E-Safety   Keeping Children Safe Online

The internet is an amazing place!

Children can play, learn, create and connect - opening up a whole world of exciting possibilities. But with the digital world changing all the time, how can you be sure that your child is staying safe?

Here at Thomas Whitehead CE Academy we fully embrace children using the online world to support their learning. There are many positive aspects to children going online but it is imperative that children know how to do it safely and what they should do if they feel unsafe. 
Keeping safe and behaving appropriately online is covered in depth as part of our Computing and PSHE curriculum. We have displays and hold regular assemblies and awareness days throughout the school year to raise awareness of online safety for both children and parents .As part of your child’s curriculum and the development of computer skills, we provide access to the internet only in teacher supervised lessons. We strongly believe that the use of the web and email is hugely worthwhile and an essential tool for children as they grow up in the modern world. But because there are always concerns about children having access to undesirable materials, we have taken positive steps to deal with this risk in school. Our school internet access provider operates a filtering system that restricts access to inappropriate materials. 

It's important to remember that the legal age to have an account on most social media - Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Snapchat - is 13 years old.

​At Home

As a parent, you'll know how important the internet is to children - they use it to learn, play, socialise and express themselves.  It's a highly creative place of amazing opportunities.  But the technology children use every day can seem a bit daunting and you might worry about the risks your child can face online - such as bullying, contact from strangers or the possibility of them seeing illegal or inappropriate content. 

You can download a simple checklist below that may help you start to protect your children online and decrease the risks they face.  Or you can engage with your children regarding their use of the internet while at home.  Here are some conversation starter ideas from www.childnet.com

• Ask your children to tell you about the sites they like to visit and what they enjoy doing online.
• Ask them about how they stay safe online. What tips do they have for you, and where did they learn them? What is OK and not OK to share?
• Ask them if they know where to go for help, where to find the safety advice, privacy settings and how to report or block on the services they use.
• Encourage them to help. Perhaps they can show you how to do something better online or they might have a friend who would benefit from their help and support.
• Think about how you use the internet as a family. What could you do to get more out of the internet together and further enjoy your lives online