Online Safety

 

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Staying safe online

St. Mary’s Church of England Primary School is committed to safeguarding its pupils and provides clear guidance to our children on matters relating to online safety.

 

Online Safety, also known as Internet Safety or e-Safety, encompasses the safe and responsible use of Internet technologies and electronic communications via computers, laptops, televisions, games consoles, mobile phones and other hand held devices, as well as collaboration tools, social media and other forms of personal publishing. It highlights the need to educate children and young people about the benefits and risks of using this technology and provides safeguards and awareness for users to enable them to control their online experience.

 

Online safety policy

The school implements its own online safety policy according to the latest guidance and this can be viewed by clicking the link below:

 Online Safety Policy

 

More information

For more information about online safety and to take part in fun activities about your online experiences please visit the following website:

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

For lots of useful advice, tips and ways to manage your online life please also visit this website:

https://www.bbc.com/ownit

 

The BE SMART ONLINE Safety Rules

At St. Mary’s our children are educated on some very important online safety rules, known as the BE SMART rules:

  • S – Safe:

We keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information to people online

  • M – Meeting:

We never agree to meet someone we have only met online

  • A – Accepting:

We think before we open files, pictures or attachments from people we don’t know – they might contain a virus or nasty message

  • R – Reliable:

We remember that what we see online may not be true or accurate and that someone online might be lying about who they are

  • T – Tell:

We will tell an adult we trust if someone or something makes us feel uncomfortable or worried, including if we are being bullied online

 

BE SMART WITH A HEART

The SMART rules also remind children to make the internet a better place by being kind and respectful to others online.

Posters showing the SMART e-Safety rules are displayed around the school next to computers our children have access to. You can download and print off your own copy of this poster by clicking here:

⇒ SMART Poster

 

Safety buttons

St. Mary’s introduced a ‘safety button’ back in 2014, starting with Hector’s World Safety Button and more recently The Big Red Button. Hector is a dolphin character from ‘Hector’s World’ – a series of animated episodes and accompanying lessons about online safety. The Hector’s World series helps the younger children in our school learn how to use computers safely and how to keep personal information private. The older children in our school have these key messages reinforced each year.

Every desktop computer in our school that children have access to will have either Hector’s World Safety Button or The Big Red Button installed. These buttons are located at the top right corner of the computer screen. The children are taught that if something on-screen upsets or worries them, perhaps they might feel uncomfortable by what they have seen or heard, they should immediately click on Hector or The Big Red Button. Once activated, the computer screen will be covered with a colourful scene with a written message that instructs the child to get adult help.

You can download and install either Hector’s World Safety Button or The Big Red Button for your computer at home – ask an adult to help you by following the instructions found on the following websites:

⇒ hectorsworld.netsafe.org.nz/teachers/hectors-world-safety-button/

https://github.com/gypsythief/BigRedButton/releases/tag/v1.0

 

Acceptable Use Policy – Pupil Agreement

At St. Mary’s  all children in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are required to sign the ‘Acceptable Use Policy – Pupil Agreement’ class form to say they have read and understood the online safety rules, and that they will use the school computers, school network and systems, software, hardware, hand-held devices, and the Internet in a responsible way, including the use of e-mail and other forms of communication. These class forms will be signed each year and displayed as a visual reminder. Children are made aware that both computer and Internet use (including e-mail) will be monitored to ensure their safety and that any inappropriate use will be dealt with.

 

A copy of this pupil agreement can be viewed be clicking the link below:

AUP – Pupil Agreement

 

Click CEOP

The ‘Click CEOP’ button that you have seen on our school website is a feature that enables children and adults to make a report to CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) if someone has done something online that has made you, another child or young person you know, feel worried or unsafe.

CEOP is a division of the National Crime Agency and experienced child protection advisors manage the Click CEOP button. If you are worried about online abuse or the way someone is communicating online you can let CEOP know by making a report – Click CEOP for further information.

CEOP is full of people who want to help and advise you – so if you have been a victim of online abuse let them know securely and Click CEOP.

 

Safer Internet Day

Each year St. Mary’s celebrates Safer Internet Day (SID). This important day is usually held early in February and provides the school with the opportunity to focus on raising awareness of online safety matters. Staff organise fun activities for SID, conduct a SID themed assembly and the children work together to produce class books about an important online safety message based upon the SID theme.

 

For more information about SID please visit the following website:

⇒ http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day

Below are some useful resources for parents and carers to share with pupils:

Information and online resources

Internet Safety Plan

Conversation starters

Fun things to do

 

Digital Parenting Magazine

Digital Parenting helps you to get more involved with the technology that young people enjoy today. The Vodafone Digital Parenting website is full of information and advice from experts, parents and teachers on a range of topics. Click the link below to find out more:

Vodafone Digital Parenting

 

Vodafone Digital Parenting have also published a series of informative magazines that can be viewed below:

Issue 1

Issue 2

Issue 3

Issue 4

Issue 5

Issue 6

Issue 7

Issue 8

 

Social networks, apps and games

Going online will probably mean you will come across a whole range of sites, apps, games and social networks. But which ones should you use? What are the risks? Which ones are popular with kids? Check out Net Aware! They have reviewed lots of social networks, apps and games. You can do an A-Z search or filter according to content such as which are used for messaging, photo sharing, live streaming or gaming.

Net Aware

 

Parental controls with your broadband provider

Online activity can be monitored by your broadband internet provider to help children stay safe on the internet. You can find out more by contacting your provider. A useful guide to broadband parental controls and related information on internet safety for children can be found here:

GoCompare: Broadband parental controls

 

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