Online Safety
Whilst our Academy has comprehensive safeguarding arrangements in place to ensure our pupils’ online safety, we urge parents to talk to their children about online safety and monitor their internet usage at home.
We strongly advise parents to ensure that age-appropriate parental controls are enabled on all devices at home to restrict pupil access to inappropriate content.
Parental controls can be activated on home broadband, search engines, YouTube, mobile phones and games consoles. We recognise that it isn't always easy to talk to your child about challenging issues such as sexting, cyber bullying, and pornography, but talking regularly with your child is the greatest tool to help keep them safe online. Talking regularly and making it part of daily conversation, like you would about their day at school, will help your child feel relaxed. It also means when they do have any worries, they’re more likely to come and speak to you. If you are concerned that your child is being secretive or spending too much time online, it may be worth moving their computer into a communal family area so that you can keep an eye on them. Unfortunately, the internet has become a playground for online bullies. At Fulwood we will not tolerate online bullying and pupils engaging in this type of behaviour will be sanctioned in line with our behaviour policy. Please encourage your child to act responsibility online and treat others as they would wish to be treated. Pupils should never hide behind an anonymous username to make unkind comments or say something they would be reluctant to repeat during face-to-face interactions. Remind your child that the comments they make and the pictures and videos they post online may end up having a wider audience than they anticipated – and even if they delete them, there’s no guarantee that someone hasn’t already saved, downloaded or taken a screen shot of their post.
We understand that parents and carers might need some advice and guidance when it comes to online safety. There are lots of information websites to support parents and carers with keeping their children safe online, we have included links to some of the websites that are available to help parents keep their children safe online.
Homepage - UK Safer Internet Centre
Safer Internet Day (February 7th 2023) is supported by organisations worldwide in approximately 170 countries in an effort to make the internet a safe place for children and young people.
saferinternet.org.uk
https://www.getsafeonline.org
Safeguarding Children - Get Safe Online
Free, impartial advice on safeguarding children by Get Safe Online. Learn about online gaming, cyberbullying and social media.
www.getsafeonline.org
Advice for parents and carers on cyberbullying - GOV.UK
Parents and carers need to understand the way young people communicate with others, and the potential risks. Asking their child simply not to use technology is not a realistic way
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/