Build
tpsSocial
A mock social media site for teaching students online safety with practical activities.
The situation
Lists of top tips do not hold a class's attention. Students learn more about online safety by spotting the risks for themselves, somewhere it is safe to do so.
What we did
tpsSocial is a mock social network that runs safely on a school network. Students explore the profiles of fictional teenagers and find what has gone wrong: weak passwords, too much personal detail, scam links, messages from a stranger and cyberbullying.
The first version was built in 2014. It was fully redesigned in 2016 to cover more topics, including photo sharing apps where messages disappear. Teachers add posts, comments and trends from an admin area.
The outcome
The site is still used in lessons. In October 2026 we moved it to current software and brought the story dates up to date. The same site has also run under other names at other schools.
Year
Since 2014
Made for
The Priory School
Our role
Website design and build
What was delivered
12 fictional profiles with 169 posts and 157 comments
A mock disappearing photo app
A password strength tester
A scam link that leads to a warning page
A report page and a CEOP report button
Pages for students and parents
An admin area for teachers