E-Safety and keeping safe online

The internet is a wonderful place and is a valuable part of our children's lives, but we also know it is vital to teach our children about how to use the internet safely and how to stay safe online so they can fully enjoy what it has to offer.  At Abbotswood, we ensure that our curriculum teaches our children about the importance of being safe online, how to identify risks online and how to keep themselves safe. We do this through our computing and PSHE curriculum, which are based on the framework Education for a Connected World (insert link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-for-a-connected-world), through our computing lessons, in assemblies and through whole-school events such as Safer Internet Day and Anti-Bullying Day. You can read about our Online Safety Policy here (insert policy). 

All our pupils at Abbotswood also sign a Pupil Technology Charter. This explains how we expect them to use technology while at school and the safety rules we expect them to follow. The Pupil Technology Charter can be found here (insert pupil charter).   

Staying SMART 

We teach our children to be SMART when they are online.

(insert image of SMART from ChildNet net: https://www.childnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/SMART-rules-Poster-A3.pdf ) 

Safe – to keep their and other people’s personal information safe and not share it online. 

Meet – to be careful with people they only know online and tell a trusted adult if someone online asks to meet up, asks for personal information, asks for photos or asks for photos.  

Accept – to think carefully before clicking on links, adverts or pop-us, and to not accept friend requests from people they don’t know.   

Reliable – to know that not everything online can be trusted and understand that there are such things as misinformation, disinformation and fake news. It is important to check facts in different places and talk to someone about what they have read or seen.   

Tell - to tell a trusted adult if anything online makes them feel worried, upset or confused.   

We use a monitoring and filtering system called Senso for our school devices that means we can see what our pupils are accessing on the internet and how they are using it. This means we can make sure any websites they use and web searches they make are safe and appropriate for them.    

E-safety Ambassadors 

Pupils who are interested in computing and helping others stay safe online are elected as E-safety Ambassadors. These E-Safety Ambassadors work with our ICT Manager, Mr Pentland, to share key messages with their classes about online safety, take the lead in Safer Internet Days and are part of our pupil Online Safety Group. They also remind children about telling someone if they see anything on the internet that worries or upsets them.     

Have a look at some of the safety posters we created for Safer Internet Day 2025 all about protecting ourselves from online scams and phishing.   

(insert pictures) 

How can you help? 

To help you keep your children safe online, the NSPCC suggests that you work as a TEAM.  These are four easy steps to follow that can help keep your children safe when they are online. 

Talk about staying safe online

Explore their online world together

Agree rules about what is okay and what is not 

Manage your family's settings and controls

... and repeat! 

It is important to make these conversations about being safe online regular and a part of daily life. Talking to them openly and regularly will encourage your children to talk to you if they ever feel worried or unsure about anything linked to being online. 

How can you start the conversation? 

It can feel hard to start a conversation about being safe online with children and there will be some conversations that will be more difficult than others. But it's so important to have them, so you can support your child with their worries or issues.

 You might find it useful to start with a family discussion about being online and what you expect from your children. This can help to set boundaries and agree what's appropriate. 

 Sometimes you might need a more specific conversation about something you’re worried about, a particular online safety topic, or an app or website that your child wants to use.  

If you're not sure where to start, there are some great guides about beginning these conversations. 

The NSPCC guide to talking to your child about online safety here. (INSERT with link https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/talking-child-online-safety/)  This guide has advice about conversations with different age groups and suggestions about how to talk about some specific topics such as cyberbullying.

The UK Safer Internet Centre has a collection of guides here (INSERT link https://saferinternet.org.uk/guide-and-resource/parents-and-carers) to help you talk to your children about different electronic devices including phones, tablets and games consoles.   

How might you know something is wrong? 

Having regular conversations with your children will help you feel confident about what they are seeing, doing and reading online. 

There are some signs that might show that something online has upset them or made them worried. Some signs to watch out for are:

• They become very secretive especially about what they are doing online

• They are spending a lot of time on the internet and social media

• They switch screens on their device when you are close by

• They are angry or withdrawn after using the internet or sending messages

• They have lots of new phone numbers or email addresses on their devices

If you spot any of these signs, try to have a conversation with your children. It is also important to give them other options. This could be by speaking to a trusted adult family member, a trusted teacher or a pastoral member of Room 5, or by speaking to Childline on 0800 1111 or on the Childline website (INSERT LINK https://www.childline.org.uk/). Children who are worried about their activity on apps or online games can contact Childline 24 hours a day, online and over the phone.

If you are concerned or have any questions about how to start discussing safe online use with your children, you can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit the NSPCC website (https://www.nspcc.org.uk/ ). 

What technology should you allow? 

There are no exact rules about the right age to give your children access to technology. Every child is different and every child matures in their own time. Parents know their children best.  It is up to them to decide what access they give and when to give children more independence online.

The NSPCC recommends thinking carefully about: 

• The age you give your children their own device.

• The access your child has to online platforms and services.

 The NSPCC has advice here (https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/access-to-technology-for-different-ages/) for parents when thinking about introducing children to technology and advice for different age groups. 

Social Media and the law  

If your child has a Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat or other online accounts, then they should be at least 13 years old. You can find information about the Online Safety Act and the safety requirements social media companies have to follow to help keep children safe here (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer)   

How can you set parental controls? 

Parental controls can help you feel that your children are as protected as possible when online. It is useful to talk to your children first about which sites, apps or games they are using online and then decide the controls you want to put in place.  

The NSPCC website has information and guides here (https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/parental-controls/) to help you set up controls including for WiFi, computers and search engines. 

The UK Safer Internet Centre has some useful guides here (https://saferinternet.org.uk/guide-and-resource/social-media-guides) that can help you understand how these social media sites work. They also provide information about safety features, how to set and use parental controls and how to report anything concerning. 

Internet Matters are also practical guides available here (https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/?filter-search=roblox)  to help set parental controls for social media and gaming sites including Fortnite, Roblox and YouTube.

How can you help your children stay safe with their first phone?

Children get their first mobile phone at different ages. However, usually more children start to get phones as they get closer to secondary school age because they are getting prepared for more independent travel to and from school. This can feel like a worrying time for parents and carers. The NSPCC has worked with Vodafone to create a toolkit to help parents and carers when their children are getting their first phone. It provides advice and top tips. You can find it here (https://www.vodafone.co.uk/help-and-information/nspcc-phone-safety-toolkit)  

At Abbotswood, pupils may bring mobile phones into school to use outside of school time; for example, to contact parents/ carers when they are walking to and from school without an adult. They are not permitted to use mobile phones during school time which includes lesson time, break and lunch and at before and after school clubs. We expect pupils to turn off their mobile phones and to keep them in their lockers. Abbotswood takes no responsibility for any mobile phones brought into school by pupils. If a pupil is found to have used their mobile phone during school time, their phone will be confiscated by a member of staff and the pupil’s parent/ carer will be informed. The mobile phone will be kept at the office and the pupil’s parent/ carer will need to collect this at the end of the day. 

Where can you get help and advice from? 

Here are some useful websites that can help you get advice and support . 

NSPCC – insert webpage link 

UK Internet Centre – insert webpage link 

Report Harmful Content – this allows you to report harmful content. Insert webpage link.  

SWGfL - Insert webpage link.