Helping Parents/Carers keep their children safe online

e-Safety advice

Use of the internet can be very useful for school work, to help us in our day-to-day lives and of course for social fun. However, it is very important to be cautious at all times when using the internet. Always make use of the internet and social media wisely in order to keep safe! If you notice anything on the internet or social media that concerns you, ALWAYS let a responsible adult, trusted teacher, or the school's Safeguarding Officer know. Don't be afraid or embarrassed to tell us, your communication will always be handled discreetly. 

Staying Safe Online 

• Never reveal any personal information online – like your address, email address or mobile number
• Think carefully before posting pictures or videos of yourself. Once a picture of yourself is online people can see it and download it 
• Ensure your privacy settings on social media accounts are as high as possible
• Never reveal or share your passwords with others
• Don’t accept friend requests from people or accounts you don’t know
• Never arrange to meet up with people you’ve met online - speak to a trusted adult about anyone who suggests you do
• Remember that not everyone online is who they say they are
• Think carefully about what you say before you post something online
• Respect other people’s views, even if you don’t agree with someone else’s views, its better to remain discreet and impartial 
• If you see something online that makes you feel uncomfortable, unsafe or worried; leave the website, and tell a trusted adult immediately

Staying safe on your mobile

• Never reply to any nasty messages you receive - tell an adult about them instead
• Never reply to a text or social media message from someone you don’t know
• Retain any messages you have been sent, so you can show them to a trusted adult and make a note of the time and date of the messages or calls you receive
• Don’t answer calls from withheld numbers or numbers you don’t recognise - let it go to voicemail
• Never provide your mobile number to someone you don’t know
• Never send pictures to someone you don’t know and be very careful about sending pictures to anyone on your phone

What to do if you are being bullied online

• Tell an adult you trust if you are being cyber bullied
• Don’t respond or retaliate to bullying messages - it could make matters worse
• Block users who send you nasty messages 
• Save any abusive emails or texts you receive and show a responsible adult
• Don’t pass on any cyber bullying videos or messages seen or received– this is in itself cyber bullying
• You can talk to someone at Child Line or get online safety advice at www.childline.org.uk/talk/Pages/Talk.aspx

National Online Safety

National Online Safety (NOS) have published lots of helpful information and tips for staying safe online. NOS also have handy guides regarding popular apps such as TikTok, Snapchat and Netflix as well as advice and guidance for remote learning.

See here:  https://nationalonlinesafety.com/training 

We are a partnership of three leading organisations: Childnet International, Internet Watch Foundation and SWGfL, with one mission – to make the internet a great and safe place for children and young people. Information can be found below:

About - UK Safer Internet Centre

Thinkuknow is the education programme from NCA-CEOP, a UK organisation which protects children both online and offline. Explore one of the six Thinkuknow websites for advice about staying safe when you're on a phone, tablet or computer. See below: