E-SAFETY
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 own understanding of E-safety issues so they can learn to use the internet and all digital media in a safe and secure way.
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
AT SCHOOL
As part of your child’s curriculum and the development of computer skills, we provide access to the internet. We strongly believe that the use of the web 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, and throughout the year, each class discusses how we can all stay safe online and the dangers we may face on the internet. As your child joins the school in Y3, we ask you to sign an Acceptable Use Agreement (see below), so that we know they have read and understood our school's rules on staying safe. We celebrate Safer Internet Week in February each year and have a programme of online safety lessons as part of the Computing and PSHE curriculum.
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.
CHILDNET also produce a leaflet for parents which you can download here.
THINK U KNOW has a great section for parents and covers topics such as gaming and talking to strangers. You can also search by topic or age range to find information that is relevant for your family. You can find the site here.
INTERNET MATTERS is another great site to use - it has advice on cyberbullying, how to talk to your children about internet safety and quick guides to different types of social media such as Instagram and Snapchat. You can visit their pages here Internet Matters.
There is a great new online safety tool designed for parents launched by the Department for Education called PARENT INFO. It has advice on everything from keeping children safe from online trolls to WhatsApp - a guide for parents.
Here are quick links to a range of internet safety sites that you may find useful too...
PARENT FACT SHEETS & GUIDES TO POPULAR SOCIAL MEDIA
Although most social media sites have a suggested minimum age of 13, some of our pupils are using them. Please help your children to be aware of E-Safety risks by looking at the following leaflets. Click on the links to find some useful parental guides to the following social media: