ONLINE SAFETY

9th February 2021 - Online Safety Newsletter (click to view)

At School 

As part of your child’s curriculum and the development of computer skills, we provide access to the internet only in teacher supervised lessons.  We strongly believe that the use of the web and email is hugely worthwhile and an essential tool for children as they grow up in the modern world. But because there are always concerns about children having access to undesirable materials, we have taken positive steps to deal with this risk in school.  Our school internet access provider operates a filtering system that restricts access to inappropriate materials. 

At the start of the school year, each class discusses how we can all stay safe online and the dangers we may face on the internet.  We then ask every child to sign an Acceptable Use Agreement so that we know they have read and understood our school's rules on staying safe.  

For more information you can download our Online Safety policy here.  

We can only be successful in keeping children safe online if we work with parents to ensure the e-Safety message is consistent.  It is important that parents speak to their children about how they can keep safe and behave appropriately online.

At Home

As a parent you'll know how important the internet is to children - they use it to learn, play, socialise and express themselves.  It's a highly creative place of amazing opportunities.  But the technology children use every day can seem a bit daunting and you might worry about the risks your child can face online - such as bullying, contact from strangers or the possibility of them seeing illegal or inappropriate content. 

 Here are some conversation starter ideas from www.childnet.com

• Ask your children to tell you about the sites they like to visit and what they enjoy doing online.
• Ask them about how they stay safe online. What tips do they have for you, and where did they learn them? What is OK and not OK to share?
• Ask them if they know where to go for help, where to find the safety advice, privacy settings and how to report or block on the services they use.
• Encourage them to help. Perhaps they can show you how to do something better online or they might have a friend who would benefit from their help and support.
• Think about how you use the internet as a family. What could you do to get more out of the internet together and further enjoy your lives online

It’s essential to be realistic - banning the internet or technology will not work and it often makes a child less likely to report a problem. Education around safe use is essential.

Parent Resources 

To try and help parents with the fast moving and changing world of internet and social media we've suggested a few internet sites which are fantastic resources, they contain information on different types of social media and how to help keep children safe.

Suggested Apps and Games for Early Years 

Suggested Apps and Games for 7 to 11 Years 

National Online Safety - Wake up Wednesday  

Here are quick links to a range of Internet safety sites that you may find useful too

NSPCC 

Childnet 

Internet Matters 

ParentINFO 

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/professionals/resources/    (all ages including secondary)

 https://www.childnet.com/resources/smartie-the-penguin   (YR, 1 and 2)

 https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/watch/staying-safe-online   (all ages)