Online Safety for Parents and Carers Online Safety Policy

At St Mary’s Lewisham Church of England Primary School, the safety and wellbeing of our children is paramount. We recognise that technology is an important part of modern life and offer valuable opportunities for learning, creativity and communication. However, we also understand that the online world includes many risks.

Online safety is therefore an integral part of our safeguarding responsibilities. We are committed to teaching children how to use technology safely, responsibly and rerespectfully, both in school and at home, and to working in close partnership with parents and carers.

How we promote online safety in school

Online safety is taught as part of our Computing curriculum and is reinforced regularly through assemblies, class discussions and wider safeguarding. Teaching is age-appropriate and revisited throughout a child’s time at St Mary’s. In school, we:

Teach children how to stay safe online and recognise potential risks
Promote respectful, responsible and kind behaviour when using technology
Reinforce the importance of protecting personal information
Use filtered and monitored internet access
Encourage children to speak to a trusted adult if anything they see or experience online makes them feel worried, uncomfortable or unsafe

Online Safety Rules for Pupils

I will ask permission from a member of staff before using the Internet and I will only access educational sites.
I will respect the privacy of others by not looking at their files or documents.
I will not bring memory sticks into school unless I have permission.
I will only contact people that my teacher has approved.
Any messages I send will be polite and sensible.
I will not give my private details to anyone unless my parent, carer or teacher has given permission.
To help protect other pupils and myself, I will tell a teacher if I see anything I am unhappy with or I receive messages I do not like.
I understand that the school may check my computer files and may monitor the Internet sites I visit.

Supporting parents and carers

We recognise that keeping children safe online is a shared responsibility between school and home. The resources below provide guidance, advice for parents and carers.

General online safety advice for parents and carers

Childnet – Parents and Carers Toolkit https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/parent-and-carer-toolkit
NSPCC – Online Safety Advice https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
UK Safer Internet Centre – Advice for Parents and Carers https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/parents-and-carers
ThinkUKnow – Parents and Carers https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/

Social media, apps and online gaming

National Online Safety – App and Game Guides https://nationalonlinesafety.com/resources/platform-guides
Internet Matters – Apps and Games Advice https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/apps-guide/

Parental controls and device safety

Internet Matters – Parental Controls Guides https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/
Broadband and mobile network parental controls https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/broadband-mobile/

Reporting concerns and seeking help

CEOP – Report online abuse or exploitation https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
NSPCC Online Safety Helpline https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/online-safety-helpline/

Reporting concerns to school

If you have any concerns about your child’s online safety, or if your child has experienced something online that worries them, please contact the school office or speak to your child’s class teacher. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and we are always here to listen and support children and families.

Working together to keep children safe

By working in partnership, we can help children develop the skills, confidence and understanding they need to navigate the online world safely and responsibly. Our aim is to ensure that all children feel safe, supported and confident when using technology.

Children's Online Safety Test

Thinkuknow Helpsheet

LGfL DigiSafe Top Tips

Everyday Digital - Parent Zone