E-Safety

Using digital media in a safe and secure way

E-safety is an integral part of children’s education in today’s digital world and is embedded in their learning at school. We also want to help parents and children improve their own understanding of e-safety issues so they can learn to use the internet and all digital media in a safe and secure way.

In School

In school our Digital Citizenship and E-Safety computing lessons cover a variety of different topics. These activities are designed to help us not only have a greater safety awareness and a knowledge of our own digital footprint, but to also gain a better understanding of how we should strive to be respectful and considerate when using the many and varied opportunities the internet has to offer both from a learning point of view and when using social media.

Top Tips

Zip it! Don’t tell anyone personal information about yourself, where you go, what you look like, where you go to school. No one has any business to be asking about you, your friends or family. Close friends will already know this information.

Block it! If you visit websites and you are not sure what you are looking at, close the web page, log off the computer or ask an adult for help.

Flag it! Tell a trusted adult or your parents/carers if you see something or know of anyone asking for information or being unkind (cyberbullying) on the internet. You must pass on information to adults so they can help.

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 engage with your children regarding their use of the internet while at home.  Here are some conversation starter ideas from Childnet:

1. Ask your children to tell you about the sites they like to visit and what they enjoy doing online.
2. 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?
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.