Online Safety

Almost all of our pupils use the Internet at home and we know that, as parents, it can be difficult to allow children the freedom to develop as responsible individuals while protecting them from the perils and pitfalls of the Internet. Increasingly, even at primary school age, younger people are conducting their social life online so parents need to provide guidance to make sure that their children behave safely and responsibly. Please help your children by following these key recommendations:
  • Talk regularly with your children about their use of technology and how they communicate with people online
  • Keep computers and other web-enabled devices in family rooms
Technology is a fantastic aid to learning and enjoyment but there are dangers of which we must all be aware. At school we have strict filters on internet traffic at Service Provider level, we do not allow pupils to communicate online with people outside of the school and we do not allow children to use the internet unsupervised.
A wealth of information exists about online safety and children’s use of the Internet so it can be difficult to get clear, concise guidelines about the right way to approach online safety. We’ve waded through the online safety guidelines and websites, drawn from our own experience of issues raised in school and put together some practical tips to ensure safer and more healthy use of technology at home.
In Jan 2019, 94% of children at Great Linford Primary School said they feel confident keeping themselves safe online.

What to tell your children

At school, we educate children about online safety in ICT lessons but it’s important that parents know some key online safety tips too. Please remind your children of the following:
  • Don’t post too much information about yourself online
  • Only message or chat to people that you know in real life
  • Think very carefully before posting photos
  • Always be friendly
  • If something online makes you feel uncomfortable, get your parents
  • Talk to your parents and respect your family’s rules for internet use
To explore these online safety ideas further, please see the CEOP website that includes simplified Top Tips for KS1 age children and Top Tips for KS2 age children

Social Networks

If you can, stick to age appropriate websites. Social networks like Facebook and Twitter require users to be older than 13 to have a profile, but younger children set up accounts anyway. Social networks keep children connected to friends and provide a space for self-expression but there are no guarantees of privacy: anything can be shared.
  • Parents must take responsibility for underage use of social networks
  • Privacy settings should, if possible, be restricted to Friends only
  • Children should not post too much information about themselves

Online Behaviour

All messages should be friendly and not critical of others. It can be easy to misinterpret the tone and meaning of on-screen communications and children, in particular, should always check messages before hitting the send button. 

​Issues arising from upsetting communications can sometimes spill over into school. Where this occurs we will work with parents and pupils to resolve the issues and reinforce the importance of appropriate behaviour.
Microsoft Family Settings
Apple Parental Controls
Apple Iphone, Ipad and Ipod Touch Parental Controls

Useful Resources

Digital Parenting Guide
http://vodafonedigitalparenting.co.uk 

Common Sense Media - App Guide
​https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews