E-Safety
It's important to remember that the legal age to have an account on most social media -
Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Snapchat - is 13 years old.
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.
You can download a simple checklist below that may help you start to protect your children online and decrease the risks they face. Or you can engage with your children regarding their use of the internet while at home. Here are some conversation starter ideas from www.childnet.com
- Ask your children to tell you about the sites they like to visit and what they enjoy doing online.
- Ask them about how they stay safe online. What tips do they have for you, and where did they learn them? What is OK and not OK to share?
- Ask them if they know where to go for help, where to find the safety advice, privacy settings and how to report or block on the services they use.
- Encourage them to help. Perhaps they can show you how to do something better online or they might have a friend who would benefit from their help and support.
- Think about how you use the internet as a family. What could you do to get more out of the internet together and further enjoy your lives online
At School
As part of your child’s curriculum and the development of computer skills, we provide access to the internet only in teacher supervised lessons. We strongly believe that the use of the web and email 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 then throughout the year, each class discusses how we can all stay safe online and the dangers we may face on the internet.
Remote Learning
When children start in Year 1, we provide them with a Microsoft 365 Teams account. This means that they are able to access a range of resources from Microsoft including Word, Excel and Powerpoint to help with their learning throughout their time here. In addition, we use this platform for home (and remote if necessary) learning
Using Teams allows pupils access to Microsoft Outlook (emails). To increase our children's safety while they are online, we have blocked students from sending and receiving emails to accounts that are not [email protected]. Therefore students cannot use this account to receive confirmation codes to sign up for other websites. However, as a parent, you should be aware that students have the ability to email other [email protected] email addresses. This however is not allowed and children need to be aware that new email address we have set up for your child is solely intended for them to use only to remotely access their class Teams account.
The school has access to all students' accounts and can block students' access to Microsoft and Teams if they do not act appropriately. With that in mind, please could you talk to you child about the importance of not using their new email address for any other use apart from logging onto Teams. In addition, it is vital that they do not share their username or password with others. This way we can ensure that we are doing our utmost to keep our children safe online. Please note, as a school we will not be able to tell if your child has used their email to access anything other than Teams, so it will be parents' responsibility to ensure that this does not happen.
Cyber-bullying
Cyber bullying is any form of bullying which takes place online or through smartphones and tablets. Social networking sites, messaging apps, gaming sites and chat rooms such as Facebook, XBox Live, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and other chat rooms can be great fun and a positive experience but they can be used as platforms to upset and bully individuals.
Tips and advice
- If you post abuse about anyone else online or if you send threats, you can be traced by the police without any difficulty. Every time you visit a website or make a posting, your internet service provider, Sky, BT or Virgin, has an electronic note of your activity. Even if you create an anonymous email address like Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo, you can still be traced.
- Keep safe by using unusual passwords. Use a combination of letters, lowercase, uppercase, symbols and numbers. Don't use any part of your name or email address and don't use your birth date either because that's easy for people who know you to guess. Don't let anyone see you signing in and if they do, change the password as soon as you can.
- If you are using a public computer such as one in a library, computer shop, or even a shared family computer, be sure to sign out of any web service you are using before leaving the computer so that you can protect your privacy.
- Being bullied online can affect someone enormously. Being bullied can impact on a person’s self-esteem, confidence and social skills. Try to consider the impact your words may have and think twice before posting.
- Think twice before you post anything online because once it’s out there you can’t take it back.
Social Media
The more you know about the kind of social networking sites your children belong to and what information they like to share, the more likely you’ll be able to keep them safe:
- The age limit to join most social networking sites is 13
- The most popular social networks include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok and Snapchat; sites aimed at younger children, like Club Penguin and Moshi Monsters, also have a social networking element
- Many sites include an instant message function that allows private conversations between site members
- You can create ‘privacy settings’ on most social networking sites, so only close friends can search for your children, tag them in a photograph or share what they post
- Most social networking sites have an app, which means your children will have access to the social network from their (or your) smartphone or tablet
- Facebook, for example, has a setting that allows your children to approve or dismiss tags that people add to their posts
- Information shared between friends can be easily copied and may spread widely
- It isn’t easy to take back information once it’s online, and it can be impossible to recover after someone has shared it
- Not everyone your child meets online will be who they say they are
- Chat rooms and forums are one of the places that online groomers visit to connect with children; they can also be places where people use a lot of sexual language and engage in online flirting
Other Useful Links:
- Know It All Free e-safety resources for teachers and parents
- Think U Know Guide to internet safety and safe surfing for young people.
- CEOP News and Articles about e-safety
- Internet Safety for Kids | O2