Keeping Safe Online

At Mersey Drive Primary School, we are committed to ensuring our pupils are safe in school and online.

By giving the pupils the knowledge to safeguard themselves and their personal information we are empowering them with a vital life skill.

What is E-Safety?

E-safety is the safe use of information systems and electronic communications, including the internet, mobile phones and games consoles. It is important that children and young people understand the benefits, risks and responsibilities of using information technology.

e-safety concerns safeguarding children and young people in the digital world.
e-safety emphasises learning to understand and use new technologies in a positive way.
e-safety is less about restriction and more about education about the risks as well as the benefits so we can feel confident online.
e-safety is concerned with supporting children and young people to develop safer online behaviours both in and out of school.

E-safety forms part of our curriculum and pupils are regularly reminded of how to stay safe online. Each classroom and teaching space displays a poster about staying SMART online.

If you have any concerns speak to one of the Designated Safeguarding Leads.

Miss. A. Ridley, Mrs. C.Marriott Moncrieffe, Mrs. K.Wilcox, Miss. A.Shaw.

Using the Internet safely at home

Whilst many Internet Service Providers offer filtering systems to help you safeguard your child at home, it remains surprisingly easy for children to access inappropriate material including unsuitable texts, images and movies. Parents/guardians are advised to set the security levels within Internet Browsers with this in mind.

Locating the device to access the Internet in a family area will enable you to supervise children as they use the Internet. However, don’t deny your child the opportunity to learn from the wide variety of material and games available on the Internet. Instead, set some simple rules for keeping them safe and make sure they understand the importance of these rules.

Simple, suggested rules for keeping your child safe

ask your permission before they use the Internet
only use websites you have chosen together or a child friendly search engine
only email people they know (perhaps an address book would be useful)
ask permission before opening an email sent by someone they don’t know
do not use Internet chat rooms
do not use their real name when using games on the Internet (perhaps encourage them to create a suitable nick name)
never give out a home address or personal contact details
never tell someone where they go to school
never send an image of themselves, their home or school
never arrange to meet someone they have ‘met’ on the Internet
only use a webcam with people they know
ask them to tell you immediately if they see anything they are unhappy with

Using these rules

Go through the rules with your child and ensure they understand what you suggest. It is also a good idea to regularly check the Internet sites your child is visiting e.g. by clicking on History and Favorites. Please reassure your child that you want to keep them safe rather than take Internet access away from them.

GMP CYBER PROTECT

Following on from the visit from Sophie Shorrocks on 27.11.23 we would to share the following documents.

Zoom:

Search:

Using computers and learning online can be great fun, but there’s lots to know about keeping safe!

While learning remotely, accessing different platforms and sites, it is important to make sure that everyone stays safe. Below are links to a range of sites and resources to help you and your family explore e-safety and stay safe online.