On-Line Safety

We include in our curriculum the importance of teaching children on-line safety. Children loving using technology such as iPads and smartphones from a young age.  Children however need to be supported in these environments to get the best out of using the internet right from the start. 

Creating a family agreement is a useful way to establish your expectations in remaining safe on-line such as agreeing time limits on using technology, placing or using computers/tablets in a busy part of the house and removing portable devices from your child’s bedroom at night to avoid tiredness.  Education is  also the best tool we have in ensuring our children remain safe on-line so its important to encourage your child to say if something or someone upsets them on line.

We read books such as Chicken Clicking which tells a story reminding children that ‘friends’ made online are still strangers.  There are also a series of books on Childnet, a UK-based charity working in partnership with others around the world to help make the internet a great and safe place for children and young people, called Digiduck.  These stories explore on-line safety and have been written with 3-7 year old children in mind.  For more information, visit the website through the below link:

https://www.childnet.com/resources/digiduck-stories/digiducks-big-decision

The CBeebies platform  has a variety of games and resources for child development as it recognises the internet is a fantastic source of fun and learning.  However it also has some very useful suggestions that you can adopt to support your child to be safe on-line.  For example,  did you know:

• You can adjust browswer settings and filters to protect children from unsuitable sites.  The Internet safety organisation Internet Matters  has an interactive guide to setting parental controls across your whole house.

• Your actions and what you share online also plays a big part in your child's on-line safety.  Recent evidence reveals, 'the average parent will share their child's image online nearly 1,000 times before their fifth birthday (The Parent Zone, 2015)'.  CBeebies also asks you to consider whether you are a 'sharent' and suggests, before you share again, taking a look at Seven safer ways to share photos of your child.

For more information visit: Keeping children safe online - CBeebies - BBC