As a school we have a responsibility to ensure children are safe. This includes the appropriate use of the internet and social media which can present safeguarding risks. We ask you to ensure that suitable filtering is in place and that your children are made aware of the general online safety.

SMART Rules

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.

Meet: 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.

Accepting: Accepting emails, messages, or opening fi les, images or texts from people you don’t know or trust can lead to problems — they may contain viruses or nasty messages!

Reliable: Someone online might lie about who they are and information on the intemet may not be true. Always check information by

Tell: Tell a 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.

This page aims to help you use the internet in a safe way. It links to sites that are kept up to date with useful information, along with explanations and helpful hints for you and your family to get the most out of the internet.

8 steps to keep your child safe online this month

1. Explore together: Ask your child to show you their favourite websites and apps and what they do on them. Listen, show interest and encourage them to teach you the basics of the site or app.

2. Chat little and often about online safety: If you’re introducing them to new learning websites and apps while school is closed, take the opportunity to talk to them about how to stay safe on these services and in general. Ask if anything ever worries them while they’re online. Make sure they know that if they ever feel worried, they can get help by talking to you or another adult they trust.

3. Help your child identify trusted adults who can help them if they are worried: This includes you and other adults at home, as well as adults from wider family, school or other support services who they are able to contact at this time. Encourage them to draw a picture or write a list of their trusted adults.

4. Be non-judgemental: Explain that you would never blame them for anything that might happen online, and you will always give them calm, loving support.

5. Supervise their online activity: Keep the devices your child uses in communal areas of the house such as in the living room or kitchen where an adult is able to supervise. Children of this age should not access the internet unsupervised in private spaces, such as alone in a bedroom or bathroom.

6. Talk about how their online actions affect others: If your child is engaging with others online, remind them to consider how someone else might feel before they post or share something. If they are considering sharing a photo/video of somebody else, they should always ask permission first.

7. Use ‘SafeSearch’: Most web search engines will have a ‘SafeSearch’ function, which will allow you to limit the content your child can access whilst online. Look out for the ‘Settings’ button on your web browser homepage, which is often shaped like a small cog.

8. Parental controls: Use the parental controls available on your home broadband and all internet enabled devices in your home. You can find out more about how to use parental controls by visiting your broadband provider’s website.

Please click on the following links for more information…

At what age can my child start social networking?

As a parent it’s important you know that all social networking platforms (or social networking apps, if on a smartphone) have age limits. Some social networks use technologies that may not be right for some ages or engage with communities that are made up of people much older than your child.

Minimum age on popular social platforms

This guide to the most common social networks your child might be on serves as a guide. Each link will take you to the age reference page of the social networking platform.

County Lines

With so many stories about County Lines and gangs in the press and on social media, no one could blame any parent or caregiver for being concerned about it – wondering what to look out for and what they can do.

Read the leaflet below that has been designed to give parents, guardians and caregivers the information they need.