Digital safety solutions company Qoria (ASX: QOR) has secured an exclusive two-year deal with Schools Broadband, the UK’s largest managed service provider to K12 institutions. 

The agreement will see Qoria’s student monitoring solution, Monitor, rolled out to over 3,000 schools and Multi Academy Trusts, offering protection to approximately 1.5 million students across the country.

The partnership represents a significant step forward in addressing the growing concerns surrounding online safety for children in UK schools. Schools Broadband, a leader in providing high-speed internet and security solutions to the education sector, chose Qoria’s Monitor solution to ensure compliance with the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidelines. These guidelines, which were recently updated, require educational institutions to assume that harmful online activities are present and take proactive measures to monitor students.

Schools Broadband already supports over 3,000 educational institutions however Qoria did not disclose any financial information around the exclusive distribution deal. 

Sean Donohoe, Chief Strategy Officer of Schools Broadband, emphasised the significance of the partnership. 

 “Following the updated KCSIE 2023 statutory guidance, we looked to the market for the best possible safeguarding solution for our clients.

“Monitor is that product. We are incredibly excited about the new partnership.” 

Schools across the UK are paying increasing attention to the dangers posed by unrestricted online access, particularly with regard to exposure to harmful content such as pornography, extremism, and cyberbullying. 

Statistics underline the need for vigilant monitoring: a 2021 study by the UK’s Internet Watch Foundation found that 44% of children aged 11 to 16 had been exposed to adult content online, and nearly one in five had encountered extremist material. 

Qoria’s Monitor offers real-time monitoring and alerts, enabling schools to identify at-risk children and intervene when necessary. 

“Keeping children safe online has become one of the most pressing challenges of the modern age,” said Gavin Logan, Executive Vice President of Qoria. 

“This partnership gives 3,000 more schools the opportunity to adopt our world-class Monitor solution, allowing them to support at-risk children far more quickly than may otherwise have been possible.”

This deal comes at a pivotal time, as schools and regulatory bodies place greater emphasis on online safety with the rollout to begin in September 2024. 

For the year ended 30 June 2024 (FY24), Qoria reported a 21% annual increase in revenue to $99.4 million.