For many schools, public social media once felt like the easiest way to celebrate student success. A photo from sports day, a quick post about an academic award, a short video from the school musical — all shared instantly with the wider community.

But times have changed.

With tighter regulations, stronger privacy expectations, and growing awareness around student data protection, schools are being asked to rethink how they recognise and share student achievements. Public platforms are no longer the default option — and in many cases, they are no longer appropriate at all.

This shift has left many school leaders asking a simple but important question: How do we continue celebrating student success without compromising privacy, safety, or compliance?

The answer lies in changing what we celebrate publicly and how we tell those stories.

Why Public Social Media Is No Longer the Safe Option

Restrictions on public social platforms have not appeared overnight. They are the result of years of concern around children’s digital footprints, consent, and the long-term implications of sharing identifiable information online.

Schools operate in high-trust environments. Parents expect that their child’s learning journey, image, and personal data are handled with care. Even well-intentioned posts can create risk when shared on open platforms that are difficult to control, moderate, or retract.

Common challenges schools now face include:

• Difficulty obtaining and managing ongoing consent
• Content being reshared beyond its original audience
• Lack of control over platform algorithms and comments
• Uncertainty around compliance with privacy and education regulations

As a result, many schools have reduced or removed public-facing social media activity altogether — but celebration has not stopped. It has simply needed a new framework.

From Identity-Based Sharing to Achievement-Based Storytelling

The most effective shift schools can make is moving away from identity-based sharing and towards achievement-based storytelling.

Identity-based sharing focuses on who the student is — names, faces, and personal identifiers. Achievement-based storytelling focuses on what has been achieved — effort, progress, learning outcomes, teamwork, and growth.

This approach allows schools to highlight success without exposing individuals.

For example, instead of sharing a photo of a student with their full name attached, schools can tell stories such as:

• A class improving literacy outcomes through a new learning approach
• A cohort completing a challenging science project after weeks of collaboration
• A sports team demonstrating resilience, teamwork, and commitment across a season
• Students showing measurable progress in confidence, problem-solving, or creativity

These stories still celebrate success — but they do so safely.

Why Parents Still Want to See These Stories

Reducing public social media does not mean parents want less communication. In fact, expectations have increased.

Parents want reassurance that learning is happening, that effort is recognised, and that their children are growing — academically, socially, and emotionally. Celebration plays a key role in building trust between schools and families.

When done well, achievement-focused storytelling:

• Reinforces learning values
• Encourages student motivation
• Strengthens parent confidence in the school
• Creates pride without creating risk

The key is delivering these stories through controlled, approved channels rather than open platforms.

Safer Ways Schools Are Sharing Achievement Stories

Many schools are already adapting by using communication channels they own and control. These include:

• School websites and portals
• Parent apps and learning management systems
• Secure newsletters and email updates
• Internal digital displays or assemblies
• Printed or downloadable publications

Within these environments, content can be curated, approved, and aligned with privacy requirements. Stories can be shared with the right audience — without being searchable, downloadable, or reused outside the school community.

Importantly, these platforms allow schools to focus on meaningful storytelling rather than chasing engagement metrics.

Building Approved Storytelling Formats That Parents Can Share Safely

One common concern schools raise is whether achievement stories can still be shared by parents themselves.

The answer is yes — when formats are designed properly.

Approved storytelling formats may include:

• De-identified student stories focusing on learning outcomes
• Visual summaries of class or cohort achievements
• Quote-based reflections without names or images
• Group or activity-based imagery that avoids identification
• Progress-focused narratives rather than event snapshots

These formats allow parents to talk about and celebrate school success confidently, without exposing individual students or breaching guidelines.

Where ICTechnology and IC Media House Support Schools

As schools navigate this shift, many find that the challenge is not motivation — it is structure.

This is where ICTechnology, through its newest service IC Media House, plays a critical role.

IC Media House works alongside schools to design privacy-aware, approval-ready storytelling frameworks that align with both communication goals and regulatory requirements. Rather than producing one-off content, the focus is on building systems schools can use consistently and confidently.

Support includes:

• Achievement-focused content frameworks that remove privacy risk
• Approved storytelling templates suitable for parent communication
• Guidance on compliant celebration of student progress
• Clear processes for content approval and publication
• Alignment between technology platforms and communication strategy

By embedding storytelling into secure, school-controlled environments, schools are able to celebrate success without relying on public social media.

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

Celebration is not a “nice to have” in education. It shapes culture, motivation, and trust.

When achievements are recognised thoughtfully, students feel valued, parents feel informed, and schools maintain strong community connections — even in more restricted digital landscapes.

Ignoring celebration altogether can be just as damaging as sharing too much. The challenge is finding the balance, and that balance lies in intentional, compliant storytelling.

Rethinking What Success Looks Like in School Communication

Success in school communication is no longer measured by likes, shares, or follower counts. Instead, it is defined by the trust schools build with parents, the confidence it gives staff, the safety it ensures for students, and the clarity and consistency of messaging across all communication channels. These elements matter far more than public visibility, particularly in environments where privacy and responsibility must come first.

Achievement-based storytelling supports all of these outcomes. It allows schools to share meaningful stories about learning, effort, and progress without placing students at risk, while ensuring that celebration remains a visible and valued part of school culture — even as digital rules, expectations, and platforms continue to evolve.

Celebrating Success Safely in a Changing Digital Landscape

Public social media may no longer be the place for celebrating student success — but celebration itself is not going anywhere.

By shifting the focus from identity to achievement, and from open platforms to controlled environments, schools can continue recognising effort, progress, and growth in ways that are safe, respectful, and compliant.

With the right frameworks in place, student achievements can still be shared meaningfully — just with greater care and intention.

References

Australian Government Office of the eSafety Commissioner. (2023). Best practices for online safety in education. https://www.esafety.gov.au

Department of Education. (2022). Privacy, data protection and digital communication in schools. https://www.education.gov

Livingstone, S., & Third, A. (2017). Children and young people’s rights in the digital age. New Media & Society, 19(5), 657–670.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2021). Education in the digital age: Privacy and governance. https://www.oecd.org

UNICEF. (2021). Children’s data and privacy in digital environments. https://www.unicef.org