Delph Side Primary School in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, has issued an apology to parents after its staff social media policy listed OnlyFans as an acceptable platform, describing it as a 'primary form of communication between friends and family'. The policy, which was last updated in 2025 but contained a section unchanged since 2022, stated that it would be 'unreasonable' to prohibit staff from using the site, which is widely known for hosting explicit sexual content and pornography.
Policy Details and Headteacher's Response
The policy read: 'The use of social networking/media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Only Fans has over recent years become the primary form of communication between friends and family. It would not be reasonable to expect or instruct employees not to use these sites which, if used with caution, should have no impact whatsoever on their role in school.'
Headteacher Liz Ormerod confirmed that OnlyFans has now been removed from the policy. She explained that when the section was originally written, it did not reflect the platform's current reputation, where users pay for explicit images and videos. 'Although the school’s social media policy was last updated in 2025, this section had not been updated since 2022, and the reference does not mean the school endorses or approves use of the platform by staff,' Ormerod said.
Apology and Safeguarding Assurance
The headteacher added: 'The wording is out of date and does not reflect the platform’s current association with adult content. All staff are expected to maintain the highest professional standards at all times and are subject to strict safeguarding and conduct requirements. We apologise for any concern this may have caused.'
The incident has raised questions about how schools monitor staff use of social media, particularly platforms associated with adult content. Delph Side Primary School has not commented further beyond the headteacher's statement.
