With recent events of Cyberbullying reported in the media it is important that as a school we work together with parents to keep children safe online and to ensure that the E-Safety message is consistent. Your help is needed to talk to your children about how they can keep safe and behave appropriately online. Children can accidently or deliberately be exposed to unwanted or unpleasant content or comments online and there are steps you can take at home to minimise this risk. E-Safety is taught to all pupils at Cromwell, explaining and demonstrating how to stay safe and behave appropriately online.

What can parents/carers do?

Ground Rules

Discuss as a family how the internet will be used in your house. Consider what should be kept private online (personal information, photos etc). Make sure you know what your child is doing online exactly as you would offline.


Online Safety

Install antivirus software, secure your internet connection and use Parental Control functions for computers, mobile phones and games consoles to block unsuitable content or contact. Remember that parental control tools are not always 100% effective and sometimes unsuitable content can get past them, so don’t rely on them alone to protect your child.

Location

Encourage children to use their devices in a supervised family area. Always supervise the use of webcams and applications which allow voice or video chat. Consider your child’s use of all devices that allow internet access such as Mobile Phones, Tablets and Games Consoles.

 

Be open

Talk to your child and ask them to show or even teach you how they use the internet, learn which websites or tools they like to use and why. Learning together can often open opportunities to discuss safe behaviour with your child.


Always ensure your child knows how to block or report people online who send nasty or inappropriate messages or content. Encourage your child not to retaliate or reply. Look for the CEOP button –website details below.

Make sure your child knows to tell an adult they trust if they see something online that makes them feel scared, worried or uncomfortable.

It’s essential to be realistic - banning the internet or technology will not work and it often makes a child less likely to report a problem. Education around safe use is essential.


Websites for more information:

www.thinkuknow.co.uk – Visit the “Parent/Carer” Section and use the Click “CEOP REPORT” button to seek advice and report online abuse.

www.childnet.com – Visit the ‘Know It All’ Section for an interactive guide about online safety

www.getsafeonline.org – Free up-to-date security advice

BBC Bitesize - Online Safety


Please find below links to guides that will help you keep your children safe online.