Online 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.

Online safety for children is a concern for all parents. Guru Andrew speaks to the NSPCC's Claire Lilley about the importance of online security for children and what you can do to make sure your child's life online is protected.

At School

As part of your child’s curriculum and the development of ICT 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, each class discusses how we can all stay safe online and the dangers we may face on the internet.  This is re-emphasised every term and at the start of any internet based unit.  We ask all children to sign an Acceptable Use Agreement so that we know they have read and understood our school's rules on staying safe.  These can be found below.

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 e-safety 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 childnet.

• 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

Useful Links

• SnapMaps -new Snapchat feature Important safety information on the new SnapMaps feature of Snapchat

• UK Safer Internet Centre e-Safety tips, advice and resources to help children and young people stay safe online.

• ThinkuKnow Guide to internet safety and safe surfing for young people

• NSPCC Share Aware Fantastic resources to help start a conversation about internet safety with your child

• NSPCC NetAware No-nonsense guide to social media and popular apps

• Internet Matters advice on cyberbullying, how to talk to your children about internet safety and quick guides to different types of social media such as Instagram and Snapchat

• Parent Zone DfE Online Parents Support- advice on everything from keeping children safe from online trolls to WhatsApp

• CEOP CEOP works with child protection partners across the UK and overseas to identify the main threats to children and coordinates activity against these threat

• BBC WebWise

Parent Info feed

Parent Info is a collaboration between The Parent Zone, which has been providing information and support to parents for a decade, and CEOP, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection command of the National Crime Agency.

Here you'll find a collection of articles, tips, expert advice and resources designed to help parents keep up with what their children are doing on-line.