E-Safety
It is important to remember that the legal age to have an account on most social media - Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Snapchat - is 13 years old.
If you are concerned or want to learn more about keeping your child safe online -
https://www.internetmatters.org/
E-safety is an integral part of children’s education in today’s digital world and is embedded in their learning at school. We also want to help our parents and children improve their understanding of e-safety issues so they can learn to use the internet and all digital media safely and securely.
You can download the DofE advice for parents on cyberbullying here.
You can access the DofE online parents support website called Parent Info here.
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 agree to our Acceptable Usage Policy so that we know they have read and understood our school's rules on staying safe. These policies can be found on our School Policies page.
We are dedicated to keeping children safe online, we regularly assess their understanding of the dangers of the internet and how to keep themselves safe online. We then plan our lessons to support their learning needs!
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. We would encourage you to engage with your children regarding their use of the internet while at home. 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.
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.
- The DfE have released a tool for parents about E-Safety, access it here.
- Net Aware produce a guide to the social networks your kids use, access it here.
- The NSPCC produces comprehensive advice on a wide range of topics, which can be viewed here.
- The UK Safer Internet Centre also regularly publish advice here.
- ParentZone offers a free course for parents interested in keeping children safe here.
- Virgin Media, Sky, TalkTalk and BT have joined forces to promote E-Safety, find out more here.
- ThinkUKnow produce animated videos for 4-7 year olds here.
- TigerMobiles have written a guide to protect children using smartphones, find it here.
- CEOP provides advice for parents and children, access it here here.