E-Safety
The internet is now a part of everyday life and children are spending more and more time online, exploring cyberspace and connecting with others online. However the internet can also represent a risk to children that is sometimes misunderstood and often underestimated. E-Safety is a key element in the safeguarding strategy at Newlands Spring Primary and Nursery School and keeping children safe online is a priority for all staff and volunteers.
Just like the offline world, the online world is full of risk and although the majority of these will not turn into harm it is important that children understand the risks they are taking and make sensible choices. At Newlands Spring children are taught the fundamentals of e-safety throughout the school so that they can recognise and avoid dangers and unsuitable content. We also explain how to behave appropriately online as well as the importance of managing their digital footprint.
However we can only be successful in keeping children safe online if we engage with parents and carers to ensure a consistent approach on e-safety at home as well as at school.
Understanding the risks to children
Areas for online risks can be categorised into the 3 C's - Content, Contact and Conduct, and can be commercial, aggressive or sexual in nature as shown in the table below.
Children are keen to explore the online world but are often not mature enough to manage or understand the risks they come across. Helping your child to manage these risks at home can be achieved by asking your child
- Where they are going and what they see? - this will help you talk about content risk.
- What they do online? - this will help you understand any conduct risks and see whether they are chatting on anonymous sites or posting comments about themselves.
- Who they are talking to? - this will help cover the contact risks, particularly if their online friends are people they do not know offline.
It is essential to be realistic - banning the internet or technology will not work and it often makes a child less likely to report a problem. Education around the safe use is essential.
PEGI Pan European Game Information. This is the age rating system used to ensure that the entertainment content in media such as films, videos, DVDs and computer games are clearly labelled by age according to the content they contain. Please click the image for further information on the system
Useful E-safety Links
CEOP (The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) delivers a multi-agency service dedicated to tackling the abuse and explotiation of children in the real and online world. It is often referred to as the online 999. By clicking on the button, youg children and parents can get advice on a range of issues such as viruses, hacking and dealing with bullying online.
The "Thinkuknow" website is brought to you by The Child Exploitation and Online protection (CEOP) centre. It is a guide to online safety for young people. It offers e-safety advice and resources for children and parents.
Internet Matters is a new online portal designed for parents to access simple, easy and practical advice about online safety for their children, right through from pre-school to teens. It provides tips on protecting children from online grooming, cyberbullying, privacy and identity theft and inappropriate content. Internet matters is a not-for profit organisation set up by BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media.
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Ask About Games provides details on PEGI ratings, parental controls and advice on video games. It aims to answer questions parents and players may have about video game ratings and provide advice on how to game responsibily and get the most of them for their family.
ParentZone is an online site devoted to providing expert information to families and schools. They check and provide a range of issues with the aim of improving outcomes for children in a digital world.
The Internet Watch Foundation works internationally with the internet industry, police and governments to remove inappropriate content from the web. It can be used for reporting criminal online content in the UK.
Vodafone Parenting. This site offers lots of practical advice for parents as well as access to their digital parenting magazine.
Common Sense Media provides valuable information for parents to enable them to make smart media choices for the family. It provides unbiased information on educational ratings and reviews for movies, games, apps, TV shows, websites, books and music.
Childline provides free advice and information to those aged 18 years and below, including advice on 'online and mobile safety'. Childline also provides the 'zipit' app for iOS and android devices. The app aims to help young people respond safely to requests for inappropriate images by sending back a 'joke image. Information on the Zipit app may be found here.