Stay Safe Online
Please see the attached information for parents with regards to remote learning.
Everyone at school works hard to make sure all the children are safe and happy. We use the 'http://ctech.link/parental-control' resources to learn about how to be safe when online. Click their website link below to find out more:
Top Tips for Parents - from www.thinkyouknow.co.uk
- Talk to your child about what they’re up to online. Be a part of their online life; involve the whole family and show an interest. Find out what sites they visit and what they love about them, if they know you understand they are more likely to come to you if they have any problems.
- Watch Thinkuknow films and cartoons with your child. The Thinkuknow site has films, games and advice for children from five all the way to 16.
- Encourage your child to go online and explore! There is a wealth of age-appropriate sites online for your children. Encourage them to use sites which are fun, educational and that will help them to develop online skills.
- Keep up-to-date with your child’s development online. Children grow up fast and they will be growing in confidence and learning new skills daily. It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.
- Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world. Think about what they might see, what they share, who they talk to and how long they spend online. It is important to discuss boundaries at a young age to develop the tools and skills children need to enjoy their time online.
- Keep all equipment that connects to the internet in a family space. For children of this age, it is important to keep internet use in family areas so you can see the sites your child is using and be there for them if they stumble across something they don’t want to see.
- Know what connects to the internet and how. Nowadays even the TV connects to the internet. Make sure you’re aware of which devices that your child uses connect to the internet, such as their phone or games console. Also, find out how they are accessing the internet – is it your connection, or a neighbour’s wifi? This will affect whether the safety setting you set are being applied.
- Use parental controls on devices that link to the internet, such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile phones. Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops. They are not the answer to your child’s online safety, but they are a good start and they are not as difficult to install as you might think. Service providers are working hard to make them simple, effective and user friendly. Find your service provider and learn how to set your controls
Stay Safe When Out and About
The ‘Clever Never Goes’ programme has been developed to replace the out-dated ‘stranger danger’ approach. Research shows that teaching children simply to avoid strangers fails to keep them safe. Strangers are often more likely to help a child than to harm them. Conversely, it can often be people known to children that pose the greatest threat.
‘Clever Never Goes’ moves the focus away from strangers and instead teaches children to recognise when someone (whether they are known to the child or not) is trying to persuade them to go with them.
You can help your child to understand the Clever Never Goes message. You can download (free of charge) a Clever Never Goes home pack at the website www.clevernevergoes.org/parents.