Online Safety
Our pupils are growing up in a rapidly changing digital world. Technology provides wonderful opportunities for learning, creativity, communication and entertainment, but it can also present risks. At our school, online safety is an important part of our primary and wider safeguarding approach and we want our children to develop the knowledge, confidence and resilience they need to use technology safely, responsibly and positively.
We recognise that online safety is not simply about preventing children from accessing harmful content. It is about helping children understand risks, make informed choices, develop healthy online relationships and know what to do when something does not feel right.
Online safety education is embedded across our curriculum and wider school life, including Jigsaw PSHE, Computing, Relationships Education and dedicated online safety lessons. We use age-appropriate content to help children develop the skills they need to navigate the online world safely.
What do we teach our children about online safety?
Throughout their time at our school, pupils are taught to:
- understand how to behave respectfully and responsibly online and recognise the impact their online behaviour can have on others;
- recognise and respond to cyberbullying, online bullying and other forms of online abuse, including knowing when and how to report concerns;
- understand that people online may not always be who they say they are and recognise behaviours that could indicate grooming or inappropriate contact;
- know that they can always talk to a trusted adult if something online makes them feel worried, uncomfortable, frightened or confused;
- understand the importance of keeping personal information private and using appropriate privacy and security settings;
- create strong, secure passwords and understand why passwords and other account information should not be shared;
- think carefully before sharing photographs, videos, personal information or other content online and understand that material shared online can be difficult to remove;
- understand how their digital footprint and online reputation can be affected by what they post, share, comment on or create;
- recognise that online content is not always accurate, reliable or trustworthy and learn how to check information and identify misinformation, scams, advertising and manipulated content;
- use search engines and online resources safely and responsibly, including understanding the limitations of search results and the importance of safe searching;
- recognise that algorithms, recommendations and personalised content can influence what they see online;
- understand the importance of age restrictions and why some games, apps, websites and online services are not suitable for children;
- understand the potential risks associated with online gaming, including chat functions, contact with strangers, in-app purchases and sharing personal information;
- develop healthy habits around screen time, online wellbeing and balancing time online with sleep, exercise, relationships and other activities;
- understand that technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), can create convincing but inaccurate, misleading or inappropriate content and that information generated by AI should not automatically be trusted;
- know how to block, mute, report and seek help when they encounter something inappropriate or harmful online;
- understand that if something goes wrong online, they should tell a trusted adult and that they will be listened to and supported rather than blamed.
- Much, much more!
Our approach reflects Department for Education guidance on teaching online safety, which emphasises that children should be equipped to use technology safely, thoughtfully and responsibly across the curriculum and as part of a wider whole-school approach.
We also use resources from Project Evolve, which support our teaching of online safety through age-appropriate, progressive learning. These resources help pupils to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to navigate the digital world safely and confidently, including areas such as online relationships, online bullying, privacy and security, digital wellbeing, managing online information, online reputation and the impact of their choices and behaviour.
Project Evolve supports our wider online safety curriculum alongside Jigsaw PSHE, Computing and our safeguarding provision, helping ensure that online safety education is relevant, consistent and responsive to the changing digital world.
Online Safety and Safeguarding
Online safety forms an integral part of our safeguarding arrangements. We recognise that children can experience safeguarding risks both online and offline and that online experiences can affect children's emotional health, wellbeing, relationships and safety.
Our staff receive safeguarding training which includes online safety. Any concern about a child's online experiences is treated as a safeguarding concern and dealt with in accordance with our school's safeguarding procedures.
We also recognise the importance of an effective balance between education, appropriate filtering and monitoring, and open communication with pupils. The Department for Education states that schools should have appropriate filtering and monitoring systems in place and should review their provision at least annually.
Our school uses filtering and monitoring arrangements to help reduce the risk of pupils accessing illegal, inappropriate or harmful content. There are designated staff whose responsibility it is to monitor and respond to this filtering:
Mr Brannigan- DSL Trained, Digital Strategy and Computing Lead
Mr Paice- DSL and Head of School
Mrs Ireland- Deputy DSL
Mrs Onyekaba- Head Teacher
Mrs Coleman- FA1 Trust Safegaurding Lead
We regularly review our online safety provision to ensure that it reflects the changing technologies and risks experienced by children. This includes considering emerging technologies such as generative AI, as recommended within the Department for Education's current filtering and monitoring standards.
Online Safety at Home
We understand that much of children's online activity takes place outside school, often using devices, networks and platforms that are not subject to the school's filtering and monitoring systems.
For this reason, we aim to work in partnership with parents and carers. We encourage families to talk regularly with children about what they are doing online, establish clear and age-appropriate boundaries, use parental controls where appropriate and make sure children know they can talk to an adult if something worries them.
Parental controls can be helpful, but they are only one part of keeping children safe. They cannot replace regular conversations, supervision and teaching children how to recognise and manage online risks.
We provide parents and carers with information, guidance and opportunities to discuss online safety. We encourage families to keep up to date with the apps, games, websites and devices that children are using and to check age ratings and safety settings regularly.
If you are worried about something that has happened to your child online, please talk to us. Our safeguarding team can help you decide what to do next and, where appropriate, signpost you to specialist support.
Useful Online Safety Resources
The online world changes quickly, so we recommend using trusted organisations for the most up-to-date advice.
CEOP Education – National Crime Agency
CEOP Education provides age-appropriate online safety resources for children, parents and professionals. It includes advice about online relationships, grooming, online abuse and what to do if a child is worried about something that has happened online.
Children and young people can report concerns about online sexual abuse or grooming through the CEOP Safety Centre.
Internet Matters
Internet Matters – Online Safety Advice
Internet Matters provides practical guidance for parents and carers on children's online safety, including advice organised by age, online activity, apps and current issues.
UK Safer Internet Centre
UK Safer Internet Centre – Parents and Carers
A partnership between Childnet, the Internet Watch Foundation and SWGfL, providing advice and resources for children, parents, carers and schools.
Their resources include guidance about devices, games, parental controls and online safety.
Childnet
Childnet provides practical resources to help children, parents and schools use technology safely and responsibly.
NSPCC – Online Safety
The NSPCC provides advice about online safety, cyberbullying, grooming, social media, online games, inappropriate content, parental controls, online wellbeing and misinformation. It also provides guidance about talking to children about emerging issues such as artificial intelligence.
Thinkuknow / CEOP – Children and Young People
Age-appropriate resources help children understand online relationships, privacy, sharing information, online abuse and how to seek help.
BBC Own It
Own It provides advice and activities designed to help children think about their online lives, including relationships, wellbeing and making positive choices online.
A Guide to Apps, Games and Social Media
Children may encounter a wide range of apps, games, social media platforms, video-sharing services and online communities. New services and features appear regularly, so rather than relying on a fixed list of apps, we recommend checking the latest age ratings, safety features and parental controls for any service your child uses.
Before allowing your child to use a new app, game or platform, consider:
- Is it age appropriate? Check the minimum age and age-rating information.
- Who can contact my child? Review messaging, chat and friend/follower settings.
- What information can my child share? Check privacy settings and location sharing.
- Can strangers interact with my child? Understand whether the service allows contact with unknown users.
- What content might my child see? Consider recommendations, livestreams, advertising and user-generated content.
- Can my child make purchases? Check in-app purchases and payment settings.
- Can my child report or block someone? Make sure they know how these features work.
- Can safety settings be changed or bypassed? Review settings regularly as children become more independent.
- Does the service use AI or generate content? Talk to your child about the fact that AI-generated content can be inaccurate, misleading or inappropriate.
The NSPCC and UK Safer Internet Centre provide current advice about social media, games, devices and parental controls.
We recommend that parents and carers check guidance regularly rather than relying on a list of particular platforms, as services, features and risks can change quickly.
If Something Goes Wrong Online
If your child sees something upsetting, receives an inappropriate message, is bullied, is contacted by someone they do not know, or feels pressured to share information or images:
Stay calm and listen.
Reassure your child that they have done the right thing by telling you. Avoid blaming or shaming them.
Save evidence where appropriate.
Keep relevant messages, usernames, screenshots or other information that may help when reporting a concern. Do not forward or share illegal or harmful material.
Use the platform's safety tools.
Block or mute the account where appropriate and report the content or user through the platform.
Tell school if there is a safeguarding concern.
If the incident affects your child's safety or wellbeing, please speak to a member of our safeguarding team.
Report serious concerns.
If you are concerned that a child is being groomed, sexually abused or exploited online, CEOP provides specialist reporting and support.
If a child is in immediate danger, contact the emergency services.
Children can also access Childline for confidential advice and support.
Parent's Guide to Digital at Primary School
Child Online Safety Information
Internet Matters Parent's Guide Age 0-5
Internet Matters Parent's Guide Age 6-10