E-Safety
E-safety is a really important part of a child's education with the digital world we live in today. Children are using technology every day (at home and in school) and it is vital that we keep them safe. Technolgy is a very useful tool that we encourage children to use, to help build and develope on a variety of skills.
As a school, we ensure children are supervised whilst using the internet. As part of our computing curriculum we look at a digital literacy scheme of work. Through this we cover a wide variety of iternet safety (Privacy & security, cyberbullying, relationships & communication, Digital footprint, self image & identiy, information literacy, creative credit & copywrite) throughout KS1 and KS2.
Head Teacher Letter to Parents: Online Safety
Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope this letter finds you and your families well. As we continue to work together to provide the best possible education and care for our pupils, I wanted to write to you about an important matter regarding online safety.
Our Shared Commitment to Pupil Wellbeing
At St John Fisher Catholic Primary, the welfare and safety of every child is our absolute priority. We are committed to working in partnership with you to ensure all our pupils are protected and supported in every aspect of their lives, including their digital experiences.
Current Concerns
Recently, we have become aware that some of our KS2 pupils have been exposed to inappropriate content online. This has unfortunately resulted in some children bringing unsuitable language and behaviours into school. I want to emphasise that we are not looking to blame anyone – instead, we recognise this as an opportunity to work together to better protect all our children from the potential harms of the internet.
Understanding Today's Digital Landscape
We fully appreciate how challenging it can be for parents to navigate today's fast-moving technology and social media landscape. The digital world our children are growing up in is vastly different from our own childhood experiences, and keeping pace with new platforms, apps, and online trends can feel overwhelming.
Working Together for Protection
As a school community, we believe that open communication and shared understanding are key to keeping our pupils safe. We are not here to judge or criticise – we are here to support you and work alongside you to ensure our children can benefit from technology while staying protected from its potential dangers.
We would ask that you share this information with all family and friends that your child spends time in the care of, including older siblings, in order that we can all work together in addressing and future preventing the behaviour and language we are currently experiencing.
Moving Forward
To support you in this important area, I have attached guidance from the National College which provides practical advice and strategies for keeping children safe online. This resource offers valuable insights into:
- Understanding current online risks
• Age-appropriate supervision strategies
• How to have conversations with your child about online safety
• Setting up effective parental controls
• Recognising signs that your child may have encountered inappropriate content
Our Ongoing Support
Please remember that we are always here to support you. If you have any concerns about your child's online experiences, or if you would like to discuss any aspect of online safety, please do not hesitate to contact the school or speak with your child's class teacher.
Together, we can ensure that our pupils are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the digital world safely, while maintaining the caring, protective environment that defines our school community.
Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our children safe.
Warm regards,
Mrs Dickinson
Headteacher
Useful websites
Please take some time to look through the links provided below. They contain plenty of advice and tools to help keep your children safe when online.
Managing Parental controls on smart phones and other devices:
https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/smartphones-and-other-devices/
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/parental-controls/
Think u Know - Resources for parents/carers and children
Vodaphone Digital Parenting - advice for parents to help keep children safe online.
Google Safety Centre - advice and tools to help protect yourself and your family online.
Know it all - Childnet international - It's designed to really help you as a parent or carer keep up to date with how children are using the internet, and support them in using these new exciting services safely and responsibly.
BBC Stay Safe - Interactive games and videos for the children
NSPCC - NSPCC have worked with O2 to give advice and tools for parents to keep children safe online and to be share aware. (Below, in the 'Files to download' section, is a parents guide to being share aware from the NSPCC website)