E-Safety
In a world where technology provides us with so many great opportunities to extend our knowledge, connect with people and play games, it is really important that both parents and children know how to stay safe. Our school e-safety policy ensures that children are able to take full advantage of the potential of computing, while doing so in the safest environment we can create. We want a generation that is equipped with the tools needed to take full advantage of every opportunity available to them, in the safest possible way. The links on this page all lead to amazing sites full of the most up to date information. Every year we try and send out a free magazine full of top tips and advice, and there are regular, pertinent updates in the school newsletter. For now, use these websites to make sure your children are as safe at home as they are in school, and know what to do if things don't work as they should.
http://www.parentalcontrols-on.org/ - find out how to protect all devices and keep your children safe at http://www.parentalcontrols-on.org/
Establishing Parental Control
2Simple have produce an excellent parent guide called 'Parenting in a Digital World' which provides practical advice on how to help support you in enabling your child to grow into a responsible digital citizen who is able to keep themselves safe while, at the same time, getting the very best from the digital world.
The National Crime Agency have recently realised information regarding the dangers associated with children using online streaming and mobile devices. The UK Safer Internet Centre have produced some excellent guidance for parents on how you can use parent controls on a range of mobile devices to safeguard content that children can access. These guides, which can be accessing by clicking on the links below, cover a range of media devices including:
- PlayStation PS5 & PS Vita
- Xbox One, Xbox 360 & Xbox Live
- Nintendo devices
- iPads
- iPhones
- Buyers guide to Gaming Devices
- Buyers guide to Smart Phones
- Buyers guide to Tablet Device
National Online Safety
National Online safety have produced an excellent range of free guides to help parents and carers protect their children from the increased risk of online grooming as children spend more time online, including identification and available support. Their guides are designed to equip school staff, parents and children with the knowledge they need to understand online dangers and how best to react should an incident arise. Click on the link below to access the guides for a range of very popular online games:
- Remote Learning Guide
- Tik Tok Guide
- Zoom Guide
- Netflix Guide
- Disney+ Guide
- Roblox Guide
- Fortnite Guide
- Minecraft Guide
The Key have produce some excellent fact sheets for parents on the latest internet craze Fortnite and You Tube. These fact sheets provide advice about how to use the safety features within the applications to help protect your child. to download the fact sheets please click on the links below:
https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/expert-opinion/pokemon-go-mobile-game-what-parents-need-to-know/ - follow the link for Pokemon GO safety advice
If you suspect that online bullying is happening, please inform your child's teacher as soon as possible so that support can be put in place to prevent further occurrences.
We also recommend visiting Google's Safety Centre, which links to lots of great resources and good advice that will help you stay safe online:
https://www.google.co.uk/safetycenter/
The UK Safer Internet Centre have produced a range of resources to support parents and carers in protecting their children when they are online. This pack has been created to support families in having conversations and taking part in activities which will have a positive impact on children’s online lives. The resources can be accessed vis the links below:
Top Tips for Parents/Carers
- Free to Talk Talk regularly with your child about how they use technology. Find out how they like to represent and express themselves online, and how being online makes them feel. Listening to your child will give you the best possible idea of how you can support them. Not sure where to begin? Have a look at our suggested 'Conversation Starters' for parents and carers.
- Free to explore differences The internet is a place where lots of different people can communicate and come together. For some children, the first place they see people who are different to them may be online. For others, the internet may be the one place where they can find people similar to them. Acknowledge the different types of identities your child may see online and use these to spark discussions around diversity and inclusivity. Talk to your child about being respectful to everyone online, and what to do if they feel their own identity is being targeted. Use our 'Quick Activities' as a family this Safer Internet Day to help you unpick this topic together.
- Free to make the internet work for your family There are lots of tools to help you manage the devices used by your family. For example, knowing how to activate and use parental controls can help protect your child from seeing inappropriate content online. For advice and guidance on how to make use of parental controls and other safety features on devices, check out our free Parents' Guide to Technology.
- Free to get involved as parents and carers, it’s natural to feel worried about the risks posed by your child being online, but for young people the internet offers a wealth of exciting and fun ways to explore and experiment with their identity. This might be through the characters they choose on games, the filters or emojis they use on profile pictures, the content they share, or the sites and services they use. Spend some time with your child looking at, or interacting with, the things they do online. Talk about both the positive and negative aspects of being online and empower your child with safe choices they can make - instead of overwhelming them with restrictions.
