Our Online Safety Policy
It is essential that our children are safeguarded from potentially harmful and inappropriate online material. Our school implements a whole school approach to online safety that sets out to protect and educate both children and staff in their use of digital technologies alongside establishing mechanisms to identify, intervene in and escalate any concerns, recognising that many children and young people have unlimited and unrestricted access to the internet via mobile phone and other digital devices.
This Online Safety Policy outlines our commitment to safeguard members of our school community online in accordance with statutory guidance and best practice.
This policy was ratified at the Full Governing Body meeting on 08/07/24.
Our Online Safety Curriculum Map
Please find below a copy of our Online Safety Curriculum Map; this complements the work we do on staying safe online through our RSHE scheme (RSHE Whole-School Programme Progression), as part of our Cultural Capital and Safety Curriculum offer. Should you have any questions about how we promote online safety and equip our pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to survive and thrive in an ever changing technological world, do not hesitate to get in touch. Mr Leach (our Headteacher) and Mrs Sainsbury (our Designated Safeguarding Lead) will be more than happy to help.
Our Online Safety Key Vocabulary
Please find below a copy of our Online Safety Vocabulary Progression document. This sets out the Tier 3 vocabulary that our pupils are taught during their online safety lessons.
Our Online Safety Newsletters
We have joined forces with Knowsley City Learning Centres so that we can publish exciting and informative online safety newsletters each and every month. These provide tips and hints for parents/carers to help you keep your child safe online.
Online Safety Newsletter – June 2024 – parents/carers are introduced to age ratings and how important it is that we follow these to ensure that what our children are doing or seeing online is appropriate for their age.
Online Safety Newsletter – July 2024 – parents/carers are introduced to CapCut, an online video editing app owned by the same owners as TikTok.
Online Safety Newsletter – October 2024 – parents/carers are reminded about the risks associated with mobile phones!
Online Safety Newsletter – November 2024 – this month’s edition looks specifically at social media.
Online Safety Newsletter – December 2024 – this month’s edition looks at new technologies and Roblox.
Online Safety Newsletter – February 2025 – this edition looks at how to manage your child’s device, Squid Game and Snapchat.
Online Safety Newsletter – March 2025 – this month’s edition looks at AI (Artificial Intelligence) and the growing concerns on how excessive use of smartphones can affect our children.
Online Safety Newsletter – April 2025 – this edition looks at screen time and how to successfully and safely navigate group chats.
Our #WakeUpWednesday Briefings
Welcome to a new feature – our #WakeUpWednesday online safety updates! Helpful tips and hints for parents/carers to help them keep their children safe online!
Staying Safe in the Sun and Hot Weather
Creating Family Rules for Using Devices
What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Lego Fortnite
What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Instagram
What Parents and Educators Need to Know about In Game Chat
What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Snapchat
Mental Health and Wellbeing Apps
Safety over the Festive Season
What Parents and Educators Need to Know about TikTok
What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Health & Fitness Apps
Top Tips for Parents/Carers for Supporting Children Develop Emotional Literacy
What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Scams and Fake News
What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Online Relationship and Dating Apps
Using Technology to Boost Reading Skills
What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Roblox
What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Streamers
Celebrating Online Safety on Social Media
Useful Resources for Parents/Carers
https://parents.ygam.org – an organisation with the aim of preventing children and young people from experiencing gaming and gambling harms.
Online Safety Videos for Parents/Carers
Check out these ‘how to’ videos from our friends at Knowsley City Learning Centres; they have produced short videos showing parents/carers how to do different things, for example, setting up parental controls on an iPhone. They do plan to produce more videos in the near future, including how to set up Android parental controls.
iOS (iPhone/iPad) related – setting up parental controls on an iOS device with family sharing and setting up parental controls on your child’s iOS device (when you don’t have an iOS device).
Social Media – setting up Snapchat family centre and setting up Snapchat privacy settings (on your child’s account).
Gaming – Roblox parental controls and privacy settings and Nintendo Switch parental controls app.
YouTube Kids – how to setup the YouTube Kids app.
