Online Safety

At Boughton-under-Blean & Dunkirk Methodist Primary School, we take online safety extremely seriously. It is the right of all children to feel safe and secure when using technology.

Our Online Safety Squad take the responsibility for raising the profile of online safety and supporting other children across the school. Each year we select and train Year 5 pupils for this role.

We participate in Safer Internet Day each year and keep parents abreast of what we have been discussing in school.

5 Top Internet Safety Tips

1. Put yourself in control

Make use of the parental controls on your home broadband and any internet-enabled devices. You can find out how at your broadband provider’s website or by visiting internetmatters.org.

2. Search safely

Use safe search engines such as swiggle.org.uk or kids-search.com. Safe search settings can also be activated on Google and other search engines as well as YouTube. You can find out more at google. co.uk/safetycentre.

3. Agree boundaries

Be clear what your child can and can’t do online – where they can use the internet, how much time they can spend online, the sites they can visit and the type of information they can share. Agree with your child when they can have a mobile phone or tablet.

4. Explore together

The best way to find out what your child is doing online is to ask them to tell you about it. Encourage them to use devices in communal areas so you can see what sites they’re visiting and share with them.

5. Check if it’s suitable

The age ratings that come with games, apps, films and social networks are a good guide to whether they’re suitable for your child. The minimum age limit is 13 for several social networking sites, including Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram.

Learn about it

Teach your child some simple rules

Make sure your child knows not to share personal information like their phone number or email address online
Only talk to real life friends or family if they are on sites with a social media element like Moshi Monsters
Use privacy settings wherever they exist to keep their information private
Be a good online friend and don’t say nasty things even if it’s just a joke
Use secure and legal sites to download music and games
Check attachments and pop ups for viruses before they click or download anything
Use Public Friendly WiFi when they’re out and about to filter inappropriate content
Help them to better understand the different online platforms they use and judge the quality and reliability of online resources

Talk about it

Tips for a meaningful conversation

Start conversations when your children won’t be embarrassed, for example in the car going home from school
Ask them for advice on how to do something online and use this as a conversation starter
Make sure they know they can come to you if they’re upset by something they’ve seen online
Be sensitive and praise them when they share their online experiences with you
If your child comes to you with an issue, stay calm and listen without judging them
Talk about online grooming as you would stranger danger and explain that people they meet online might not be who they say they are
Ask them about things online which might make them uncomfortable

For further tips and advice about how to talk to your child about their online life please click here.