Online Safety is very important in the Early Years and Primary phase at Harleston Sancroft Academy. Keeping the children safe online is embedded throughout the curriculum. The children also learn how to use technology safely during regular Life Skills and Computing lessons, collective worship and special events such as Safer Internet Day. The internet and social media opens up a wonderful new world to us all but presents challenges to parents in keeping their children safe. Click on any of these links for help and advice.

5 SMART tips to share with your child to stay safe online

Safe:

Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information when you’re chatting or posting online. Personal information includes your email address, phone number and password.

Meet:

Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Only do so with your parents’ or carers’ permission and even then only when they can be present. Remember online friends are still strangers even if you have been talking to them for a long time.

Accepting:

Accepting emails, instant messages, or opening files, images or texts from people you don’t know or trust can lead to problems – they may contain viruses or nasty messages!

Reliable:

Someone online might lie about who they are and information on the internet may not be true. Always check information by looking at other websites, in books, or with someone who knows. If you like chatting online it’s best to only chat to your real world friends and family.

Tell:

Tell a parent, carer or a trusted adult if someone, or something, makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if you or someone you know is being bullied online.

Social Media

Social Media brings endless positive opportunities such as information sharing, positive conversation, collaboration and a live global view of the world that we live in. Despite the good the platform brings, Trolls, unfortunately, continue to take advantage of this freedom.

Trolling can be anything from sending malicious communications online, virtual mobbing, cyberstalking, harassment, coercion and control, and disclosing private sexual images without consent.

From 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service were able to exercise new laws that could see those who create “derogatory hashtags” or post “humiliating” photo-shopped images jailed.

Please click below for guides for parents and carers regarding social media: