Online Safety

The amount of time that children are spending online makes it a significant aspect of their lives.  While the internet is a great way for children and young people to learn, be entertained and  stay in touch with their friends, it can also bring risks.  In school, children are taught about responsible and respectful online behaviour and staying safe online through our Computing and PSHE curricula.  This is a vital part of any child's education, but we recognise that most of the time that children spend online is when they are not in school.  Now more than ever, it’s important to talk to your child about staying safe online and about the apps and sites they’re using. We’ve got advice to help. 

At St Michael's we teach children to think SMART. Through our PSHE programme and also our Computing Curriculum, we help children to learn about Online Safety.

Safe - Keep your personal information safe. When chatting or posting online don't give away things like your full name, password or home address. Remember personal information can be seen in images and videos you share too. Keep them safe to keep yourself safe.

Meet - Meeting up with someone you only know online, even a friend of a friend, can be dangerous as this person is still a stranger. If someone you only know online ever asks you to meet up, for personal information or for photos/videos of you then tell an adult straight away and report them together on www.thinkuknow.co.uk

Accepting - Think carefully before you click on or open something online (e.g. links, adverts, friend requests, photos) as you never know where they may lead to or they may contain viruses. Do not accept something if you are unsure of who the person is or what they’ve sent you.

Reliable - You cannot trust everything you see online as some things can be out of date, inaccurate or not entirely true. To find reliable information compare at least three different websites, check in books and talk to someone about what you have found.

Tell - Tell a trusted adult if something or someone ever makes you feel upset, worried or confused. This could be if you or someone you know is being bullied online. There are lots of people who will be able to help you like your teachers, parents, carers or contact Childline – 0800 11 11 or www.childline.org.uk

Opening the Conversation

It can be difficult to know how to start talking to your child about what they’re doing online or who they might be speaking to. But talking regularly, like you would about their day at school, will help your child feel relaxed and mean that when they do have any worries, they’re more likely to come and speak to you. It can help to:

• reassure them that you're interested in their life, offline and online. Recognise that they'll be using the internet to research homework as well talking to their friends.
• ask your child to show you what they enjoy doing online or apps they’re using so you can understand them.
• be positive but also open about anything you're worried about. You could say "I think this site's really good" or "I'm a little worried about things I've seen here."
• ask them if they're worried about anything, and let them know they can come to you.
• ask them about their friends online and how they know they are who they say they are.
• listen for the reasons why your child wants to use apps or site you don't think are suitable, so you can talk about these together.
• ask your child what they think's okay for children of different ages so they feel involved in the decision making.

Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP)

CEOP is a law enforcement agency and is here to keep children and young people safe from sexual exploitation and abuse.

UK Safer Internet Centre

Here you will find films, storybooks and other fun sites, with plenty of information to help you enjoy your time online and stay safe on the internet.

Social Media

Follow the link below for brief guides to:  Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp and Skype