Online Safety
We take the safety of our children when they are online very seriously. Children at St Bartholomew's CE Primary are expected to follow our online safety rules in and Computing lessons pupils are reminded of these.
All children have online safety education and they are required to sign an Acceptable Use Policy. For very young children, staff and parents have the responsibility to protect them through the Acceptable Use Policy.
To view our Online Safety Policy, please click here
Families can visit ThinkUKnow to access advice and support on how to keep children safe from sexual abuse, both online and off. Articles provide guidance on topics as diverse as: challenging harmful sexual attitudes and promoting positive behaviours; helping a child with autism negotiate life online; supporting a child who has been sexually abused; and dealing with a range of online issues such as sending nude selfies and viewing pornography. Users will find films, downloadable guides and useful links to support organisations. Families can also use the CEOP Safety Centre where you can report abuse and exploitation direct to CEOP.
Online Safety Resources
The Internet is an amazing resource and has certainly made the world a much smaller place.
Through social networking sites like Instagram and Facebook, and online gaming platforms like Fortnite, Roblox and Minecraft it has become possible to communicate, share pictures and files and even videos with people all around the globe at the touch of a button.
In a recent survey conducted by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection unit (CEOP), 82% of parents did not know what their children were doing on the Internet, who they were talking to or what websites they were accessing.
Whilst we are confident that this is not true of the St Bartholomew's community, we hope that you will take the time to familiarise yourself with the information contained in this page for the benefit of the children.
We have also created leaflets that give an outline of areas of online safety that most concern us, with ideas of what you can do to help your child at home:
We are aware of the challenges parents face at home with a constantly changing technology-driven world.
Due to a number of recent incidents we have had in school, we want to make you aware of some common Apps and Games our children are using and the associated concerns or dangers from allowing your child unrestricted access to them.
For more information, please go to the pages below (opens in a new window) which cover most of the games and apps we hear your children talking about:
There are some great resources online to help you understand the issues your child may face online and strategies which help explain the different areas of online safety for children. You could even visit these sites with your children to start a conversation about online safety:
The ‘Connect Safely’ website ( www.connectsafely.org ) is an excellent resource for parents concerned about their children’s online presence. It is based in Silicon Valley, California, but most of its messages ring true for parents across the globe.
Childnet.com is the UK version and has produced a number of guides for parents and carers which can be downloaded for free.
You could also sign up for their newsletter, ensuring you are kept current of any new concerns or threats which your child may face. Guides to the most used internet and gaming platforms are listed below:
- Gaming
- Cyberbullying
- Music Downloading
- Social Networking
- Grooming
- Keeping Children Safe
- Apps
- Premium Rate Content
Below are some links for our pupils to use to help stay safe when using technology:
- NetAware - 'Share Aware' is designed to help parents and children talk about staying safe on social networks.
- CBBC Stay Safe - Test your internet safety knowledge with Hacker, listen to some Stay Safe songs with Helen Skelton, News Kids On the Block and Bobby Lockwood and get some tips from the Horrible Histories gang.
- Newsround Quiz - Internet Security - Test your knowledge of internet safety with this quiz from CBBC Newsround.
- Safe Surfing With Doug - Find out about safe surfing with Doug
- Kidsmart - Kidsmart gives lots of advice on how to stay safe online. There's a section for children under 11 years old and a separate section for those over 11 years old.
- GoCompare - Online activity can be monitored via your broadband provider to ensure that your child stays safe on the internet. GoCompare have compiled a guide to broadband parental controls and internet safety for children.
If you are worried about cyber bullying or anything else on the internet please tell an adult. You can also report internet abuse by clicking here. You can also call Childline on 0800 1111 or visit their website here.
NOS - National Online Safety
We have invested in a program to support school staff, parents and governors learn about how to keep their children safe on line. We will be share regular updates for parents from this site through our newsletters and through our website. Here are some useful posters and information for parents/carers: