Internet Safety Advice

Keeping your child safe on the Internet

At Glenmere Primary school, we place great emphasis on e-safety and keeping our children safe when they are online. As well as being featured in our computing curriculum, it forms a part of every interaction we have with technology. Our curriculum includes regular sessions and assemblies through which we teach the children the necessary tool to become discerning consumers of digital content.

We teach them to use a wide range of technology safely, respectfully and responsibly. They are taught how to behave and also how to protect themselves online. We help them to understand that their digital activity forma a footprint that follows them throughout their lives and is searchable by others. Children are taught to recognise unacceptable behaviour and the consequences of these as well as how to report any concerns that they have.

In school, we try to keep up to date with the rapid pace of change in this digital world, and it isn’t easy. There is also a need for awareness outside of school where access to technology is potentially less structured or filtered. We know that it can be very difficult for parents to be informed of the latest sites and issues that may affect their child when working online. With this in mind, through regular updates, digital parenting publications, and bulletins on our website, we hope to point parents to useful sites and important information which will help them informed and more importantly understand the risks to children online.

Our top online safety tips for parents at Glenmere

Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world.
Be involved in your child’s online life. If they love an on-line game, or site, explore it with them so you can chat about it together and, most importantly, understand how it works.
Keep up to date with your child’s development online.
Consider the use of parental controls on devices that link to the Internet, such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile phones.
Emphasise that not everyone is who they say they are.
Know what connects to the Internet in your house and how. You may not be aware that games consoles etc. have on-line capability.
Watch Thinkuknow films to learn more.
Get the technology out of the bedroom! This will also help promote a good night’s sleep.
PEGI ratings advise which games are appropriate for which age: they protect children from extreme scenes in many cases, so TAKE NOTICE of them.

e-safety-7-steps-for-good-digital-parenting.pdf (click)

Setting up parent controls across multiple devices.

We know that Christmas and birthdays bring new and exciting gadgets to some of our children, which makes parents very popular, but also gives new worries around ensuring that our children can use them safely. Having multiple gadgets can add to the stress of dealing with appropriate content, screen time and game related issues.
No-one wants to be a party pooper, however for our peace of mind as parents having appropriate controls in place ensuring our children are using the equipment safely, and are protected from unsuitable content, is paramount.

It can be a minefield. When there are multiple pieces of equipment involved, where do you start?

Internet Matters have created a tool which will help you identify the devices in your house and will walk you through the steps to help set up those devices safely.

A Parent’s Guide to Video Games, Parental Controls and Online Safety.pdf (click)

CEOP

CEOP is a command of the National Crime Agency and is dedicated to tackling the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and young people. CEOP helps children and young people under the age of 18 who have been forced or manipulated into taking part, or are being pressured to take part, in sexual activity of any kind. This can be both online and offline. The CEOP Safety Centre offers information and advice for children and young people, parents and carers and professionals. You can visit the CEOP Safety Centre and make a report directly to CEOP by clicking the Click CEOP button below .

Online bullying or other online concerns should not be reported to CEOP and children and young people should be directed to speak to an adult they trust and /or referred to Childline, if they would like to speak to someone about how they are feeling.

Tik Tok - What Parents Need To Know

Tik Tok is a global video community which allows users to capture and share funny, or memorable, moments via online video clips. The app has a rating of 13+ however, with the addition of fun stickers, filters and effects it is easy to see how it can be very appealing to younger children. There are, however, some concerning aspects and we urge you to take a look at those, along with some tips for parents by reading the document below.

tik-tok-parents-guide-october-2018-v2.pdf (click)

PEGI Ratings for computer games

PEGI ratings give a great indication of the content and suitability of computer games, and it is always wise to check before allowing your child to play. You can also clearly see the level of violence, bad language, gambling etc. present. Follow the link, by clicking the image below, for more detailed information.

(click)

Roblox - A Guide for Parents (click)

Some of our parents have mentioned Roblox, the popular gaming site, to us. We know that it is always a concern when children are exploring areas on-line that allow them access to other people playing the game, and so we hope that this guide, produced by the UK Safer Internet Centre will be useful to you.

Roblox guide for parents (click)

'SnapMaps'

Please have a look at the guide released by Childnet International relating to a feature launched by Snapchat. We are aware that some of our older children use this app and are keen to ensure that parents are aware of the new content.