Online Safety

'All schools will be required to put in place strengthened measures to protect children from harm online - including cyber bullying, pornography and the risk of radicalisation' Department for Education.

Link to CEOP website for reporting any information: https://www.ceop.police.uk/Safer-By-Design/safety-centre/

Online Safety Curriculum Statement

The overview of the sequence of lessons we use alongside our MGL curriculum and also PHSE linked curiculum is available in our downloads. We ensure we embed online safety in all computing lessons and also cross curricular lessons when appropriate. The children use technology everyday so it is imperitive they are safe. Children keep their passwords for curriculum websites private and they understand they must log out of each session to ensure their information is kept secure. 

Please find links to online safety information set out by year group. These have been taken from a free scheme of work developed by South West Grid for Learning. It covers key learning about digital literacy and citizenship. 

Online Safety Links

Most of us can use the internet to help with our education and to play games. We can use it to stay in touch with our friends and family by email, instant messaging and social media. We can download the latest music, stream movies and TV shows and watch live events from across the world. The Internet has become such an everyday tool, that it is difficult to imagine life without it.

However, it is important that we know how to use it safely and understand the dangers we face when we don't use it responsibly. On this page, you will find a number of very helpful links for both children and parents/carers, to ensure that everybody can always stay safe online.

Links for Children

http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/Visit CEOP's website to 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. You will also find an interactive button on our front page which will take you directly to this site.

http://kidsmart.org.uk/ Learn more about the Internet and how to become a SMART Surfer.

http://www.childnet.com/young-people/primary/  Find the latest information on the sites and services that you like to use, plus information about mobiles, gaming, downloading, social networking and much more.

Links for Parents and Carers

https://www.comparitech.com/ A website which researches, tests, reviews and compares consumer tech products and services so you can make a more informed decision before you buy.

http://www.internetmatters.org/Internet Matters is an independent, not-for-profit organisation to help parents and carers keep their children safe online. Supported by leading experts, they have developed this online portal specifically designed for all parents and carers  to access simple, easy and practical advice so that you can make confident, informed choices when it comes to children’s online safety.

http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware The NSPCC's straightforward, no-nonsense advice will untangle the web, and show you how you can be just as great a parent/carer online as you are the rest of the time. The Internet is a great place for children to be. Being Share Aware makes it safer.

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/  Common Sense is dedicated to helping children thrive in a world of media and technology. They aim to empower parents by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help you to harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all childrens’ lives.

http://www.childnet.com/young-people/primary/Home to 'Know IT All for Parents', which is a unique interactive e-safety guide for parents and carers produced by Childnet International. It's designed to help you as a parent or carer keep up-to-date with how children are using the internet, and support them in using these new exciting services safely and responsibly.

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/ CEOP's website aims to make online parenting simple.

Parent Info provides high quality information to parents and carers about their children's well being and resilience. The aim is to help parents and carers to help their children be discriminating, web-literate and resilient.

http://parentinfo.org/ Parent Info provides high quality information to parents and carers about their children's well being and resilience. The aim is to help parents to help their children be discriminating, web-literate and resilient.

https://www.net-aware.org.uk/ A guide to social networks your kids use.  Stay up to date and keep your child safe in today's digital world.

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware/  

It can be hard to keep track of what your child is doing on social networks, apps and games. Or know how to keep them safe.  Helping parents untangle the web andd teach their children to be Share Aware.

Because, just like in real life, kids need your help to stay safe online.

Prevent Strategy

http://www.sefton.gov.uk/media/868262/e-safety_strategy_2015_2017_final.pdf

Sefton Council's online safety strategy booklet.

St Oswald's School receives award for Online safety

An Assessor  from the South West Grid for Learning recently visited St Oswald's  School to review the school’s online safety provision. The Assessor met school staff, parents and carers, Governors and pupils and was pleased to find that the school provides a high level of protection for users of the new technologies.

The South West Grid for Learning Trust provides the internet connection and a range of other services to schools across the SW region and is in the forefront of national developments in online safety.  To enhance these services, they have developed a tool to help schools address online safety issues, not least the changes to Ofsted inspections, which include a stronger focus on safeguarding. The online tool allows schools to evaluate their online safety policy and practice and then suggests how the school might do more to protect young people and staff.

To apply for the 360 degree safe Online Safety Mark, schools have to reach a series of benchmark levels when they complete the online self review. The evidence is then verified by a visit from experienced Assessors.

The prime benefit of using the review and applying for the Online Safety Mark is that it does not focus on the individual aspects of online safety such as technological solutions, but instead it integrates online safety into school policy and the curriculum, challenging teachers and managers in the school to think about their provision and its continual evolution.

Schools are expected to show that they have provided a high standard of online safety education and awareness for all staff , pupils and also for parents and carers, to ensure that these users of the new technologies can be safe online – whether they are in school, in their homes or out and about using mobile phones or other handheld devices.

Following their visit the Assessor reported:

Areas of strength and good practice

Educating Parents – whilst the school accepts there are some hard to reach parents, they are proactive in identifying a range of ways to engage parents.

Pupil involvement – in addition to educating their peers and highlighting potential dangers of new technologies and apps to teachers. Pupils have had input into policies, rewriting the anti-bullying policy (ensuring online bullying was included) and writing the school online safety rules.

Online Safety Champions

‘Internet Matters’: E-safety app for parents and children

By Internet Matters on 4th August, 2016

‘Internet Matters’ is our app designed to help parents talk about e-safety issues with their children, and to ensure that they make smart choices to stay safe online.

Aimed at children aged between 8-10

Split-screen collaborative app helps them think about what they would do if they were faced with different situations online; from cyberbullying to sharing content with someone they don’t know

Quizzes and games encourage parents and children to collaborate and talk about 9 different e-safety subjects.

Files to Download

Student Login