Online Safety
At Orchard Park Community Primary School we believe that the use of technology in schools brings great benefits. To live, learn and work successfully in an increasingly complex and information-rich society, our children must be able to use technology effectively.
The use of these exciting and innovative technology tools in school and at home has been shown to support learning and promote pupil achievement. Yet at the same time, we recognise that the use of these new technologies can put young people at risk within and outside the school. The risks they may face can broadly be categorised into the ‘3 C’s’ Contact, Content and Conduct (Livingston and Haddon) and may include:
- Access to harmful, illegal or otherwise unsuitable content including gaming, gambling sites, sexually explicit material and websites with extremist ideologies and images
- Unauthorised access to / loss of / sharing of personal information
- The risk of being subject to grooming by those with whom they make contact on the internet, including the sharing of Self-Generated Indecent Images
- The sharing / distribution of personal images without an individual’s consent or knowledge • Inappropriate communication / contact with others
- Cyber-bullying
- An inability to evaluate the quality, accuracy and relevance of information on the internet • Plagiarism and copyright infringement
- Illegal downloading or streaming of music or video files
- The potential for excessive use which may impact on the social and emotional development and learning of the young person.
To understand further how we address online risks with our pupils, please see our e-safety policy and acceptable use policies below. Further details can also be found within our Safeguarding Policy 2021.
Parent Support and Guides
The links below provide you essential guides to enable you to understand the potential risks and how to manage these risks within the family home. This includes using parental settings.
We especially reccomend the 'Safety Centre' link.
Cyberbullying and Online Reputation
Nowadays, many children have their own phone, which enables them to continue to communicate with their friends outside of school. However, it is important to remember that this means children cannot escape any disagreements or fall outs that they have with their friends. When these situations continue for a prolonged period of time or happen repeatedly, they can lead to cyberbullying. It is important to remember and discuss with your child that 10 is the age of criminal responsibility. This means that they could be convicted of a criminal offence if they are 10 or over and cyberbully. Click here for advice on cyberbullying.
As your child’s online presence increases, it is important for you to discuss with them their ‘online reputation’. Schools and employers are increasingly using the internet to research potential candidates so it is essential for children to realise that what they post now can affect their future. Click here for advice on how to discuss this with your child and why it is important
Older Children
As children get older and gain more freedom and independence, it is understandable that rules and limits may begin to relax. However, children of this age become vulnerable to different dangers, such as online grooming, self-harm, sexting, etc. For more information on these subjects, follow the links:
https://www.internetmatters.org/issues/sexting/
https://www.internetmatters.org/issues/online-grooming/
https://www.internetmatters.org/issues/self-harm/
Age Appropriate Resources
For more specific age-related advice, follow the links:
https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/0-5/
https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/6-10/
https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/11-13/
General
Cyber Aware - https://www.cyberaware.gov.uk/
BBC Webwise is part of the BBC website with help & support for all aspects of internet safety.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/parents-film
Avoiding Ratting - Remote Access Trojans -
https://www.getsafeonline.org/protecting-yourself/avoiding-ratting/
The Digizen website - "This provides information for educators, parents, carers, and young people. It is used to strengthen their awareness and understanding of what digital citizenship is and encourages users of technology to be and become responsible Digital Citizens."
A guide from Google to show parents how they can protect your family online.
http://www.google.co.uk/goodtoknow/familysafety/
YouTube Safety Centre -
