Online Safety 

Technology, especially social media platforms, are becoming increasingly prevalent in society and as a school we are working to educate and protect our children from negative impact from this or being exposed to inappropriate content.

Online safety is built into and threaded throughout our curriculum, but we felt that by sharing the below links with you it would also support you in dealing with any issues that arrive at home.                                                                                                                              

Childnet: 

https://www.childnet.com/teachers-and-professionals/staff-led-online-safety- presentations-

NCA-CEOP Thinkuknow: 

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/ 

Netware by NSPCC:

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/ 

Parent Info by NCA-CEOP and Parent Zone: 

http://parentinfo.org 

Parent Zone: 

http://parentzone.org.uk/ 

UK Safer Internet Centre: 

http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers 

Virgin Media O2- a children’s internet safety test to help build awareness for parents and children of all ages to ensure they are better protected online. 

https://www.virginmedia.com/blog/online-safety/childrens-internet-safety-test/

There is specific advice for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children provided in the links below:

KS1 Advice Pages - https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/4_7/

KS2 Advice Pages - https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/

E-Safety is about using the information and communication technologies in a safe and responsible way.

 In today’s world, the internet is a fantastic resource, which we regularly use in school to learn, communicate and have fun! However, there are also risks, as it isn’t owned by anyone and anything or anyone can be uploading and downloading content. This, coupled with concerns around social mobile apps, means our role to protect our children online is extensive.

It is our job, as parents, carers and teachers, to help equip our children with the skills required to stay safe on-line. To ensure they know what to do to safeguard themselves and who to turn to confidently if things to go wrong.

In ICT and PSHE we dedicate specific lessons to promoting this message and learning about how to keep ourselves safe online. We also have assembly time to share these key messages as well as work with our local PCSOs as part of the Mini-Police project to raise awareness.

A useful guide for parents is available for Parents, full of advice to help families have a happy and safe digital life. You can download a PDF copy by clicking here.

 How Can I Keep Myself Safe Online?

Remember to be SMART!

What can parents and carers do to help at home?

Discuss responsible online behaviour- Establish rules for appropriate instant messaging and chatting online, and explain that you’re using those rules because you care about their safety. You may want to involve an older sibling who can model good online behaviour and can stay involved in their younger siblings’ online lives.

Establish rules for who’s okay to talk to- Online talk should generally be with people your children know, like family and friends. Talk to the children about what to do if people they don’t know try to add them.

Set boundaries for what topics are okay to discuss- Children shouldn’t answer questions online that make them feel uncomfortable. They also shouldn’t talk about adult topics with strangers.

Make sure your child feels safe telling a trusted adult- If something inappropriate happens online, children need to know they won’t get in trouble if they tell an adult they trust. Also, avoid banning them from the computer.

Children are less likely to tell parents when they experience a problem on the computer if they think as a result they won’t be allowed to use it.

Remind your kids not to give strangers private information- Children should never give out their name, address, school, phone number, email, pictures, or anything that could identify who they are. A conversation with them about the importance of being careful, especially with images they share on apps like TikTok, needs to be regularly had.

Block, ignore, or leave- Most children know to brush off unwanted contact. Encourage this behaviour and ask them to speak to you if they feel they need to do this.

Look for warning signs- Does your child seem withdrawn, emotionally distant, spend endless hours online, or seem to be hiding something? The children who can get drawn into inappropriate online relationships often show warning signs. They might be hiding an online relationship they don’t want you to know about. If you think this might be happening, ask your child about it.

Apps and Mobile Online Advice-

If your child has a mobile phone or access to apps online, please visit https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/apps-guide/ for up to date advice about the apps they are accessing. Or https://nationalonlinesafety.com/guides/app-store-online-safety-guide-for-parents.