eSafety Advice for Parents & Carers
The internet is an exciting and fun place to use and explore educationally and socially. The challenge for parents, carers and teachers is to make sure our children are aware and understand how to be safe when using the internet and related technologies.
At Pope Paul School we aim to work together with parents and carers to help keep our children informed, aware and safe.
In school the Hertfordshire Grid for Learning provides for a safe and secure online environment for children in Hertfordshire LA schools. Their website provides extensive useful information for parents and carers – please visit it regularly and make sure you have access to the latest and most age appropriate information:
http://www.thegrid.org.uk/eservices/safety/parents.shtml
eSafety is embedded throughout our curriculum, and we offer opportunities for families to access information and stay current; like our safety information evening for parents and carer, that took place on 19th October, delivered by Herts for Learning Ltd.
Internet and related technologies, including mobile phones, games consoles and social networks are becoming increasingly important in the daily lives of our children and have many positive benefits. They can be used both educationally and socially and are becoming part of a child’s identity. Socially our children often use the internet for entertainment, interaction, and communication with ‘friends’. Access to the internet can take place anywhere and at any time so we need to make sure our children are able to use the internet safely.
- Ensure you install a virus protection software
- Use ‘the grid’ for:
- Information about setting up filtering in your own home can be found there.
- Advice about online safety and how children are using the internet.
- Information about online safety issues and how to ‘Stay Safe’ – this needs to be age appropriate and current, as this is a very dynamic area
- Please remember to tell your child that if they tell you about getting into trouble online, you will be very proud of them – and that you won’t take their device off them – to ensure that they come back to tell you if they are ever in trouble.
- You may of course want to check the settings on their device so that you can make it safer for them – but try to resist the temptation to take it off them permanently.
Hertsmere Schools Partnership ran “Safer Internet, Happier You” sessions during the summer term, and provided these useful guides:
Thinkuknow is the education programme from the National Crime Agency’s CEOP command.
Childnet – helping to make the internet a great and safe place for children.
UK Safer Internet Centre – Online Safety Tips, Advice and Resources
