Further Support and Information For Our Families
To help both parents / guardians and our pupils when using the internet at home, our Online Safety Leads have put together a list of links to support information. If you have any concerns regarding online safety please contact Mrs Woods (Designated Safeguading Lead), Mrs Pickup ( Online Safety Lead and Support DSL) Miss Birch (Computing and Online Safety Lead) via the school office
Our School's Online Safety Practises
As the majority of children continuously become increasingly active in the world of technology, whether it be for digital learning, communication or for recreational purposes, there is a real need to recognise the risks that they are exposed to, while engaging with others online and to take action to minimise those risks.
As an increasing number of children frequently access a range of devices, both in and out of school, including games consoles, mobile phones, tablets, computers and more, access to online resources can be extremely beneficial but unfortunately, also comes with considerable risks.
As a school, we wish to do all we can to safeguard children whilst they are accessing online facilities and to keep up to date with any new and current risks arising. This allows us to take a proactive approach in combating those risks using relevant online security filters and through working in partnership and raising awareness with parents / carers and children. As part of this approach, we regularly evaluate our online safety policy and procedures to ensure that they remain current and relevant. We also offer information and advice to parents / carers via our regular school newsletters and here on our school website. Awareness of online safety issues is also discussed with our children during PSHE lessons, computing lessons and on a need for discussion basis.
We want our children to thrive in this ever growing world of technology and enjoy the new opportunities and possibilities that it brings, but we want them to learn how to do so safely and safeguard them to the best of our ability throughout their journey. Further details about how we monitor and minimise these risks can be found in our online safety policy below.
Social Media
We have found that many of our children are lucky enough to have their own devices. Many of the social media sites they are familiar with, have age restrictions above their current age. Group chats also present many difficulties and emotions to navigate. We do lots of work in school around this area.
The Four ‘C’s of Online Safety
The breadth of issues classified within online safety is considerable and ever evolving, but can be categorised into four areas of risk know as ‘The Four ‘C’s of Online Safety’.
Content is anything posted online – it might be words or it could be images and video. Children and young people may see illegal, inappropriate or harmful content when online. This includes things like pornography, fake news, racism, misogyny, self-harm, suicide, anti-Semitism, radicalisation and extremism.
Contact is about the risk of harm young people may face when interacting with other users online. This includes things like peer-to-peer pressure or seeing inappropriate commercial advertising. Sometimes adults pose as children or young adults with the intention of grooming or exploiting a child or young person for sexual, criminal, financial or other purposes.
Conduct means the way people behave online. Some online behaviour can increase the likelihood, or even cause, harm – for example, online bullying. Conduct also includes things like sharing or receiving nudes and semi-nude images and viewing or sending pornography.
Commerce is about the risk from things like online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing or financial scams. Children and young people may be exposed to these risks directly. Schools should also consider how the risk from commerce applies to staff.