We would like to say a big thank you to those parents who attended our recent information evening where we shared the growing bank of evidence that suggests that giving children a smartphone can have a detrimental effect on their wellbeing. If you would like to see some of the slides and information that was presented, please click here
On Monday 24th February 2025, we held an event led by parents within our school community. During this presentation, information was shared from the Smartphone Free Childhood movement discussing the negative impact of young people using social media. They also shared strategies that parents might consider when approaching this difficult topic. To see the presentation, please click here.
The internet is a wonderful and powerful tool that has become part of everyday life for children; they have never known a time when the internet did not exist. They use it to research, play games, send messages, talk to friends and family, watch videos and much more.
As a school, we are keen to help children see the positive power of the internet and help them to become digital citizens of a global community. However, we also want them to be educated about the risks involved, the rights they have and the action they can take when something goes wrong.
As a school, we take numerous steps to keep children safe online:
There are numerous steps that parents and carers can take to help educate thier child about how to stay safe online. The Equals Trust have created this very useful blog that is regularly updated with ideas and advice for parents.
You can also download a simple checklist here that may help you protect your children online and decrease the risks they face. Or you can engage with your children regarding their use of the internet while at home with these conversation starter ideas from www.childnet.com
Setting filters on your home internet/devices is highly recommended. There are four levels of control that parents can use. These are discussed in more detail here.
Specific advice for parent/carers when giving their children new devices and setting them up so they are safe from the get go is available here: Get children’s tech Set Up Safe with new guides | Internet Matters
EE offer a Phone Smart Licence which can be very useful for when your child gets thier first phone.
The following four books are used in school to help promote discussion about e-safety. These could be used at home to help raise conversations with your child.
It can often be hard to know which apps and websites are appropriate for children. We recommend the following websites for checking out whether an app/site is safe and what risks may be associated with it:
supporting-young-people-online-childnet A useful booklet full of general information about how you can support your child online.
young-people-and-social-networking-childnetA booklet that focuses specifically on Social Media.
There is a great new online safety tool designed for parents launched by the Department for Education called Parent Info. It has advice on such topics as keeping children safe from online trolls to WhatsApp – a guide for parents.
Childnet is a website resource for parents and children on online safety. Click here to watch an interactive video on how to keep your child safer online.
Internet Matters is another great site to use – it has advice on cyberbullying, how to talk to your children about internet safety and quick guides to different types of social media such as Instagram and Snapchat. You can visit their pages here Internet Matters.
