Understanding and implementing appropriate photography and filming policies at events, schools, and organisations involving children.
Photography Policies is the rules that govern when, how, and by whom children may be photographed or filmed at schools, clubs, and events, to protect their privacy and safety.
Photography and filming of children at events, sports, school activities, and social media requires careful consideration. Appropriate policies protect children's privacy and prevent misuse of images.
Without clear policies, images of children can be taken without consent, shared on social media without permission, or used inappropriately. Organisations need photography consent processes and clear rules.
In your child's behaviour
On their device
Check consent processes
Organisations should have written photography consent forms. You have the right to opt your child out of photography.
Discuss with your child
Teach children that they can say no to being photographed and should tell an adult if someone photographs them without permission.
Review social media sharing
Think before sharing photos of children online. Avoid sharing in school uniform, with location data, or images that could identify their school or routine.
In immediate danger: call 999. For non-emergency police matters, call 101.
Concerned about a child but it's not an emergency? NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000. Childline for young people 0800 1111.
This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.
Myth: It's illegal to take photos at my child's school play or sports day.
Fact: There is no general law against parents photographing their own children at events, and photos taken purely for family use fall outside data protection rules. Schools and clubs may still restrict photography or ask you not to share images that include other children — those are policies designed to protect specific children, not criminal law.
Myth: I signed a photo consent form once, so everything is covered from now on.
Fact: Good consent is specific — a school website, a printed prospectus, social media, and press coverage are different uses — and you can change your mind at any time. Check what you actually agreed to, and tell the school or club promptly if your circumstances or wishes change.
Myth: As long as no name is attached, posting photos of children is risk-free.
Fact: A club badge, kit, venue, or fixture list can identify and locate a child without any name. For some children — such as those in foster care or families who have fled domestic abuse — a single locatable image is a genuine safety risk, which is why blanket policies exist even when they feel over-cautious.
Read consent forms properly before nursery and school events and choose the uses you are happy with — you can agree to a newsletter but not social media. If you share your own photos, avoid posting other children's faces without their parents' okay.
Check the photography policy at clubs and sports events — reputable providers follow guidance such as the NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit's, and will have one in writing. Teach your child they can say no to being photographed and should tell you if anyone takes pictures that feel odd.
Once children have phones, the conversation shifts to what they photograph and share — team photos, changing rooms, embarrassing shots of friends. Agree that they ask before posting images of other people, and that they can expect the same respect in return.
Talk about their digital footprint: images of them at events, tagged locations, and what a school or future employer might see. Make sure they know they can ask an organisation to take a picture down, and that if a nude or sexual image of an under-18 is ever shared, Childline's Report Remove tool can help get it removed.
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