Online Safety
National Online Safety
See the links below for useful information with regards to online safety for your child:
https://nationalonlinesafety.com/training
https://www.disney.co.uk/internet-safetyhttps://www.disney.co.uk/internet-safety
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/findoutmore/stay-safe-facts
Lindley CE Infant School recognises the commitment of our school to keeping staff and pupils safe online and acknowledges its part in the school’s overall safeguarding policies and procedures. It shows our commitment to meeting the requirement to keep pupils safe when using technology. We believe the whole school community can benefit from the opportunities provided by the internet and other technologies used in everyday life. Our school supports this by identifying the risks and the steps we are taking to avoid them. It shows our commitment to developing a set of safe and responsible behaviours that will enable us to reduce the risks whilst continuing to benefit from the opportunities. We wish to ensure that all members of the school community are aware that unlawful or unsafe behaviour is unacceptable and that, where necessary disciplinary or legal action will be taken. We aim to minimise the risk of misplaced or malicious allegations being made against adults who work with pupils.
As part of our commitment to Online Safety we also recognise our obligation to implement a range of security measures to protect the school network and facilities from attack, compromise and inappropriate use and to protect school data and other information assets from loss or inappropriate use.
To below find out the esafety rules we teach the children to help them stay safe online
The key messages we teach the children are to ask for help if:
• You are invited to download anything that you haven’t asked for.
• Anyone asks to be your friend online.
• Anyone asks for your personal details online.
Click any of the images below for advice on keeping your child safe online.
As part of their 'Wake Up Wednesday' campaign and Mental Health Awareness Week, National Online Safety have created a FREE guide for schools to share about ‘Screen Addiction’ – an issue which is affecting young people across the globe.
The guide informs parents about the issues associated with smartphone and screen addiction amongst children and how they can help to control the associated risks and stop their children becoming ‘Screen Zombies’. Click their logo below for more details.
Vodafone Digital parenting This site offers tips on cyber bullying, how to control your household's use of technology and cyber security.
Fortnite Game - potential stranger danger issues.
A number of children have been overheard talking in the playground about playing the game Fortnite at home. There have been a number of warnings about the appropriateness of this game for young children under the age of 12.
Click on the image below to read an article from the BBC which talks specifically about the Fortnite game:
Snap Chat 'Snap Map'
As a primary school our children are too young to be legally using Snap Chat, however, as many children do have older siblings, we would like to make you aware of the following child safety warning which has come to our attention.
In June 2017, the police issued important information for parents of children using Snapchat on their mobile devices regarding the new 'Snap Maps' feature which enables location-sharing mode. This feature displays a map of nearby friends, showing their latest location gathered using a smartphone's GPS sensor. Users of the app can also search for locations such as individual schools, with the app displaying public photos & videos sent by students. Parents are advised to turn off 'Snap Maps'.
The link below connects to a Daily Telegraph article which discusses the dangers of this Snap Maps feature.
Gaming - advice for parents
- Play together - keep games consoles, computers and tablets in communal rooms and play games together.
- check PEGI ratings - These statutory age ratings help identify inappropriate games based on their content.
- Set boundaries - depending on your child's age, you could make these decisions together.
- Have a routine - Most families have a routine for mealtimes and bedtimes and the same approach can work for screen time.
- Regular breaks - Take a break every 45-60 minutes abd restrict play close to bedtime.
- Set up parental controls - Ensure you have specified what content your child can access with secure passwords and user settings.
- Check play history - See what your child plays and for how long by checking their user history.
- Extend your childs' play beyond the screen - Find out what games they like and plan related activities.
- Know who your child is talking to - Many apps allow conversations with other gamers.
Youtube Risks – Uploading Video
The following issues are perhaps more appropriate to older children, however, given many of our children live in households with older siblings, we wish to make parents aware of possible concerns.
Many children spend a lot of time watching Youtube and children often wish to create their own Youtube films. In doing so, without careful thought, they can leave themselves open to bullying or online grooming by revealing personal details and making videos and comments available to anyone.
This is not illegal but the minimum age to create a Youtube account is 13. Having an account for a younger child breaks the terms and conditions of the site. It is not possible to upload videos without creating an account.
The following links provide additional information for parents and teachers :-
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802272?hl=en-GB&ref_topic=2803240
Social Networking advice for Parents/Carers
The following issues are again perhaps more appropriate to older children, however, given many of our children live in households with older siblings, we wish to make parents aware of possible concerns.
Websites such as Facebook offer amazing communication and social connections, however they are created with their audience in mind and it is not possible to control or verify the content.
Facebook’s terms and conditions state that all users must be 13 years or older and as such we strongly recommend that parents do not allow their children to have their own personal profiles online.
Possible risks for children under 13 using Facebook may include:
· Facebook use “age targeted” advertising and your child could be exposed to adverts of a sexual or other inappropriate nature
· Children may accept friend requests from people they don’t know in real life which could increase the risk of inappropriate contact or behaviour
· Language, games, applications, groups and content posted or shared on Facebook is not moderated, and therefore can be offensive, illegal or unsuitable for children
· Photographs shared by users are not moderated and therefore children could be exposed to inappropriate images or even post their own
· Underage users might be less likely to keep their identities private and lying about their age can expose them to further risks regarding privacy settings and inappropriate behaviour
· Facebook cannot and does not verify its members therefore it is important to remember that if your child can lie about who they are online, so can anyone else!
Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) and National Crime Agency Warning
In June 2018 we were advised by the CEOP and National Crime Agency that a company called ‘Safebook UK’ appear to consider themselves online protection ‘enforcers’. They appear to identify young people on Apps (specifically an app called “BIGO”) and are then contacting schools to bring a concern to their attention about their pupils. It appears to be a scaremongering exercise but obviously causes families concerns when this happens. The Authorities are aware of these activities and we ask our families to be vigilant.