Internet Safety @ Carr Mill

?Both our computing and PSHE curriculums provide equality of opportunity to all pupils, enabling them to develop their natural enthusiasm for and experience of computers in a way that enables them to be happy, safe and effective users of technology.

E-Safety is an integral part of the Computing Curriculum. Social media, videogames, apps and websites form a fundamental part of children's lives and all schools have a responsibility to keep young people safe and to teach them of the importance of online safety. This ensures that children are well-equipped in how to safely use the internet, recognising the benefits and dangers of the online world.

All children explore E-safety issues half termly via the computing curriculum and through PSHE units mapped out across the year.  We take E safety extremely seriously and will teach and discuss e safety concerns with our children as and should they arise. In addition, to this every year we participate in 'Safer Internet Day', which will next be held on 7th February 2023 and build in behaviour online through our annual frienship week in November.

For information, explore: https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2023  & https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week/anti-bullying-week-2022-reach-out 

Tips for Parents/Carers for Keeping Children Safe Online

Whether we like it or not, technology and the Internet are firmly fixed in our children’s lives. Use of the 
Internet can be a wonderful thing, opening up new worlds and supporting children’s learning and development 
in many ways, as well as being a fun way to relax and keep in touch with friends. However, we are all aware 
of the pitfalls and dangers of the online community, and since most of the current generation of parents grew 
up in the days before smartphones, we can feel a little clueless as to how best to protect our children.

Here are some ideas which will support your primary school child’s safety and well-being online.

• Set up parental controls on your home broadband and all Internet-enabled devices your child has access to.
• Password-protect all accounts.
• Choose the sites your child has access to on their account.
• Make sure your child is using child-safe search engines, such as Swiggle or KidzSearch, and activate ‘safe 
search’ options on other search engines such as Google and Youtube.
• Switch devices to airplane mode when your child is playing online games. This will prevent them from
accidentally making in-app purchases or contacting other players online.
• Pay close attention to the age ratings on games, apps and films to make sure they are suitable for your child. 
If you would not allow your child to watch a 15 certificate film, you should not let them play a game with the 
same rating.
• Set your homepage to a child-friendly one.
• Keep all devices your child will use, in a high-traffic communal area in your home, such as the kitchen or living 
room. Be with your child when they are online and talk about what they are doing.
• Set rules for screen time and stick to them.
• Investigate safe social media sites for kids.
• Sometimes children find themselves bullying or being bullied online (also known as ‘cyberbullying’). Talk to 
your child about being a good friend online, and how our words and actions still hurt even if we can’t see a 
person’s reaction to them.
• Talk regularly about the importance of online safety, and about what your child is getting up to
online. You’ll be grateful you did this, especially as your child gets older. Keeping those lines of communication open is a powerful way of letting your child know that you trust them but expect them to 
be honest.

Research shows that the age at which children are accessing smart devices and the Internet is getting 
younger and younger. It’s never too soon to start good eSafety habits with your child

5 SMART Rules for Online Safety