Online Safety

We deliver online safety lessons every term in school using resources from the ‘Education for a Connected World’ Framework. This Framework has been built upon by the Trust to incorporate lessons and resources from Thinkuknow, Common Sense Media and the Google ‘Be Internet Legends’ Scheme. We also make sure that all teaching staff are trained in online safety and kept up-to-date with best practice and processes.

Within this framework, children are taught to be aware of the 4 main risks involved in using the internet, often referred to as the 4C’s:

Content: being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful material
Contact: being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users
Conduct: personal online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm                 
Commerce: these are risks such as online gambling, inappropriate advertising and financial scams

You may also want to follow some of our advice and guidelines with your child at home.


Helping Your Child Stay Safe Online

The best way to help your child to be safe when using the internet and new technologies is to talk to them and make sure they understand these simple rules:

  • Never give out personal details to online ‘friends’. Use a nickname when logging on and don’t share full name, email address, mobile number, school name and any photos, including photos of family or friends – any picture or video online can be changed or shared without permission
  • Talk to your child about what they are doing online and who they are talking to. Get them to show you how to use things you are not familiar with. Keeping the computer in a family room means that you can share your child’s online experience, they are less likely to act inappropriately (ie via webcam) and their online ‘friends’ will see they are in a family room
  • If your child receives a message that upsets them, remind them not to reply – they should save the message and show you or another trusted adult. Don’t open files sent from people you don’t know – they could contain a virus or an inappropriate image or film
  • An online ‘friend’ is anyone you have not met in real life, no matter how long you have been friends with them. Help your child to understand that some people lie online and that it’s better to keep online ‘mates’ online. They should never meet up with any online ’friends’ without an adult they trust. Make sure they know how to block someone online and report them if they feel uncomfortable
  • Make sure your child feels able to talk to you and let them know that it’s never too late to tell someone if something makes them feel uncomfortable. Don’t blame your child – let them know you trust them

Each year we run a Safer Internet Day at school and a workshop for parents to help provide you with more information, help and advice on how your children can safely use the internet at home and school and how it benefits their learning.

Parents Internet Safety Workshop

iPhone Parent Controls

iPad Parent Controls

Internet Matters Online Gaming

Set Up Safe Checklist

 
For more information about online safety please visit the following websites:

Think You Know

Childnet

 
Vodafone have produced an online magazine to help parents by giving them advice and information to help keep their children safe online:

Digital Parenting Magazine


Reporting Online Safety Issues 

Has someone acted inappropriately towards you online, or to a child or young person you know? It may be sexual chat, being asked to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable or someone being insistent on meeting up.

You can report any online safety issues or incidents at www.ceop.police.uk/ceop-report.