Online Safety

 

New technologies are an integral part of life in today’s society. The internet and other digital and information technologies are powerful tools which open up new opportunities for everyone. Electronic communication helps teachers and pupils learn from each other. Children and young people should have an entitlement to safe internet access at all times.

Staying safe
Mountjoy has a duty of care to ensure that the internet and related communication technologies are used appropriately and safely. The use of these exciting and innovative tools in school and at home has been shown to raise educational standards and promote pupil achievement. There are many positive aspects to children using the internet. When we become aware of the possible problems, we should not panic and withdraw all access. A responsible caring attitude will ensure the problem is addressed. The main area of concern is social media and the potential for ‘cyber-bullying’ or accessing of inappropriate content.

Our role
As with all other risks, it is impossible to eliminate those risks completely. It is therefore essential, through good educational provision to build pupils’ resilience to the risks to which they may be exposed, so that they have the confidence and skills to face and deal with these risks. As a school we provide the necessary safeguards to help ensure that we have done everything that could reasonably be expected to manage and reduce these risks. We want to ensure that the whole school community – pupils, parents, carers and staff – are responsible users and stay safe when using the internet and other technologies for educational, personal and recreational use.

Your role
All members of the school community – pupils, parents, staff and visitors , are asked to sign and return an Acceptable Use Agreement to ensure everyone understands how digital and information technologies can be used safely, in and out of school. Any concerns regarding online safety should be reported to the class teacher initially who will pass this on to the safeguarding lead if necessary.

For guides click on the links below: If you are looking for a specific guide or more guides click here 

For more information on safer ways to use the internet please click on the links below:

Safer Internet
Safer Internet Day 2021 Films
Parent Zone
Thinkuknow
Tik Tok – what parents need to know
Dorset Police
CEOP-Child Exploitation and Online Protection
CEOP-New Interactive Website for 4-7s
Childnet offers a toolkit to support parents and carers of children of any age to start discussions about their online life, to set boundaries around online behaviour and technology use, and to find out where to get more help and support
Social Media Checklists | SWGfL downloadable leaflets for parents and staff to keep everyone safe online.  These include: ROBLOX, Netflix, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
Parent – Homepage (eephonesmart.co.uk) this is a link to EE’s ‘1st Phone’ scheme.  It a way to educate children into the pitfalls and dangers of owning a phone for the first time:
Commonsensemedia provide independent reviews, age ratings, & other information about all types of media for children and their parents
Let’s Talk About It provides advice for parents and carers to keep children safe from online radicalisation
London Grid for Learning provides support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online, including tips to keep primary aged children safe online
Government advice about protecting children from specific online harms such as child sexual abuse, sexting, and cyberbullying
Government advice about security and privacy settings, blocking unsuitable content, and parental controls
UK Safer Internet Centre to report and remove harmful online content