Online Safety
The Internet is essential in 21st century life for education, business and social interaction. As children move up through the school, their access to various types of technology increases and it stands to reason that their exploration and curiosity increases too. The positives of the digital world overwhelmingly outweigh the negatives but children, schools and parents all need to be aware of various online risks.
Please find below a range of parent guides for popular online platforms and games.
If you would like to share any information, or require any further support, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher.
National Online Safety App
Children are spending more time than ever online. As adults, we need to do everything we can to keep them safe in the digital world. But with new apps, games and platforms emerging every day, how can you stay in the know?
Say hello to the new National Online Safety mobile application. With all online safety knowledge available at your fingertips, the NOS app empowers parents (and teachers) to understand and address online safeguarding risks – any time, anywhere.
The world’s most comprehensive online safety app, it’s packed with insightful courses, explainer videos, webinars and guides on topics that will help you protect the kids you care about when they’re online.
For more information visit: National Online Safety Mobile App
Download the app for free.
KEEPING YOUR CHILD SAFE ONLINE
How can you help to keep your children safe online?
The digital world is an ever-growing one, and it is important that we work together to ensure our children are safe both in the real world and the online world.
We very much hope these tips are useful:
- Know what your children are doing online and who they are talking to. Ask them to teach you to use any applications you have never used.
- Keeping the computer in a family room means that you can share your child’s online experience and that they are less likely to act inappropriately (i.e. via webcam).
- Help your children to understand that they should never give out personal details to online friends — personal information includes their messenger ID, email address, mobile number and any pictures of themselves, their family or friends. If your child publishes a picture or video online, anyone can change it or share it. Remind them that anyone may be looking at their images and one day a future employer could!
- If your child receives spam/junk email & texts, remind them never to believe them, reply to them or use them. It’s not a good idea for your child to open files that are from people they don’t know. They won’t know what they contain — it could be a virus, or worse — an inappropriate image or film.
- Help your child to understand that some people online are not truthful. They should never meet up with any strangers without an adult they trust.
- Always keep communication open for a child to know that it’s never too late to tell someone if something makes them feel uncomfortable.
- Teach young people how to block someone online and how to report them if they feel uncomfortable.
You may find these websites useful if you wish find out more about Internet safety:
www.ceop.gov.uk - The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre is dedicated to eradicating the sexual abuse of children. They are a Government agency that is part of UK policing and very much about tracking and bringing offenders to account either directly or in partnership with local and international forces.
www.thinkuknow.co.uk - The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre has set up its own educational website which has been designed and written specifically for children, young people, teachers, parents and carers.
www.kidsmart.org.uk- Kidsmart is an award-winning Internet safety website for parents and those working with children. It has been developed by the children's Internet charity Childnet International and has excellent information on many of the technologies used by children, with guidance on how to ‘stay safe’ online.
http://parents.vodafone.com/ - Vodafone have developed this website in conjunction with mumsnet. It is very accessible and provides information and guidance to parents about understanding their child’s digital world and about getting more involved. There is even an on-line test to see how much you know!
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