What is Online Safety?

Being a child today is very different from when we were children.  Today, children can access the whole world in the palm of their hands.  Whilst this may be exciting to be present in such a technological age, children using the internet can also bring worries and dangers to parents/carers and educators too.  We cannot stop all the bad things in the world, but we can educate our children on how to be safe.  As a school, we want to empower parents and carers to know what their children might be exposed to online.

Online Safety at Home

99% of children have or have had access to the internet with 34% of children between the age of 3-11 owning a mobile smartphone. Apps such as TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram and many more are becoming a common daily interaction for children. These apps can be brilliant tools for communication and entertainment, but you need to know more about them.

Parental Controls

Filters and parental controls may not be the complete answer to keeping children safe online, but they are undoubtedly the first line of defence. It's now possible to set filters on your broadband, your devices and your applications.

Here, from Internet Matters, is what you need to know.

Useful Links

• UK Safer Internet Centre Parents Page - The European Commission appointed UK Safer Internet Centre is made up of three partners: Childnet International, the South West Grid for Learning and the Internet Watch Foundation.
• Childnet Parents and Carers - Key advice, information on reporting and detailed information on a range of online safety topics.
• Internet Watch Foundation -  The UK Hotline for reporting criminal online content.
• InternetMatters.org - a not-for-profit organisation that has a simple purpose – to help keep children safe in the digital world.
• Safer Internet Day - Celebrated annually and globally, Safer Internet Day offers the opportunity to highlight positive uses of technology and to explore the role we all play in helping to create a better and safer online community.
• Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) - A police agency tackling child abuse on the internet. This website includes a unique facility that enables parents and young people to make reports of actual or attempted abuse online.
  • Think U Know - A CEOP website containing information for children and parents, as well as a link for children to report abuse online.
• NSPCC - If you have concerns about the safety of a child then contact the NSPCChelpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.
• CyberSmile (Pre-Teen Pages) - CyberSmile provide a whole host of Cyberbullying resources for parents, including direct support, a parent information pack, Stop Cyberbullying Day, and more.
• Family Lives - A national family support charity providing help and support in all aspects of family life.
• True Vision - Online content which incites hatred on the grounds of race, religion and sexual orientation can be reported to True Vision; a UK website set up to tackle all forms of hate crime, including those on the grounds of disability and transgender identity.