Online Safety
Filtering & Monitoring
We use two systems across the school. Our broadband is filtered by Netsweeper. In addition to this, Senso is a cloud-based system that monitors the usage of devices. Within our existing policies e.g. Child Protection and Safeguarding policy, we have detailed the roles and responsibilities of staff when managing our filtering and monitoring systems. This is in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education and includes the role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Trustees.
Staff have had training when looking for the signs and symptoms of online abuse and log concerns swiftly to the DSL. The safeguarding needs of all pupils remains of the upmost importance.
Our systems block harmful and inappropriate content without unreasonably impacting on teaching and learning. We also acknowledge that no system is 100% accurate. If content does get through the system, then staff act swiftly, log the concern and changes are made. Our provision is monitored at least annually and reported to our governors and trustees. Our wider IT team supports the principal to meet all DfE digital and technology standards.
What is online safety?
Online Safety means knowing about potential threats when you are online; knowing what you can and cannot (legally) do when you are online; and knowing how to protect yourself from some of the risks that are involved in using the internet. Online Safety covers 'All fixed and mobile technologies that children and young people may encounter, now and in the future, which allow them access to content and communications that could raise issues or pose risks to their wellbeing and safety'.
We teach children the SMART rules:
When we talk to children about the potential risks online, we talk about the 4 C's:
Filtering & Monitoring
Keeping Your Child Safe Online
Here is some of the information from our series of parent training events on internet safety . Below the useful documents is a link to some other websites you can use to find out more to report a concern. We strongly recommend the internet safety site from the NSPCC. "Net Aware"
https://saferinternet.org.uk/blog/net-aware-update-from-the-nspcc
It has a comprehensive and ever-growing section on different apps that our children are using, or asking to use online. Each app is rated and the benefits ane risks explained. There is also great advice about parental settings for different devices. Please click on the link or look at the screen shots from net aware at the bottom of this page is you'd like to know more.
- Here is a useful NSPCC link
- Reporting suspicious behaviour or other concerns
- Parent advice and videos
- Game rating and content information
- Nintendo parent support page
- Xbox parent support page
- Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) report illegal online content
Staying safe online in school
