A Safer Internet
As we have said many times to parents and students, the internet is a fantastic tool for all of us and we are at a point where our lives cannot function very easily without access to certain online tools. Our children are of the age where they have grown up with ready access to the internet as well as a huge variety of online messaging and social media platforms. As adults we have a wide variety of expertise and experiences but I hope that you find something useful and pertinent in the information provided.
The link provided below takes you to UK Safer Internet centre home page which has a wide variety of information which is very well presented.
I have also attached a link below to the Vodafone Digital Parenting Magazine which has some very useful articles as well as guidance on putting settings on phones and devices.
We do of course teach pupils about how to use the internet and social media safely and the lockdown meant that students may have spent a lot more time using their phones and devices to contact and talk to friends and relatives which is a very positive impact. It perhaps is now a little more difficult to return to pre covid levels of use, but we are talking to students, as I am sure parents are, about returning to seeing friends, going to clubs and trying to live much more in the real world.
The message we very much convey to pupils is that regardless of the medium, be that a social media site, a chat function, talking on the phone and indeed talking face to face is that they must show respect, kindness and compassion in all of these interactions. As children, they will sometimes get this wrong, as they do in any other sphere of their lives and as a school and I am sure supported by parents we respond to this both in an educational approach and where appropriate by using sanctions.
It is difficult however as a school to monitor and police communications outside of school using electronic communication so we are very grateful for the parental support we have in working with our pupils to teach them how to behave online (and indeed off line!).
Parent PowerPoint Presentation
https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/parents-and-carers
