Online Safety

We take a comprehensive and pro-active approach to safeguarding and child protection for the pupils we support We highly recommend that parents/carers take a look at www.internetmatters.org. This website has good quality information, guidance and advice for keeping children safe online. You can search by issue, (e.g. cyber-bullying; screen time; online grooming…) or by your childs age. There is also a section on setting controls. Another good resource is Online Behaviours. They have provided a very simple safety advice guide for parents and carers:

Please remember there are some simple, basic steps you can take to supporting your children online at home:

Recognise and accept

– most of us spend a considerable amount of time online, and certainly did so during the height of the pandemic. That’s the same for children and young people as well as parents and carers.

Don’t worry so much about screen time

– what are your children and young people actually doing when they are online? There should be a good balance of different activities. Try to check in on this by looking at your child’s screen regularly and checking their search history if you are concerned.

Follow some of the basic guidance from healthcare professionals

– specifically have tech-free mealtimes and don’t have technology in the bedroom overnight.

Talk to your children

– take time to understand what they are doing online – don’t always assume that they are up to no good. The most important thing is that if something does go wrong children and young people feel that they are able to come and speak to someone. The way we react when our children tell us about a problem is absolutely crucial – overreacting can be counterproductive and may deter your children from continuing to be open with you about these things.

Be a good role model

– be mindful of your own online habits and try to model healthy practices (e.g. tech-free mealtimes and technology in the bedroom overnight!)