Is Scratch Really Safe for Schools? Here’s What You Need to Know

Scratch has become the go-to platform for teaching coding in primary and secondary schools. On the surface, it’s brilliant — it’s free, fun, and helps pupils learn by creating games, animations, and stories.

But here’s the bit schools rarely think about: Scratch is not a locked-down classroom environment. It’s a global public community. And that brings risks that many schools (and parents) don’t realise until it’s too late.

What’s the issue?

We’ve recently spoken with a number of schools who’ve discovered inappropriate content, offensive usernames, and unmoderated comments on Scratch.

While the Scratch Foundation does run moderation — both automatic and human — it’s simply not up to the standard we’d expect when it comes to safeguarding children online.

• Anyone can publish a project.
• Anyone can comment.
• Anyone can share or remix content.
• And while there’s a reporting system, it relies on the community flagging issues. If no one flags it, it stays up.

This is not what most school leaders imagine when they think they’re using a safe, child-friendly platform.

So what can you do?

As an IT partner working with schools every day, we see two realistic approaches:

1. Use extra safeguarding tools.
We strongly recommend schools using Scratch put additional content monitoring in place. One example is Senso Blur, a new safeguarding tool launching in late July 2025. It’s designed to help schools detect and blur inappropriate images and flag risky text content in real time, including within browser-based platforms like Scratch.

2. Block Scratch altogether.
For schools who don’t have the resources to manage this risk, or who want total peace of mind, the blunt truth is you may be better off blocking Scratch entirely — especially for younger year groups. There are alternative offline coding tools that don’t involve an open global community.

What we recommend

• Check your current setup. If your students have public Scratch accounts, review what they’re posting and who’s commenting.
• Educate staff and students. Make sure they know how to spot and report inappropriate content.
• Use a safeguarding solution like Senso Blur. This is a game-changer for proactive moderation.
• Talk to us. We’re here to help you choose the best approach for your school, and we’ll always tell you the risks — no sugar-coating.

The bottom line

Coding is brilliant for kids — but only when it’s safe. Don’t assume the tools you use do the job for you. If in doubt, tighten your controls or block them altogether.

Need help figuring this out for your school? Get in touch — we’d rather help you prevent the problem than fix it afterwards.