E-Safety
We are aware that in the current climate all members of our community will be spending an increased amount of time online over the coming weeks.
Online safety is an important part of keeping everyone in our community safe and as such we would like to share some helpful advice to help you consider how you can keep yourself and your family safer online at home.
- Talk with your household and agree on how the Internet should be used.
- Decide and guide on what information should be kept private online and why this is vitally important for everyone to do this.
- Set out guidelines on how video and audio communications would be used, even when speaking to friends or family.
- Explore why online security is vitally important and discuss why things like setting strong passwords and not sharing information is extremely important.
- Consider some tech free spaces or times within the day when tech is not to be used, even though we are now all using our devices to work it is still important to spend time with each other to talk and socialise.
Useful Websites
Think U Know
The National Crimes Agency Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP) have a website which is suitable for children aged 5-16 and a section just for parents/carers with advice and information.
NSPCC
www.net-aware.org.uk and www.nspcc.org.uk/onlinesafety
The NSPCC have produced resources for parents, including Net Aware, a tool which reviews some of the most popular apps. The website has helpful advice for parents about issues such as online grooming, ‘sexting’ and cyberbullying. They also provide a helpline for parents: 0808 8005002
ChildLine
The ChildLine website has a wide range of info and advice on both online and offline safety. There is info about online gaming, grooming which can be shared with children. They also provide a helpline for children: 0800 1111
UK Safer Internet Centre
UK Safer Internet Centre provides a wide variety of advice and guidance to help you discuss online safety with your children. There are useful checklists for privacy settings on social networks and suggestions to consider before buying devices for your children.
Childnet
Childnet has resources, including videos and storybooks, to help you discuss online safety with your children. It includes advice on setting up parental controls, cyberbullying and setting up a family agreement for safer internet use.
Internet Matters
Internet Matters bring you all the information you need to keep your children safe online. It has a tool which guides you through how to set up parental controls on all the different devices in your home to protect your children.
Parent Info
Parent Info provides information to parents and carers about a wide range of subject matter, from difficult topics about sex, relationships and the internet or body image and peer pressure to broader parenting topics like ‘how much sleep do teenagers need?’
BBC “Own It” Website and App
www.bbc.com/ownit and www.bbc.com/ownit/take-control/own-it-app
The BBC Own It Website aims to help children aged 8-13 “be the boss” of their online lives. The website has a range of videos and activities to explore with children and even has a helpful app which can be installed on children’s devices to help them use technology responsibility