisation leaders may send official messages to their groups; these are visible to the group's members.

5. Organisation leaders

If you lead an activity organisation, you are responsible for running your groups appropriately: keeping invite codes within your membership, ensuring attendance records use aliases only, and moderating your groups. You must follow your organisation's own safeguarding policy and any requirements of your national body (for example, Scouting, a sport's NGB, or a dance/drama awarding body). SchoolVillage is a communication tool and does not assume your organisation's safeguarding duties.

6. Moderation

You can delete your own posts at any time. Verified school staff can remove any post in classrooms linked to their school; organisation leaders can remove posts in their groups. If a post concerns you, you can flag it from the post itself; if a second guardian confirms the concern, the post is removed and replaced with a notice that it was removed through moderation. Posts and replies are automatically checked for prohibited language and rate-limited to prevent spam and harassment; this does not replace the community flagging system. New guardians must be welcomed by an existing member before they can post or reply. The original content of removed posts is retained in a moderation log for accountability for up to 12 months. We may suspend or terminate accounts for serious or repeated breaches of this policy.

7. Consequences

Breaches may result in content removal, a warning, loss of features, temporary suspension, or permanent account closure. Where we suspect a child is at risk, we may act immediately and, where appropriate, escalate to authorities. You remain responsible for your own conduct; see the indemnification clause in our Terms & Conditions.

8. Flagging & concerns

If a post concerns you, flag it directly from the post. Two flags from different guardians remove it. For safeguarding concerns about a child, see our Child Safeguarding Measures for how we respond and where to get help.