e-Safety
Internet Safety
Beckers Green Primary School recognises that the internet can give children access to an enormous range of information to support their learning. We encourage them to use the vast amount of information available to them, via the internet as part of their own research. Home access to the internet and related technologies such as e-mail, instant messaging and chat room services are commonplace. For this reason we accept our responsibility in helping children use safe and responsible behaviours whenever they use these technologies. Internet access is provided through BT broadband service who arrange for a filtered service dedicated to primary schools. We use the National Centre for computing Education curriculum and our Jigsaw scheme to teach children of all ages about online safety. We also use Project Evolve sessions, based on the UK council for Internet Safety toolkit "Education for a Connected World". These weekly sessions allow adults to facilitate discussions with children around a range of knowledge, skills and behaviours which they will face in their online lives. The programme guides teachers to the areas they should be discussing as they develop their use of online technology.
As a Parent / carer you need to Know what your children are doing online and who they are talking to. Ask them to teach you to use the applications that they use or you have never seen before. Learn what technologies they use and own such as telephones, gaming machines etc and what they are capable of doing. 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, however we appreciate this is not always practicable with the use of laptops, small mobile devices and tablets that are available today.
Remember you need to be with your child at the start of their journey. 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. As a rule they should only share pictures that they would be willing to share with close family members. Remind them that anyone may be looking at their images both now and in the future and one day this could be a future employer. If your child receives spam/junk email & texts, remind them never to believe them, reply to them or open them. It’s not a good idea for your child to open attached 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 lie online and therefore it’s better to keep online friends online. They should never meet up with any strangers without an adult they trust. Teach young people how to block someone online and how to report them if they feel uncomfortable. Always keep communication open between you and your child. Make sure they know that it’s never too late to tell someone if something makes them feel uncomfortable. Tell them you are there to support them, not judge them and you do not want to stop them from having an on-line existence.
Websites that can assist you:
This has advice for both children and parents and is the main CEOP (Child Exploitation Online Protection) site
For advice on how to stay safe when using facebook
Net aware: Parents review kids' social networks, apps & games
From Facebook and Instagram to Snapchat and Tumblr a simple no-nonsense guide for parents from NSPCC and O2 to the social media, apps and games that kids use
Our own school policy on E Safety is below
For general advice you can also visit NSPCC Online Safety Website
More tips for parents to help keep children safe online can be found at Internet Matters
Finally, visit UK safer Internet Centre for comprehensive support and guidance.
