More and more children are accessing the internet, at school and at home. At school we place e-safety as a high priority and teach the children how to stay safe online but we know that for parents, safety on the internet at home is a concern.
A family agreement is a great way to start a conversation as a whole family about how the internet should be used safely and responsibly when online at home, at school or at a friend’s house.
To support parents in creating a family agreement Childnet International have put together some free advice and a helpful family agreement template for families to use as a starting point – you can access them at the bottom of this page.
Children at the St. David’s use the Internet on a regular basis as part of their learning. In school, we have regular ‘e-safety’ activities to remind children of the importance of keeping themselves safe online.
Here are some tips and useful links to help you to keep your children safe online:
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 all share in the wonderful sites that are available online.
Explore e-safety sites – There are lots of links for useful e-safety sites, some of which you can find links to in our pupil online safety page. They are great fun to explore, so why not browse through them with your children?
Facebook / Snapchat / Musical.ly / Instagram – Many of these sites have a minimum age limit of 13, so our pupils should NOT be using them. They do not offer the same levels of protection as age appropriate sites.
Sexting
NSPCC provides you with information about how to talk to children about the risks of sexting – and what you can do to protect them (Please follow the link to access the information)
Live Streaming
Thinkuknow provides detailed information about a popular feature of lots apps and platforms. By understanding the risks of live streaming you can help your child to stay safe when they are online.
Play-Like-Share
Thinkuknow have produced a new three-episode animation for 8-10 year olds which helps them to learn how to spot pressuring and manipulative behaviour online and to stay safe from other risks they might encounter online.
Useful Website:
Childnet provides a wealth of resources for both parents and children to support e-safety: http://www.childnet.com/young-people/primary
Thinkuknow is a very useful website from the National Crime Agency relevant for children from five years and up and their parents. https://www.ceopeducation.co.uk/parents/
NSPCC Share Aware https://www.ceopeducation.co.uk/professionals/guidance/nspcc-share-aware/#:~:text=Share%20Aware%20takes%20a%20straightforward,dialogue%20about%20their%20behaviour%20online. Straightforward advice that enables parents to untangle the web, and show them how they can be just as great a parent online, as they are the rest of the time. The site recognises that the internet is a great place for children to be and that being ‘Share Aware’ makes it safer.
Safe, Secure, Online: https://swgfl.org.uk/resources/online-safety-guidance-for-parents/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAgoq7BhBxEiwAVcW0LL8sukhGtC5IZDoIlE2sG_TVs9P0cXxuW5jM5e_M-C-RLd81msaplhoCKxkQAvD_BwE
Parent Info is a collaboration between Parent Zone and NCA-CEOP – support and guidance for parents and carers related to the digital world from leading experts and organisations
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) – guidance for parents and carers to help keep children safe online
UK Safer Internet Centre – tips and advice for parents and carers to keep children safe online – you can also report any harmful content found online through the UK Safer Internet Centre
Inclusive Digital Safety Hub and Online Safety Hub, created by South West Grid for Learning in partnership with Internet Matters – support and tailored advice for young people with additional learning needs and their parents or carers
Parents’ Guide to Age Ratings explains how the British Board of Film Classification rates content, and gives parents advice on choosing online content well
The Children’s Commissioner has published advice for parents on talking to your child about online sexual harassment specifically, based on input from children themselves