Harpur Hill Primary School & Nursery

Online Safety Information for Parents

Most of our pupils use the Internet at home and we know that, as parents, it can be difficult to allow children the freedom to develop as responsible individuals while protecting them from the perils and pitfalls of the Internet. Increasingly, even at primary school age, younger people are conducting their social life online so parents need to provide guidance to make sure that their children behave safely and responsibly. Please help your children by following these key recommendations:

Talk regularly with your children about their use of technology and how they communicate with people online
Keep computers and other web-enabled devices in family rooms

Technology is a fantastic aid to learning and enjoyment but there are dangers of which we must all be aware. At school we have strict filters on internet traffic at Service Provider level, we do not allow pupils to communicate online with people outside of the school and we do not allow children to use the internet unsupervised.

A wealth of information exists about online safety and children’s use of the Internet so it can be difficult to get clear, concise guidelines about the right way to approach online safety. We’ve waded through the online safety guidelines and websites, drawn from our own experience of issues raised in school and put together some practical tips to ensure safer and more healthy use of technology at home.

More information for parents and carers regarding safe use of the internet can be found on the following website: Saferinternet.org.uk

What to tell your children

At school, we educate children about online safety in ICT lessons but it’s important that parents know some key online safety tips too. Please remind your children of the following:

Don’t post too much information about yourself online
Only message or chat to people that you know in real life
Think very carefully before posting photos
Always be friendly
If something online makes you feel uncomfortable, get your parents
Talk to your parents and respect your family’s rules for internet use

Mobile Devices (iPods, iPads, etc)

Most of our pupils have their own iPods, iPads, Android Tablets or other devices. This means they also have access to the internet including social networks, text and video chat.

Consider setting Parental Restrictions

It can be more difficult for parents to monitor use of internet enabled devices such as iPods and tablet computers that can be easily carried from one room to another.

Consider taking devices away at bedtime

When it’s time to sleep, an internet connected device on a bedside table can be distracting. It is very common for children to play games and message friends when they should be getting a refreshing night’s sleep.

Social Networking (Facebook, X, etc)

If you can, stick to age appropriate websites. Social networks like Facebook and X require users to be older than 13 to have a profile, but younger children set up accounts anyway. Social networks keep children connected to friends and provide a space for self-expression but there are no guarantees of privacy: anything can be shared.

Parents must take responsibility for underage use of social networks
Privacy settings should, if possible, be restricted to Friends only
Children should not post too much information about themselves

Online Behaviour

All messages should be friendly and not critical of others. It can be easy to misinterpret the tone and meaning of on-screen communications and children, in particular, should always check messages before hitting the send button.

Issues arising from upsetting communications can sometimes spill over into school. Where this occurs we will work with parents and pupils to resolve the issues and reinforce the importance of appropriate behaviour.

Online Safety Policy

For a copy of the school's online safety policy, click on the link below:

Online safety policy - December 2023

Further Information

For further information on social networking, click on the links below:

Social Networking

What to tell your children

Also see the CEOP website that includes simplified Top Tips for KS1 age children and Top Tips for KS2 age children

Below, you can find links to several websites which contain information and guidance for parents and carers on e-safety:

Think You Know e-Safety	Find the latest information on the sites you like to visit, mobiles and new technology. Find out what’s good, what’s not and what you can do about it.
www.youtube.com/ceop	Promotional trailer for CEOP's new education resource aimed at preventing the sexual exploitation of young people.
www.ceop.gov.uk	CEOP works with child protection partners across the UK and overseas to identify the main threats to children and coordinates activity against these threats to bring offenders to account. We protect children from harm online and offline, directly through NCA led operations and in partnership with local and international agencies.
www.getnetwise.com	GetNetWise is a public service brought to you by Internet industry corporations and public interest organizations to help ensure that Internet users have safe, constructive, and educational or entertaining online experiences.
www.saferinternet.org.uk	The UK Safer Internet Centre delivers a wide range of activity to promote the safe and responsible use of technology.
www.connectsafely.org	ConnectSafely is for parents, teens, educators, advocates – everyone engaged in and interested in the impact of social media and mobile technology. Here you’ll find tips, safety advice, articles, news, analysis, video and other resources to promote safe, effective use of connected technology.
www.childnet.com	Childnet’s mission is to work in partnership with others around the world to help make the internet a great and safe place for children.
https://www.familygamingdatabase.com/en-gb/home	Taming Gaming for information about the most popular games and platforms
https://www.internetmatters.org/	Internet Matters for setting Parental Controls and issue based advice (bullying, gaming, social media)