With technology updating so quickly and becoming so much cheaper, it is fantastic that we now have the world at our fingertips and can learn in new and engaging ways. However, we have to make sure we are using new technology safely and appropriately and that our children are aware of the dangers of chatting online or sharing personal information. As part of our PSHE curriculum, we have had lots of discussion about using the internet safely and we felt that the children all responded well to it.

An Online-Safety unit is taught to all pupils each year explaining and demonstrating how to stay safe and behave appropriately online.

Please click on the link to see our Online Safety Policy.

Also take a look at this website on a Safer Internet usage.

There is a safer search engine (just like Google but heavily restricted) which is recommended by CEOP called Swiggle http://www.swiggle.org.uk  - please use this with your children at home for research.

For younger children, there is a story called 'Smartie the Penguin' which raises issues in a way that young children can relate to.

Resources available for older KS1 children  'Hector's World' - a series of cartoons about online safety and sharing 'personal information'. You can access the videos here: http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/5_7/hectorsworld

And some interactive activities here: www.hectorsworld.com/island/index.html

Please come into school if you have any concerns at all and we'd be happy to help where we can.

Top Tips

• Always ask a grown up before you use the internet. They can help you find the best thing to do.
• Don’t tell strangers where you live, your phone number or where you go to school. Only your friends and family need to know that.
• Don’t send pictures to people you don’t know. You don’t want strangers looking at photos of you, your friends or your family.
• Tell a grown up if you feel scared or unhappy about anything.
• You can also call ‘Childline’ on: 08001111 to talk to someone who can help.

Advice for parents and carers on how to deal with online (cyber) bullying

Talk to your child and understand how they are using the internet and their phone.

Use safety tools and parental controls. If you're not sure how, contact your service provider but please note that these tools are not always 100% effective.

Be alert to your child being upset after using the internet or phones. They may be secretive, change relationships with friends. But be aware that your child is just as likely to be a bully as to be a target.

Role model positive online behaviour for your child. It's important that they know how to act safely and responsibly online and are aware of what content is acceptable and unacceptable to post or share.

If your child is a victim of online bullying, remember, it's not their fault so removing the technology or banning them from websites could make them less likely to speak to you in the future if they experience a problem.

Remind your child not to retaliate to any cyberbullying.

Work with the school to resolve the issue if other pupils are involved.

Keep any evidence of online cyberbullying, for example, emails, online conversations, texts, screen prints of sites or chat messages. Try to include time and dates and even locations where possible.

Report online bullying immediately:

• Contact the service provider (for example, the website, gaming site or mobile phone company) to report the user and if possible to remove the content.
• If the bullying is being perpetrated by other pupils then contact the school so they can take action in accordance with their anti-bullying and behaviour policies.
• If the bullying is serious and a potential criminal offence has been committed then consider contacting the police.

Useful link for children, young people and parents and carers:

• Child exploitation and online protection centre
• Derbyshire Police

Guidance and Support

We have collated a number of documents and links to support and give advice on areas such as safeguarding and social media. 

 

Internet Matters Website

 

If you click on the image below you can access a fantastic resource which includes age-specific online safety checklists, guides on how to set parental controls on a range of devices and a host of practical tips to help children get the most out of their digital world.