Internet safety and e-safety

We place great emphasis on understanding the safe use of the internet.  However, as we all recognise, the internet holds pitfalls for all our children that they need to learn how to safely navigate.  We at Creswell Junior School are dedicated to keeping our children as safe as possible by giving them the right skills and knowledge to make safe choices.  To that end we regularly build in to the curriculum refreshers of what they should do in specific circumstances.

Home Internet

Specifically for you as parents we have listed the link below which sets out how to set parental controls on internet access.  Though these controls are not perfect they will certainly help.  You can also find here links to advice on YouTube and Google safesearch.

http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers/parental-controls

The link below will take you to information on how to make Game Consoles and Handhelds such as IPods safer for your children too.

http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers/parents-guide-to-technology

We would strongly recommend that you consider taking control of what your child can access via the internet but also taking the time to discuss with them why.

Finally the link below will take you to CEOP where you can report any concerns you may have:

http://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/

Mobile Apps and Games

The NSPCC has asked 600 primary school children what information they needed to stay safe online. More than 80% said they needed to know more about privacy settings on mobile apps and games.

We would strongly recommend that you look at the revised 'Net Aware Guide' which keeps parents informed of issues around social media sites and online platforms popular with their children. 12 new sites have been added to NetAware which now has over 60 social networking sites, apps and games which children use.

We would also recommend using www.commonsensemedia.org  which allows you to explore media by age, which uses a traffic light system for ease of use, informs parents what they need to know about the media in question and what the child can learn from the media.

Social Media

There has been much talk recently about both the benefits and the downsides to social media.  This includes concerns not only over cyberbullying but also how children can keep themselves safe.  With Primary aged children now having access to social media the school has added some guidance below to help you help your child.

You might be struggling to keep up with the things your child is doing online, you might wonder whether what they are doing is safe, and you might also be thinking how can I be as good a parent online as I am offline?

Even if the only search engine you use is a pair of binoculars, do not despair. Here you’ll find practical tips and simple guidance.

• Talk to your child about what they’re up to online. Be a part of their online life; involve the whole family and show an interest. Find out what sites they visit and what they love about them, if they know you understand they are more likely to come to you if they have any problems.
• Watch Thinkuknow films and cartoons with your child. The Thinkuknow site has films, games and advice for children from five all the way to 16.
• Encourage your child to go online and explore! There is a wealth of age-appropriate sites online for your children. Encourage them to use sites which are fun, educational and that will help them to develop online skills.
• Keep up-to-date with your child’s development online. Children grow up fast and they will be growing in confidence and learning new skills daily. It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.
• Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world. Think about what they might see, what they share, who they talk to and how long they spend online. It is important to discuss boundaries at a young age to develop the tools and skills children need to enjoy their time online.
• Keep all equipment that connects to the internet in a family space. For children of this age, it is important to keep internet use in family areas so you can see the sites your child is using and be there for them if they stumble across something they don’t want to see.
• Know what connects to the internet and how. Nowadays even the TV connects to the internet. Make sure you’re aware of which devices that your child uses connect to the internet, such as their phone or games console. Also, find out how they are accessing the internet – is it your connection, or a neighbour’s wifi? This will affect whether the safety setting you set are being applied.
• Use parental controls on devices that link to the internet, such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile phones. Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops. They are not the answer to your child’s online safety, but they are a good start and they are not as difficult to install as you might think. Service providers are working hard to make them simple, effective and user friendly. https://www.callersmart.com/guides/73/Parents-Guide-to-Internet-Safety-Keeping-Your-Child-Safe-Online

If you have a child who is at, or is due to start, secondary school, read our secondary school advice to find out what you can do to support them.