School Reputation Management
Monitoring & Responding to Online Reviews for UK Schools: The Complete Operations Playbook
Published by SEO for Schools • Author: Paul Delaney
Online reviews shape community trust, influence admissions decisions and affect staff recruitment. This in-depth guide gives UK schools a policy-safe system to monitor reviews across platforms and respond fast without escalating risk: tooling, workflows, response templates, safeguarding guardrails and measurable KPIs.
Why reviews & monitoring matter for schools
- Admissions & perception: Reviews are read alongside Ofsted outcomes; a transparent response trail signals good governance.
- Early risk detection: Monitoring surfaces issues before they amplify in parent groups or local media.
- Continuous improvement: Themes inform policy updates (“You said, we did”) and website FAQs.
Keep replies policy-safe: avoid pupil-identifiable information, follow UK GDPR and your complaints procedure, and escalate safeguarding indicators under Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE). For data protection, see the ICO’s UK GDPR guidance hub.
Where reviews appear (& what policies apply)
Google Business Profile (GBP)
- Reviews & Q&A: primary public channel; anyone can post.
- Policy & removals: report content that breaches Maps user-generated content policies: Maps UGC policy and Report inappropriate reviews.
- Media: request removal of policy-breaking photos/videos via Report photos/videos.
Social platforms (e.g., Facebook)
- Reviews/Comments: moderate in line with Meta Community Standards: Bullying & Harassment.
- Enforcement environment: standards evolve; always follow the latest guidance from Meta’s Help/Business Centre.
Consumer law prohibits fake or incentivised reviews; see the CMA’s online reviews & endorsements and the ASA/CAP’s testimonials & endorsements guidance.
Build your monitoring system (30–60 minutes)
- Claim & verify your school on GBP to reply to reviews and receive notifications: Manage customer reviews.
- Enable notifications in GBP (reviews and Q&A).
- Set up Google Alerts for your school name, headteacher and acronym (+ town): Create Google Alerts | alerts.google.com.
- Escalation inbox (e.g., communications@) with rules that tag “review”, “complaint”, “Ofsted”.
- Dashboard: a simple Kanban (New → In Review → Awaiting Info → Resolved → Closed) with case IDs and timestamps.
- Moderation statement on social channels (hide/remove content that breaches platform rules or UK law; retain evidence).
Response SLAs & channel ownership
| Channel | Public visibility | Privacy risk | Acknowledge within | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Reviews | High | Medium | 24 hours | Comms Lead |
| Facebook Reviews/Comments | High | Medium | 12–24 hours | Comms Lead |
| Email/Portal | Low | High (data) | Same business day | Office/Admin |
| Safeguarding concern | Non-public | Critical | Immediate to DSL | DSL |
Compliance: avoid sharing pupil/staff specifics in public replies. See the ICO’s overview of The UK GDPR.
Triage & risk classification (first 15 minutes)
- Classify: service issue • policy dispute • factual error • staff allegation • safeguarding indicator • bullying/peer issue • SEND/IEP concern.
- Risk check: harm/abuse/discrimination? → stop public engagement and escalate to DSL under KCSIE (2025 PDF).
- Route: acknowledge publicly once → move to private (named inbox/phone). For private messages, acknowledge and state timeline.
- Evidence: check records/policies; avoid promises until verified.
- Record: log in complaints register/CRM; tag category and severity (S1–S4).
The HEART reply framework
H – Hear (acknowledge feeling) • E – Empathise (recognise impact) • A – Assess (policy/records/safeguarding) • R – Resolve (next step, owner, timeframe) • T – Thank & Track (close loop and update log).
Public acknowledgement (Google/Facebook) – template
Thank you for raising this. We’re sorry for your experience and want to address it quickly. Please email [inbox] with your child’s details and a contact number so our [role/owner] can review today. For safeguarding concerns, contact our DSL via [contact]. – [School Name]
Private follow-up (email) – template
Subject: We’re looking into your review – [School Name]
Hello [Name], thanks for your feedback about [summary]. We’re reviewing this in line with our Complaints Procedure. [Owner] will investigate [what] and update you by [date/time]. If this may involve safeguarding, please contact our DSL via [contact].
Kind regards, [Name, Role]
Closure (email) – template
Subject: Update on your review – [School Name]
We’ve completed our review of [issue]. [Non-identifying outcome summary]. If you wish to escalate under Stage [x] of our Complaints Procedure, please reply and we’ll outline next steps.
When & how to request removal
- Policy breaches (e.g., hate speech, personal data, off-topic/fake content): report via GBP using Report inappropriate reviews and consult the Maps UGC policy. You can also check status via the Reviews Management Tool.
- Photos/videos that break policy: request removal via Report photos/videos.
- Consumer law: do not solicit fake or incentivised reviews; see the CMA and ASA/CAP.
Governance: roles, approvals & escalation
| Level | Example | Who leads | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 – Low | Single service issue; no risk | Comms Lead | Standard template; resolve privately |
| S2 – Medium | Repeat complaints; factual dispute | Comms + Head | Written statement if needed |
| S3 – High | Staff allegation; discrimination claim; safeguarding references | DSL + Head | Trust/LA PR looped; no specifics publicly |
| S4 – Critical | Serious safeguarding/legal issue; media presence | Trust/LA Comms | Holding statement; staff brief |
If parents remain dissatisfied after the school’s process, they may follow Ofsted’s guidance: Complain to Ofsted.
Measurement & KPIs (monthly dashboard)
| Metric | Target/Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Median time to first reply (public) | ≤ 24 hours | GBP & Facebook |
| Resolution time (days) | Downward trend | By category (service/policy/safeguarding) |
| Sentiment trend | ≥ 4.4 average rating | No incentives; ethical requests only |
| Policy-breach reports | Tracked 100% | With links/screenshots |
| Channel shift | ≥ 80% moved private ≤ 24h | Prevents public escalation |
| Safeguarding escalations | Logged 100% | Time to DSL acknowledgement |
FAQs (Featured Snippet–ready)
How do we monitor reviews effectively without paid tools?
Enable GBP notifications, set up Google Alerts for your school name and headteacher, and schedule daily checks of GBP and Facebook.
Can we remove negative reviews?
You can request removal only if reviews breach Google’s policies (e.g., hate speech, off-topic, personal data). Otherwise, respond professionally and resolve privately: Report reviews • UGC policy.
Is it legal to ask for reviews?
Yes—ask ethically with no incentives or gating. UK consumer law and advertising rules apply: CMA • ASA/CAP.
What if a review hints at a safeguarding risk?
Stop public engagement and escalate to the DSL immediately under KCSIE; record actions in the school system.
Need practical SEO support?
Speak With Paul Delaney
Paul Delaney helps schools turn complex SEO into simple, effective actions. As a guest writer for SEO for Schools, Paul shares step-by-step playbooks and evidence-based guidance that busy teams can apply immediately. With three decades’ experience working with UK and international institutions, he understands the challenges school teams face and is well positioned to offer support and guidance.
For our readers, Paul offers free 30-minute sessions for institutions exploring how to raise visibility, strengthen brand trust and streamline admissions. Sessions are practical, jargon-free and free from sales pressure. You can contact him using the buttons below—please mention SEOforSchools.co.uk.
