The use of online services is an important aspect of raising educational standards, promoting pupil achievement and enhancing teaching and learning. Technology is also an intrinsic part of the worlds of many children and young people, and – with the continued prevalence of social media and the ability to talk to anyone, from anywhere in the world, at any time – children are at increased vulnerability to harm and exploitation.
Keeping pupils safe online is a responsibility with increasing importance, and our Online Safety Policy can be used to ensure that appropriate and safe use of the internet and other digital technology devices is practised by all pupils and staff, and to detail how pupils are taught about how to stay safe online.
The breadth of issues classified within online safety is considerable, but they can be categorised into four areas of risk:
Content: Being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful material, e.g. pornography, fake news, self-harm and suicide, and discriminatory or extremist views.
Contact: Being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users, e.g. peer pressure, commercial advertising, and adults posing as children or young adults with the intention to groom or exploit children.
Conduct: Personal online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm, e.g. sending and receiving explicit messages, and cyberbullying.
Commerce: Risks such as online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing and/or financial scams.
The measures implemented to protect pupils and staff revolve around these areas of risk and we have security measures in school to help safeguard from any potential access to unsafe online material. Online safety is taught to all pupils through our curriculum and in assemblies.
There are a number of website that provide valuable information to support you as parents and guardian in keeping children and safe online
The Safer UK Internet Centre - https://saferinternet.org.uk/ provides useful resources on a range of online issues and guides and resources for parents and carers.
The NSPCC offers a free Keeping Children Safe Online workshop provides parents and carers with information about how to support their child in their online world. The 40 minute pre-recorded presentation covers topics such as online bullying, mental health, and social media, as well as signposting to resources and organisations for help and support. The workshop can be accessed by this link - https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/free-online-safety-group-workshops/
The National Crime Agency's CEOP Education team aim to help protect children and young people from online child sexual abuse. They have a range of resources and information to help support families in starting conversations with your child about online issues as well as advice on keeping your child and how to report an incident to CEOP - https://www.ceopeducation.co.uk/parents/ Online Safety and use of social media
Online Safety and the use of mobile apps
Many pupils are now using a variety of social media platforms such as TikTok/Instagram /WhatsApp and Snapchat etc. While some of these platforms enable young people to communicate quickly and easily there use can result in harmful effects, particularly when misused.
In school we have a number of security measures to help safeguard from any potential access to unsafe online material and online safety is taught to all pupils through our curriculum and in assemblies. However, in order to keep children safe online it is important that parents/carers also take an active role in supporting their child to use the internet and social media resources responsibly.
Please note that services like Facebook, You Tube, SnapChat and TikTok have a minimum age rating of 13 and WhatsApp is 16. If you choose to allow your child to have these accounts, please discuss with them the boundaries you expect them to adhere to. You know your child best and you should decide whether or not they can use apps / social media safely.
Reporting Online Safety concerns
Out of school:
Any Online abuse should be reported.
You can report online abuse, harassment, malicious messaging or sharing of sexual images by calling the Police tel: 101 or make a report online.
https://doitonline.lancashire.police.uk/PEDisclaimer/Create
If you believe a child is in immediate danger please notify the Police immediately by calling 999.
You should also report abuse directly to the social media site administrators. If you are worried about exploitation you can make a report to one of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Advisors (CEOP) https://www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre/
In school:
All online abuse should be reported.
You can report concerns to school by contacting school directly either by phone or email.
Your son/daughter can report concerns to their Form Tutor, Behaviour Manager, Safeguarding Administrator, Designated Safeguarding Lead / Deputy Safeguarding Lead or any other member of staff in school. Pupils can either speak to a member of staff face-to-face or report confidentially on a website via Sharp.
Keeping up to date
We encourage our parents and carers to spend time reading the information provided in our Online Safety Newsletters and to spend time discussing online safety with your child.
