Animal Bonds

Safeguarding Statement

Last updated:

Last updated: 14/05/2026

Animal Bonds is a learning game for children aged 5 to 11. This statement sets out the safeguarding measures built into the Service. It is intended for parents, teachers, designated safeguarding leads (DSLs), and school senior leadership.

1. Our safeguarding principles

The Service is designed around a small number of non-negotiable principles:

  1. Children are not contactable by other users through the Service.
  2. Children cannot publish content visible beyond their class or school.
  3. Adults cannot contact children outside the channels their school or family already controls.
  4. The Service cannot be used as a route for grooming, bullying, or any form of harm.
  5. Children’s safety is prioritised over engagement metrics, growth, or revenue.

2. What children can and cannot do

Children can:

  • Play the game.
  • Earn coins and unlock biomes through educational progress.
  • See their own progress and history (under their display name).
  • Race their own previous best as a “ghost”.
  • Race the ghosts and live scores of classmates and other pupils within their own class or school.
  • See a class or school leaderboard. All pupils are shown by display name only (e.g. “OtterRiver”). Real names are never displayed in the game.

Children cannot:

  • Send messages to anyone (no chat, no direct messages, no comments).
  • Post any text, images, or video to the Service.
  • See their own real name on the Service. The pupil-facing interface uses display names only.
  • See the real names of other pupils anywhere on the Service.
  • Set or change their own display name.
  • See or interact with users outside their own class or school.
  • Be contacted by adults other than the school administrators, teachers, or parents who hold an account linked to them at their school.
  • Share any personal information with other users.
  • Make in-app purchases of any kind.

3. How names are handled

Each pupil has two names on the Service. This separation is a deliberate safeguarding measure.

Pupil real name (set by the school administrator):

  • Recommended format: first name plus surname initial (e.g. “Alex S.”). Full surnames should not be entered.
  • Visible to: teachers, school administrators, and the linked parent only.
  • Never visible to the pupil themselves, and never visible to other pupils.

Pupil display name (auto-generated):

  • An animal-and-noun combination assigned at the pupil’s first sign-in (e.g. “OtterRiver”, “FoxMeadow”).
  • Visible to: the pupil themselves, other pupils during multiplayer races and on leaderboards, teachers, school administrators, and linked parents.
  • Pupils cannot set or change their own display name. The school administrator can change it if the auto-generated combination becomes unsuitable, embarrassing, or a source of teasing.

Teacher and parent names are visible only to the adult themselves and to the school administrator. They are never visible to pupils.

4. Adult oversight

Every child’s school account is created by a school administrator and linked to a classroom and teacher. The linked adults can:

  • See full progress and gameplay history via the teacher and parent dashboards.
  • Request data export or deletion at any time.

Children cannot play on the Service without being enrolled by a school administrator. There is no self-sign-up route for pupils.

5. Reporting concerns

If a parent, teacher, or DSL has a safeguarding concern related to the Service, contact:

We treat safeguarding concerns as our highest priority and aim to acknowledge them as quickly as possible, normally within one working day. We will then:

  1. Acknowledge the report.
  2. Investigate promptly.
  3. Take appropriate action, which may include suspending an account, removing data, or escalating to relevant authorities.
  4. Keep the reporter informed throughout.

Animal Bonds is not a substitute for your school’s own safeguarding procedures. It is not monitored around the clock, and it must not be relied on for situations requiring an urgent or emergency response. If a child may be at immediate risk of harm, contact the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead or the emergency services straight away.

For concerns that may involve a child being at risk of harm, we encourage you to also contact:

  • The school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead.
  • The NSPCC: 0808 800 5000.
  • Children’s services in your local authority.
  • The police, if a child is in immediate danger.

6. Mandatory reporting

If we become aware of any indication that a child is at risk of harm, we will preserve relevant data and cooperate fully with the school’s DSL, the NSPCC, the police, or social services as appropriate.

7. Content standards

All content on the Service:

  • Has been authored and reviewed for age-appropriateness.
  • Contains no violence, sexual content, gambling, or other content unsuitable for primary-age children.
  • Uses inclusive imagery and language.
  • Does not stereotype on the basis of gender, race, religion, disability, or any other characteristic.

8. Review

This statement is reviewed annually and following any material change to the Service or any safeguarding incident.

9. Contact

Franklin Works, Walkford. BH23 5LS hello@animalbonds.co.uk

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