At St Gabriel’s, we regard Online Safety as an essential part of all our children’s learning. All children need to be aware of safe and responsible use of ICT.
Online Safety encompasses not only Internet technologies but also electronic communications via mobile phones, games consoles and wireless technology. It highlights the need to educate children and young people about the benefits, risks and responsibilities of using information technology.
Online safety…
- is about safeguarding children and young people in the digital world.
- emphasises learning to understand and use new technologies in a positive way.
- is less about restriction and more about education about the risks as well as the benefits so we can feel confident online.
- is concerned with supporting children and young people to develop safer online behaviours both in and out of school.
In school, our internet is filtered by the Local Authority to block unsuitable websites. All children are taught online safety and we actively promote ‘Safer Internet Day’ each year to highlight current risks and concerns with both children and families.
We recognise that children also need to be safe online outside school and we are committed to helping parents and carers in supporting their children to use the Internet in a safe way.
The recognised areas of risk are from:
- Content – exposure to harmful content
- Contact – harmful interaction with others online
- Conduct – personal online behaviour
- Commerce – financial risks or scams
Below are a number of websites that give advice and guidance to support safer internet use at home:
Documents
Guidance for Parents
- http://www.childnet.com/
- http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents
- http://www.childnet.com/kia/
