Online Safety
Communication technology is moving so fast, it is sometimes challenging for all of us to keep up and ensure our young people are safe and using the internet in a positive way. Social Media in particular has created and then colonised new markets so quickly, that our culture struggles to catch up with the impact on our daily interactions.
In the Trust we think it is very important to educate our pupils in good netiquette practice and give advice on how to keep themselves safe online. We deliver specific lessons in ICT classes on this topic in all Key Stages that are age appropriate and progressive; we also use assemblies and special collapsed timetable days to give advice to all year groups.
If there is a need, we will call a special assembly to meet with our pupils and explain a latest trend or concern, in order to give them advice and raise awareness. Parents may find useful guidance in the sections and links below.
We have a generation of children who increasingly identify their self-image with their on-line presence; their avatars, their usernames, the groups they join, the content they generate. For someone to have that element of their identity attacked is to feel a form of being haunted. Cyberbullying can take many forms and it is important for parents to monitor their child’s use of social network sites in the home. In our Trust schools, all social network sites are blocked so pupils cannot use them, but occasionally the problems of poor netiquette are brought into school. In this case we inform parents and encourage them to work with their child to block particular 'friends’ then save and report any abusive messages to the police.
For parents, there are some useful websites which can help you and your child understand good netiquette and give support where needed. Click on the logos below for more information.
We have a suite of trust-wide policies to support our Online Safety practice including our ESafety Policy, the Acceptable Use Policy for pupils and staff, Social Media Policy and Use of Personal Devices Policy. These can be viewed on our Policies and Documents pages.
In the Trust we think it is very important to educate our pupils in good netiquette practice and give advice on how to keep themselves safe online. We deliver specific lessons in ICT classes on this topic in all Key Stages that are age appropriate and progressive; we also use assemblies and special collapsed timetable days to give advice to all year groups.
If there is a need, we will call a special assembly to meet with our pupils and explain a latest trend or concern, in order to give them advice and raise awareness. Parents may find useful guidance in the sections and links below.
We have a generation of children who increasingly identify their self-image with their on-line presence; their avatars, their usernames, the groups they join, the content they generate. For someone to have that element of their identity attacked is to feel a form of being haunted. Cyberbullying can take many forms and it is important for parents to monitor their child’s use of social network sites in the home. In our Trust schools, all social network sites are blocked so pupils cannot use them, but occasionally the problems of poor netiquette are brought into school. In this case we inform parents and encourage them to work with their child to block particular 'friends’ then save and report any abusive messages to the police.
For parents, there are some useful websites which can help you and your child understand good netiquette and give support where needed. Click on the logos below for more information.
We have a suite of trust-wide policies to support our Online Safety practice including our ESafety Policy, the Acceptable Use Policy for pupils and staff, Social Media Policy and Use of Personal Devices Policy. These can be viewed on our Policies and Documents pages.
CEOP
CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection command) help children stay safe online. 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.
Digizen.org
The Digizen website is about building safe spaces and communities, not just about recognising and dealing with online hazards. It’s also about understanding how to manage personal information, and about being internet savvy - using your online presence to grow and shape your world in a safe, creative way, and inspiring others to do the same. The website is split three main areas, social networking, digicentral and cyberbullying. It contains useful films and documentaries.
Childnet International
Childnet’s mission is to work in partnership with others around the world to help make the internet a great and safe place for children. They work directly with children and young people from the ages of 3 to 18 on a weekly basis, as well as parents, carers, teachers and professionals, finding out about their real experiences online, and the positive things they are doing as well as sharing safety advice. They also work with parents and carers and teachers and professionals and provide a host of guidance materials and resources.
UK Safer Internet Centre
Visit the UK Safer Internet Centre, where you can find online safety tips, advice and resources to help children and young people stay safe online.
THINKUKNOW
Thinkuknow aims to empower children and young people aged 5-17 to identify the risks they may face online and know where they can go for support as well as parents, carers and professionals.
Internet Matters is an online portal designed for parents to access simple, easy and practical advice about online safety for their children, right through from pre-school to teens. It provides tips on protecting children from online grooming, cyberbullying, privacy and identity theft and inappropriate content. Internet Matters is a not-for profit organisation set up by BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media.
Safe Search Kids is powered by Google for filtered search results.
UK Council for Internet Safety is a collaborative forum through which government, the tech community and the third sector work together to ensure the UK is the safest place in the world to be online.
