Online-Safety Guidance
ParentZone Everyday Digital programme
More often than not, parents are the first responders when children run into problems online. Building good media literacy and digital citizenship skills can help shift the focus from cure to prevention.
Our Everyday Digital programme, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), aims to do this.
Through their research and evidence base, they know that parents want simple, proven, practical solutions. Supported by a network of trained family-facing professionals and organisations, the programme promotes easy online habits that can be used by parents in their everyday lives.
NSPCC Online Safety Workshop for Parents & Carers
Helpful Videos
Supporting your child (Internet Matters)
//www.youtube.com/embed/caX_wpyGnwQ#t=0.5
You can read our Benton Park Online-Safety Policy below
Online-Safety Policy
Rationale
Online-Safety encompasses Internet technologies and electronic communications such as mobile phones and personal publishing. It highlights the need to educate pupils about the benefits and risks of using technology and provides safeguards and awareness for users to enable them to control their online experience.
The Internet is an essential element in 21st century life for education, business and social interaction. The school has a duty to provide pupils with quality Internet access as part of their learning experience.
Aims
- The school Internet access will be designed expressly for pupil use and will include filtering appropriate to the age of pupils
- Pupils will be taught what Internet use is acceptable and what is not and given clear objectives for Internet use.
- Pupils will be educated in the effective use of the Internet in research, including the skills of knowledge location, retrieval and evaluation.
- Pupils use the Internet widely outside school and will need to learn how to evaluate Internet information and to take care of their own safety and security.
- They will be taught to be critically aware of the materials they access.
- Staff will ensure that children are aware of the steps to take in the event of any e-safety problems.
Guidelines
- Only CEOP e-safety trained staff can be responsible for the delivery of CEOP training to children.
- All staff will be given the School Online-Safety Policy and its importance explained.
- Parents must be made aware of the training taking place.
- Parents’ attention will be drawn to the School e-Safety Policy in newsletters and on the school website.
- The school will work with the LA to ensure the filtering systems to protect pupils are regularly reviewed and, where appropriate, improved.
- Any complaints of Internet misuse will be dealt with by a member of the management team.
- Should there be a breach in internet security this should be reported and logged by the school management team
- IT Assist should be informed of the breach as they manage the school firewall.
Child Protection Guidelines with regards to Online-safety training
- The DSL and the head teacher are designated coordinators for child protection and must be made aware of any training taking place. If the head teacher is not available the deputy head will take this role.
- Staff to be aware of any vulnerable children prior to training.
- At the start of the e-safety training children will be given guidance on the disclosing of personal information-this is explicitly taught in PSHE
- The designated coordinator will be available for any children who are uncomfortable during the training and are free to leave at any time.
- Staff must inform the designated coordinator immediately if this happens, using the internal phone.
- In the event of a disclosure being made please refer to the ‘Child Protection’ policy.
Screen time
Internet Matters has a comprehensive guide to enable restrictions on your child's device to stop them from using specific features and social media or gaming applications on an iPhone or iPad. This includes blocking access to iTunes and restricting explicit content and in-app purchasing. You can also limit access to the camera and the sharing of photos.
Apple iPhone and iPad parental control guide
Online games
The NSPCC has some excellent advice and resources as a starting point for understanding online games
Inappropriate use of a school device
The school has a large number of iPads and some of these iPads are used by parents and children in their own homes. Before iPads going home a home school agreement is signed by children and parents alike which clearly states what is and is not acceptable use. Any breach of this results in consequences. No iPad history can be wiped and a random check of iPads is carried out to check what has been viewed. Staff also sign a use age agreement when using a school device, either a laptop or an iPad.
Any breaches in security should be reported to the Headteacher immediately.
Working with Parents
The school takes its role in working with parents to support them to recognise how to keep their children safe on the internet very seriously. The school will run training and courses for parents to support them in this role and offer support and guidance to them about how to manage this difficult area as well as supporting them in using mobile devices and the internet as a positive part of their learning.
School iPads do have the facility to use iMessage. Parents are asked not to contact children during the day as this is felt to be disruptive to a child's education and can bring further upset for both the parents and make issues more complicated for the school. This is done in e-safety meetings and via newsletters and conversations.
Use of mobile phones
Staff phones must be switched to silent during working hours and only used by staff at breaks or lunchtime. Staff may only use their mobile phones for personal use and must not use them for photographs or school business. Pupils in Y5/6 may bring a mobile phone to school but must hand it in where it will be locked in the office for the day.
Conclusion
The CEOP-trained staff at Benton Park Primary School will do their best to ensure all children receive effective Online-safety training, thereby enabling them to stay safe online. All staff will encourage children to follow the guidance provided for safe internet use through the development of key ICT skills. Safe internet access is essential for good teaching and learning.