Question 1

What does MDM do?

Accepted Answer

MDM is a specialist school communications agency.

We work with schools and multi-academy trusts to support social media management, photography, video production, graphic design, prospectus design, training, recruitment and admissions campaigns, and wider digital communications.

Our role is to help schools communicate clearly, consistently and professionally without adding unnecessary workload to busy staff.

Because we work in education, our approach is different from a general marketing agency. We consider safeguarding, pupil privacy, consent, public perception and reputation in the content we create, capture and publish.

Question 2

Does this mean schools should stop posting photos altogether?

Accepted Answer

No. We do not believe schools need to disappear online or stop celebrating school life.

The change is about being more careful with the types of images used publicly. Instead of relying heavily on close-up, face-forward pupil photographs, we will prioritise safer visual storytelling: photos from behind, over-the-shoulder learning shots, hands-on activity images, school environments, displays, wider scenes, staff-led content and graphics.

This allows schools to remain visible, warm and active online without unnecessarily identifying individual pupils.

Question 3

What does “safeguarding-first” mean?

Accepted Answer

Safeguarding-first means that safeguarding, pupil privacy, consent, public perception and reputation are considered before content is published.

It does not mean school communications become cold, corporate or negative. It means we ask better questions before using an image, such as:
Can this child be clearly identified?
Does the child need to be identifiable for the story to be told?
Is a pupil’s face being linked to their name?
Could the same message be shared using a safer image?
Is this image necessary, proportionate and appropriate for a public platform?
Does the school or trust have specific guidance we need to follow?

A safeguarding-first approach means we still celebrate pupils and school life, but we do so with more care and judgement.

Question 4

Why is this important now?

Accepted Answer

This is important now because AI tools have changed what can be done with publicly available images.

The concern is not simply that a photo is online. The concern is that images can be copied, manipulated, combined with other information or used in ways that schools, parents and pupils never intended. The Internet Watch Foundation has reported increasing concerns around AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery, including imagery that may involve real children’s faces or bodies, either directly or as part of the AI creation process.
Schools have a responsibility to keep reviewing practice as risks change.

MDM’s view is that this is an opportunity for schools, trusts and their communications partners to lead by example: continuing to celebrate school life, while adapting to the changing digital landscape and putting children’s safety, privacy and dignity first.

Question 5

Is this a legal requirement?

Accepted Answer

MDM is not presenting this as legal advice or saying that every school is legally required to take exactly this approach.

This is a practical communications and safeguarding-first response to emerging risks, national discussion and updated guidance around image safety. The UK Safer Internet Centre guidance looks at the responsible management, sharing and protection of photos and videos featuring children and young people across websites, social media and other digital spaces.

Schools and trusts remain responsible for their own safeguarding, consent, data protection and local policy decisions. MDM’s role is to support safer and more thoughtful communications practice.

Question 6

Is MDM overreacting?

Accepted Answer

We do not believe so.

This is a proportionate change, not a panic response. We are not saying that schools should stop communicating, stop celebrating pupils or remove all warmth from social media. We are saying that public-facing pupil imagery now needs more careful judgement.

Our approach allows schools to continue communicating as normal, but with safer image choices and clearer boundaries around identifiable pupil images.

Question 7

What is changing from 1st June?

Accepted Answer

From 1st June 2026,  MDM will use a safeguarding-first approach across school social media, photography, video and wider communications support.

In practice, this means we will avoid unnecessary use of clearly identifiable, face-forward pupil images, especially where the image is not essential to the story being told. We will also avoid combining pupil faces with names in public-facing content.

Instead, we will prioritise:
photos from behind
over-the-shoulder classroom shots
hands-on learning and practical activities
displays, books and pupil work
school environments and wider scenes
staff-led content
graphics and text-based celebration posts
wider shots where children are not clearly identifiable

This reflects the approach already outlined in MDM’s new working method guidance.

Question 8

Does MDM visit schools?

Accepted Answer

Yes. School visits remain an important part of MDM’s work.

Question 9

Will MDM ever use images where part of a pupil’s face is visible?

Accepted Answer

Possibly, but cautiously.

There may be occasions where part of a pupil’s face, side profile or blurred face appears in a wider image. The key question is whether the pupil is clearly identifiable and whether identification is necessary.

A wide classroom image with pupils in the background is different from a close-up portrait of one child looking directly at the camera. MDM will use judgement, context and school guidance when making these decisions.

Question 10

What does “safeguarding-first school communications” mean?

Accepted Answer

Safeguarding-first school communications means that pupil safety, privacy, dignity and public trust are considered as part of the communication process.

It does not mean school content becomes cold, corporate or impersonal. It means we ask careful questions before publishing public-facing content, especially where pupils appear in photographs or video.

For example:
Can a pupil be clearly identified?
Does a pupil need to be identifiable for this story to be shared?
Is a pupil’s name being linked to their face?
Could the same message be communicated using a safer image or format?
Is the image necessary, proportionate and appropriate for a public platform?
Does the school or trust have specific guidance we need to follow?

This approach allows schools to continue celebrating school life while reducing unnecessary risk.

Question 11

Why does MDM take a careful approach to pupil imagery?

Accepted Answer

Schools use images for positive reasons: to celebrate pupils, share learning, promote events, support admissions and show the life of the school.

However, public-facing images can be copied, downloaded, shared or manipulated outside their original context. Recent guidance from the UK 
Safer Internet Centre focuses on the responsible management, sharing and protection of photographs and videos featuring children and young people across websites, social media and other digital spaces.

There are also increasing concerns about AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery and the misuse of real children’s faces or bodies in AI processes. The Internet Watch Foundation has warned that AI-generated sexual images and videos of children are harmful, including where real children’s faces or bodies are used directly or behind the scenes.

MDM’s approach is to keep school communications warm and authentic, while making more careful decisions about how pupil imagery is captured and used.

Question 12

Does safeguarding-first mean pupils will not appear in content?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily.

It means MDM avoids unnecessary use of clearly identifiable, face-forward pupil imagery in public-facing content, especially where identification is not needed to tell the story.

We may still use wider scenes, over-the-shoulder learning shots, hands-on activity images, pupils photographed from behind, side angles where pupils are not the main identifiable focus, school environments, staff-led content and graphics.

The goal is not to remove pupils from school communications. The goal is to tell the story of school life more thoughtfully.

Question 13

Does this mean school social media becomes boring?

Accepted Answer

No. In many cases, it makes content stronger.

Good school communication is not just about close-up photos of smiling pupils. It is about showing the life, values, learning, culture and personality of the school.

A safeguarding-first approach can still include:
busy classrooms
hands-on learning
teacher-pupil interaction
sports and enrichment
displays and pupil work
school environments
staff voice
curriculum stories
community moments
celebration graphics
recruitment and admissions content

The content should still feel warm, human and positive. It is simply created with more care.

Question 14

Is MDM giving legal, safeguarding or data protection advice?

Accepted Answer

No.

MDM provides practical communications support for schools and trusts. We are not a legal adviser, safeguarding consultant or data protection officer.

Schools and trusts remain responsible for safeguarding decisions, consent, data protection compliance and any local policies relating to pupil imagery.

MDM’s role is to apply a careful communications lens and help schools reduce unnecessary risk in public-facing content.

Frequently Asked Questions

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