At St Nicholas, we understand the importance and benefits of using computers to help with children’s learning and personal development. However, we also recognise that safeguards need to be in place to ensure children are kept safe at all times. At St Nicholas, we have filters in place to greatly reduce the risks of our pupils accessing unsuitable materials.
Lessons are taught from EYFS upward explaining and demonstrating how to stay safe when using the Internet and working with technology. Everyone, both children and staff, sign an Acceptable User Policy before being given access to our network and internet provision. There are also polices regarding the taking and use of digital images. Please see the polices section of our website for further information.
Curriculum
To ensure our on-line safety curriculum provisions are effective, we believe in a whole school community focus. Clear educational messages are embedded across computing/ICT, PSHE and where links can be made, in other curriculum areas, whenever children use technology. Each year we support Safer Internet Day.
Responding to an Online Incident
Through our curriculum and assemblies, children are taught how to respond effectively to any online incidents. At St Nicholas we have a clear and robust reporting system for responding with any issues raised. Staff are aware of who to go to within the school if they have any cyberbullying or wider online safety concerns.
Cyberbullying
Like any form of bullying, Cyberbullying is not tolerated at St Nicholas. Designated staff are trained in how to investigate, support and report incidents of cyberbullying. It is important that children are aware how content posted online can be easily misunderstood by others and taken out of context. This was a focus discussed with KS2 during Internet Safety Week last year. It is important for young people to recognise the importance of thinking before they post and the need to respect their friends’ and peers’ thoughts and feelings online. What’s considered morally right and wrong within our school and wider communities offline, must also be thought of in the same way online, and treating others with respect on the internet is a good way to ensure that online situations are less likely to escalate further.
Sexting
Childnet International 2018 outline sexting as, “the use of technology to share personal sexual content. It’s a word-mix of sex and texting”. It is also often referred to by young people as ‘nudes’, ‘nude selfies’ and other nicknames.
Advice and Support
Advice sheets for parents can be found on the Parent information desk outside the main office. Our weekly newsletters often contain information regarding this area. Look out for our ‘parent clinics,’ which will be offered later in the year.
Download our 1st March 2019 letter re the recent viral social media story.
Other Useful Websites
Childnet is a fantastic one stop shop of advice. A must read, is the ‘Hot topics’ section (pictured below), which offers up to date important advice on current issues regarding your child’s use of technology. Click here to access it directly www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/hot-topics
- Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) – www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents
- www.ceop.co.uk – use the report abuse button for advice and to report online abuse such as grooming
- Childnet International – a non-profit organisation working with others to help make the internet a great and safe place for children
- Digital parenting resources – helping parents help their children manage their digital world, including digital parenting magazine
- Get safe online – practical advice on how to protect yourself, your computers and mobile devices against fraud, identity theft, viruses and other problems encountered online
- Internet Matters – an independent, not-for-profit organisation to help parents keep their children safe online
- Kent Police online safety – outlining how to be safe using online social media platforms
- Internet Watch Foundation – report illegal content online
- Parenting in the Digital Age (PitDA) – a new programme to help parents apply their parenting skills to the online world
- Parent Port – run by the UK’s media regulators to set and enforce standards across the media to protect children from inappropriate material
- NSPCC online safety – helpful advice and tools you can use to keep your children safe online
- Net aware – NSPCC and O2 have joined forces to provide you detailed advice as to all social media platforms
- UK Safer Internet Centre – tips, advice and resources to help children and young people stay safe on the internet.
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