Online Safety
The internet offers children access to information, communication with their friends and opportunities for exploring the wider world. Children get a lot of benefit from being online.
However they should have parental supervision and good advice to make sure their experiences are happy and safe.
Parents and carers need to be aware of problems that can arise, such as bullying and grooming, and know what to do. Click here for a useful video for parents of 6-10 year olds, containing online safety advice. Below is some advice and at the bottom of the page there are some links to webpages can be used for guidance.
Online safety is taught at school directly through our computing curriculum and PSHE sessions.
Staying Safe Online
Although it is a brilliant tool and resource, the internet poses one of the biggest threats to your children’s safety. As a school we do all we can to ensure that the children understand how they can protect themselves online. www.thinkuknow.co.uk provides parents with the following advice:
Talk to your child about what they’re up to online. Be a part of their online life; involve the whole family and show an interest. Find out what sites they visit and what they love about them, if they know you understand they are more likely to come to you if they have any problems.
Watch Thinkuknow films and cartoons with your child. The Thinkuknow site has films, games and advice for children from five all the way to 16.
Encourage your child to go online and explore! There is a wealth of age-appropriate sites online for your children. Encourage them to use sites which are fun, educational and that will help them to develop online skills.
Keep up-to-date with your child’s development online. Children grow up fast and they will be growing in confidence and learning new skills daily. It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.
Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world. Think about what they might see, what they share, who they talk to and how long they spend online. It is important to discuss boundaries at a young age to develop the tools and skills children need to enjoy their time online.
Keep all equipment that connects to the internet in a family space. For children of this age, it is important to keep internet use in family areas so you can see the sites your child is using and be there for them if they stumble across something they don’t want to see.
Know what connects to the internet and how. Nowadays even the TV connects to the internet. Make sure you’re aware of which devices that your child uses connect to the internet, such as their phone or games console. Also, find out how they are accessing the internet – is it your connection, or a neighbour’s wifi? This will affect whether the safety setting you set are being applied.
Use parental controls on devices that link to the internet, such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile phones. Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops. They are not the answer to your child’s online safety, but they are a good start and they are not as difficult to install as you might think. Service providers are working hard to make them simple, effective and user friendly.
It is important to talk to your child about online safety regularly, particularly as they get older and technology advances so quickly. As a guide, please find below an assembly that class teachers used to start a discussion around internet safety that you could also share at home.
Helpful Webpages
School Esafety Policy
The School's Policy on Esafety and acceptable use of the internet.
Learning about Social Media Safety
A Site that provides a advice about different ways of staying safe and secure on social media.
Family Resources website
Provides easy-to-understand insights on internet safety issues. A free Family Online Safety Guide can be downloaded.
BBC Webwise
A beginners guide to using the internet with interactive tutorials about all aspects of computer and internet use, getting started on social networks, privacy and safety online.
Safeguarding Children
Internet safety re cyberbullying, internet terms and language, online gaming, social networking sites, illegal file sharing.
ChildNet - for parents
ChildNet replaces KidSmart, an award winning practical internet safety programme website for schools, young people, parents, and agencies, produced by the children's internet charity Childnet International. This link will take you to practical advice and support on how to help your children use the internet and new technology in safe and responsible ways.
Get Safe On-line
General advice on safe social networking.
Advice from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre. Understanding thee internet and what the risks are of grooming, mobiles, gaming, social networking and chat.
ChatGuide
A booklet for parents on all types of chat from instant messaging and chat rooms to mobile phones.
Protecting Children's Privacy
A website with information on how to protect children's privacy on smartphones and computers.
A website to help you understand the risks and keep your child safe.
