Online Safety for parents

Due to increased access to numerous different technology platforms, many children are at a greater risk of online grooming, cyber bullying and exposure to inappropriate or illegal content online. At Mawnan School, we believe that promoting online safety plays a critical role in protecting our children online.

Our online safety measures enable us to provide an environment for all our children to thrive, grow and learn, whilst staying safe online. We put these measures in place through a strong computing curriculum, policies and security provisions which safeguard children against unsuitable content and contact, and ensure they maintain appropriate conduct.

We have a number of procedures in place to ensure children cannot access unsuitable websites when using school technology, including software which blocks all websites with adult, violent or age-inappropriate content. At Mawnan School we use Senso https://www.senso.cloud/. Social media sites are also blocked, unless they are school pages used within lessons and under supervision. Online safety is taught to all children during computing lessons and staff are required to undertake online safety training to update their knowledge.

There are many ways you can help minimise the risks associated with children being online and increase online safety in your home – the list below provides ideas for some of the ways you can do this.

Talk to your child about what they’re up to online

Be a part of their online life; involve the whole family and show an interest. Find out what sites they visit and what they love about them, if they know you understand they are more likely to come to you if they have any problems.

Watch Think-U-Know films and cartoons with your child

The Think-U-Know site has films, games and advice for child from five all the way to 16.

Encourage your child to go online and explore!

There is a wealth of age-appropriate sites online for your children. Encourage them to use sites which are fun, educational and that will help them to develop online skills.

Keep up-to-date with your child’s development online

Children grow up fast and they will be growing in confidence and learning new skills daily. It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.

Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world

Think about what they might see, what they share, who they talk to and how long they spend online. It is important to discuss boundaries at a young age to develop the tools and skills children need to enjoy their time online.

Keep all equipment that connects to the internet in a family space

For children of this age, it is important to keep internet use in family areas so you can see the sites your child is using and be there for them if they stumble across something they don’t want to see.

Know what connects to the internet and how

Nowadays even the TV connects to the internet. Make sure you’re aware of which devices that your child uses connect to the internet, such as their phone or games console. Also, find out how they are accessing the internet – is it your connection, or a neighbour’s wifi? This will affect whether the safety setting you set are being applied.

Use parental controls on devices that link to the internet, such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile phones

Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops. They are not the answer to your child’s online safety, but they are a good start and they are not as difficult to install as you might think. Service providers are working hard to make them simple, effective and user friendly.

If you would like to discuss the matter of online safety in greater depth, please contact Miss Pridmore our Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Parent Guides from Connect Safely

Here is a collection of clearly written guidebooks that demystify apps, services and platforms popular with children.

7 Quesions.pdf

A-Parent’s-Guide-to-Snapchat.pdf

Cyber Security.pdf

LGBTQ-Guide.pdf

Online Gaming.pdf

Think U Know Guide to Gaming

Parents guide to mobile phones.pdf

Parents-Guide-to-TikTok (1).pdf

Roblox-2020.pdf

For more information on ensuring your child’s safety online, you can visit the websites below:

Internet Matters - Early Years

Internet Matters - Primary

Internet Matters - Secondary

What Parents and Carers Need to Know about Spotify