Online Safety
At The Drive Primary School, we ensure that all children are taught how to conduct themselves correctly when using the internet or any form of technology. In specific lessons, children explore different online safety scenarios and how to act in differing situations.
'SMART' rules
Our practice at The Drive Primary School is based around the ‘SMART’ rules. These are:
S is for SAFE:
Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information when you’re chatting or posting online. Personal information includes your email address, phone number and password.
M is for MEETING:
Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Only do so with your parents’ or carers’ permission and even then only when they can be present. Remember online friends are still strangers even if you have been talking to them for a long time.
A is for ACCEPTING:
Accepting emails, IM messages, or opening files, pictures or texts from people you don’t know or trust can lead to problems – they may contain viruses or nasty messages!
R is for RELIABLE:
Someone online might lie about who they are and information on the internet may not be true. Always check information with other websites, books or someone who knows. If you like chatting online it’s best to only chat to your real world friends and family.
T is for TELL:
Tell your parent, carer or a trusted adult if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if you or someone you know is being bullied online.
Parent Information- How can you help at home?
Advice for parents and carers (Northumbria Police – Prevention Through Education) – Do you know which apps your children are using?
It’s important for the adults in a child’s life to be aware of what and who they are interacting with online, and for young people to be aware that what they share online can affect their lives in the ‘real’ world. For example, sharing their location (school, home) via images can give those who wish to do harm an opportunity to do so. Parents and carers may need help with having these conversations, especially if they feel they know very little about the many apps available. Chat apps | NSPCC and Have a conversation | Childnet contain helpful advice on how to approach this subject with children and young people.
Useful links
As a Parent and Carer, we understand that it is important to share the Online Safety message at home too. Below are some useful links to help you share this message. Also if you are concerned about matters relating to Online Safety, please come into school to discuss this with us or visit the ‘CEOP’ website below for further advice.
https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
https://medium.com/kidsnclicks/secret-calculator-app-to-hide-photos-and-videos-7a332b9b397
Internet Safety Week 2022
Internet Safety week is a great opportunity to engage in some activities with your children at home.
For Top Tips for Parents and Carers click on the following link:
You can find tips and links on the website above, with some suggestions on how to get you started and help your child/children to stay safe and positive online. You and your family can #PlayYourPart in creating a better internet by...
- Having conversations without judgement
- Knowing where you can learn more about their favourite apps and games
- Getting support if things go wrong
- Reassuring your child that whatever happens online, you are there to support them
Workshops in school
Boo Gets Cyber Smart
Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 had an internet Safety Workshop called ‘Boo Gets Cyber Smart’. Boo the Bigfoot Bunny was excited to play games, watch videos and find out information on the new family tablet. But boo found it to be overwhelming. The children learnt what it is to be kind online, what to do if you feel unsafe and how to limit the time you spend online.
Cyber Safety
Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 had Bigfoot’s ‘Cyber Safety’ workshop. The worship encouraged children to consider how to use the internet and smart technology. They explored the implications of this on safety and wellbeing. Through a variety of drama and communication games and exercises, the children explored how to stay safe online, how to share information and connect with others safety. They also learnt the consequences of negative behaviour.
School Council Zoom
School Council delivered an online safety workshop to parents/carers over zoom. They explained the SMART rules and made them aware of the age restrictions on some games.
Poster Competition
Each year group designed an Online Safety Poster. There was one winner in each class.
Inappropriate Content
What is inappropriate content? Parent advice - Internet Matters
Learn what is considered inappropriate content on the platforms most popular with children and what risks this poses to children. For more advice, visit the Internet Matters hub of advice: https://www.internetmatters.org/issue.
Tik-Tok
Whilst the popularity and use of Tik Tok continues to grow, sadly, so do the number of concerns around it. Please have a look at the following links which you may find useful.
Parents' Ultimate Guide to TikTok (Commonsense Media)
TikTok app safety – What parents need to know (Internet Matters)
Sharenting
Sharenting (or oversharenting) is a term used to describe the overuse of social media by parents or loved ones to share content based on their children. It’s a good idea for you and your family members to periodically ‘spring clean’ your social media profiles.
Here are some top tips for keeping your family safe online:
- Review the privacy settings on social media accounts
- Change passwords regularly – at least once every three months – and avoid obvious or predictable words
- Think twice before posting personal information about yourself or your family on any social media channel
- Speak to friends or family members if they’re posting content about your family that you’re not happy with
- Be open with your child about social media and teach them how to protect themselves
- Remember, fraudsters often need just a name, date of birth and address to steal someone’s identity
If you want to learn more about the internet or brush up on your digital skills, we’ve got lots of tools and courses in our digital confidence page or you could you speak to someone in person with one of our Tea and Teach sessions.
https://www.barclays.co.uk/moments/helping-younger-generations/Internet-safety-for-children/
Squid Game
In school, there are more and more children referencing the Netflix series, ‘Squad Game’. This South Korean thriller features some scenes of fairly brutal violence and is rated 15 by the BBFC. It follows a group of adults who compete to win innocent-looking playground games, but who are killed if they do not succeed at the tasks. Parents and Carers need to be reminded that this is not appropriate viewing for those under 16 years of age.
We have also read that there is a viral trend on TikTok (linked to Squid Games) where children are boiling sugar and ending up being admitted to hospital with burns.
Please keep a watchful eye on the content that our children are viewing and remember to speak openly and chat about how they have been spending time on their devices; let them ask questions too. Ensure parental controls are activated and that age-restricted child profiles are properly set up.
For more information please click on the link below:
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact school.
Thank you.
