E-Safety is an important part of keeping children safe at Ark John Archer Primary Academy. We have extensive measures in place to help safeguard pupils from potential dangers or unsuitable material. E-Safety is taught to all pupils explaining and demonstrating how to stay safe and behave appropriately online.
Through the school curriculum, pupils learn:
- How to use the internet safely, and what to do if something goes wrong or we see something we shouldn't
- How to keep ourselves safe - keeping details private and keeping our data secure
- How to behave when using technology - being courteous and responsible, and what to do if others treat us in a way, which is not kind. This also links with our behaviour and anti-bullying policies.
- Encouraging a healthy use of technology - not over-using mobiles, consoles or computers, and ensuring we are not looking at screens for at least half an hour before bedtime
We can only be successful in keeping children safe online if we work with parents and carers to ensure the e-Safety message is consistent. As part of our partnership with them, we encourage parents/carers to speak to their children about how they can keep safe and behave appropriately online.
We have added some documents below that contain useful information for parents on how to keep children safe, tips on how to initiate conversations around the subject of eSafety and specific advice on online gaming. We have also included various links that will direct parents and carers to further information from external organisations.
E-Safety Resources for Parents and Carers
Make sure your devices are set up for safe use by children. The UK Safer Internet Centre's 'Parents Guide to Technology' gives specific set up tips and advice about smartphones, gaming devices, tablets and other internet-connected devices.
- Talk to your child and find out about what they do online. The NSPCC's 'Talking to Your Child About Staying Safe' page gives ideas on how to start the conversation with your child about online safety, and what to do if you're worried about online safety.
- CEOP is a law enforcement agency that is here to help keep children and young people safe from sexual abuse and grooming online. We help thousands of children and young people every year who have been in a similar situation to you. CEOP is there to help and give you advice, and you can make a report directly if something has happened online which has made you feel unsafe, scared or worried. This might be from someone you know in real life, or someone you have only ever met online.
Click on the link below to access the site https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
- Help children search the internet safely. No search engine is ever 100% safe but look here for information about some of the platforms that are specifically designed to help children search the web in a safe and kid-friendly environment.
- Turn on ‘Safe Mode’ in Youtube and ‘Safe Search’ on Google.
- Check the age ratings of any games, DVDs or streamed video, to make sure they are appropriate. Many games such as Grand Theft Auto (GTA) contain extreme violence and disturbing graphic content. You can find advice for parents here.
- Keep all equipment that connects to the internet in a family space. Do not let children access the internet in their own room where they may be unsupervised.
- Encourage healthy use of technology by turning off all devices for a certain time each day and have ‘no-screen’ time as a family.
- Keep Wi-Fi passwords private from children and make sure that they cannot connect to a neighbours’ Wi-Fi.
- Protect your own Facebook account by using the custom settings in the Privacy section. This helps you to control what information is available about you and your child online. Children under the age of 13 are not allowed to create their own Facebook accounts.
- Keep up to date with e-safety issues by visiting e-safety websites or reading the Vodafone Digital Parenting magazine.