The internet has become almost essential to everyday life and has become integral to the lives of children. It opens up new opportunities and is now an essential part of their every day world whether they are using it for homework, to talk and share materials with their friends or for a multitude of other uses that are legitimate and beneficial in so many ways.

Unfortunately, the internet also holds many dangers of which your children may not be fully aware.

For e-safety information for parents, visit https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/ or any of the other links on this page. You can register for monthly email updates that will provide you with information on new and emerging technologies and tips on how to keep your family safe whilst online.

In the modern, technical and online world, it can be very daunting for parents. How do you know what is best when it comes to your children and technology? Even games consoles can connect to the internet these days. How do you know who your child is chatting to? What messages are your children watching online? What impact is it having on their mental health? What is too much screen time?

Outcomes from research of the impact of screen time on developing children demonstrates significant negative impacts on self-regulation and resilience for children, and we are seeing national changes in the legislature regarding access to the internet for children.

In school, we have a comprehensive computing curriculum where we teach online safety and Safer Internet Day is celebrated globally in February each year to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people and inspire a national conversation, but we recognise that the children will need support in applying this learning in context. Research shows children often feel safe because they are in the own home and forget some of the basic rules of being safe online.

As parents we recommend that you do:                                                                    

• Monitor your children's activity online, be this through game consoles, computers or phones.
• Check chat messages and keep an eye on the content they are watching.
• Encourage open dialogue about what happens online, it is not uncommon for children to not share concerns through fear of losing access to their device.
• Check age appropriateness of apps and games / videos being played / watched
• Check privacy settings
• Limit screen time
• Do not allow phones in bedrooms at night

If you have concerns about the information your child has seen online and would like to discuss these please contact the school for further advice.

There are a number of links below to support you in keeping your children safe online.

CEOP      Safer Internet     Internet Matters     NSPCC     Pegi.info/what do the labels mean on games

Commonsense media     Lego - Digital Safe

There are also a number of user guides that are presented as one page posters that act as good summaries for parents and children, you can click on the guides below.