Online Safety
Children at St. Brendan’s Catholic Primary School use the Internet on a frequent basis as part of their learning. In school, we educate the children termly about different aspects of ‘online-safety’ to remind them of the importance of keeping themselves safe online. Online safety is threaded through other areas of the curriculum such as PHSE and RE when the children are reminded of how we respect ourselves and others in person and digitally.
At home, sometimes children can be given unsupervised access to the Internet. This, potentially, allows them to access all kinds of society and materials. We believe that by fostering a sensible approach at home and at school, we will be able to equip children with the skills they need to become responsible users of technology. Here are some tips and useful links to help you to keep your child safe online at home:
- Explore online safety sites – There are lots of links to useful online-safety sites for children in the links on the right. Take time to browse through them with your child.
- Discourage the use of social networking sites (such as Facebook/Bebo/Twitter) under the age of 13.
- Keep your computer in a shared area – talk to your child about what they are doing online and, if possible, set up your computer in a shared area at home so that you can be aware of the sites your children are accessing.
- Ensure that your child does not give out any personal details to people they may meet online including on games consoles such as Xbox and Playstation.
Online Safety Posters
We have online safety posters on display in our classrooms so that they are clearly visible when the children and teachers are using laptops, ipads and other electronic devices. These posters remind us of the correct behaviours when using the internet.
Reporting Concerns
If you have any concerns about safety online, please contact the Headteacher or the school’s Online Safety Coordinator Miss Bell or Online Safety Governor –Mrs E Hollenbeck. This can be done via Class Dojo or via a telephone call/email.
If you or your child have a serious concern then you can also use CEOP’s (the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) reporting tool by clicking wherever you see this logo. Before reporting to CEOP please read the following guidance:
CEOP helps any child or young person under the age of 18 who is being pressured, forced or tricked into taking part in sexual activity of any kind. This can be something that has taken place either online or in ‘the real world’, or both. The CEOP Safety Centre has clear information and advice on what can be reported to CEOP, the reporting process and what will happen if you do decide to make a report. You can visit the CEOP Safety Centre and make a report directly to CEOP by clicking the Click CEOP button.
If you are experiencing online bullying or something else online has worried you please speak to an adult you trust, or you can talk to Childline at any time on 0800 1111 or at Childline.org
