As a parent you'll know how important the internet is to children - they use it to learn, play, socialise and express themselves.  It's a highly creative place of amazing opportunities.  But the technology children use every day can seem a bit daunting and you might worry about the risks your child can face online - such as bullying, contact from strangers or the possibility of them seeing illegal or inappropriate content. 

You can download a simple checklist here that may help you start to protect your children online and decrease the risks they face.  Or you can engage with your children regarding their use of the internet while at home.  Here are some conversation starter ideas from www.childnet.com

• Ask your children to tell you about the sites they like to visit and what they enjoy doing online.
• Ask them about how they stay safe online. What tips do they have for you, and where did they learn them? What is OK and not OK to share?
• Ask them if they know where to go for help, where to find the safety advice, privacy settings and how to report or block on the services they use.
• Encourage them to help. Perhaps they can show you how to do something better online or they might have a friend who would benefit from their help and support.
• Think about how you use the internet as a family. What could you do to get more out of the internet together and further enjoy your lives online 

Parent Resources:

To try and help parents with the fast moving and changing world of internet and social media we've suggested a few internet sites on the right of this page which are fantastic resources, They contain information on different types of social media and how to help keep children safe.

Childnet also produce a leaflet for parents which you can download here.  And at Ravensdale Junior School we've also produced an E safety booklet with handy tips for parents which you can download here. Or we have a new check list for parents to help their children stay safe which you can download here.

As part of your child’s curriculum and the development of computer skills, we provide access to the internet only in teacher supervised lessons. We strongly believe that the use of the web and email is hugely worthwhile and an essential tool for children as they grow up in the modern world. But because there are always concerns about children having access to undesirable materials, we have taken positive steps to deal with this risk in school. Our school internet access provider operates a filtering system that restricts access to inappropriate materials. 

At the start of the school year, each class discusses how we can all stay safe online and the dangers we may face on the internet.  We then ask every child in KS2 to sign an Acceptable Use Agreement so that we know they have read and understood our school's rules on staying safe.  We also have an Acceptable Use Agreement for our younger children and you can download a copy here.

For more information you can download our E Safety policy here.  

Parent Fact Sheets & Guides To Popular Social Media: 

Click on the following links to find some useful parental guides to the following social media 

Fortnite

YouTube

Tik Tok (formally Musically)

Instagram

Snapchat

Jessie and Friends:

To see the latest information for parents on how to keep their 4-7 years olds safe on line, please click here

Smartphone Safe:

If you would like to know more information on how to keep your child safe when they are using a smartphone here is a very useful and informative link here

Here are two more booklets parents may find useful.

Young people and social networking sites and Supporting children online

Internet Safety Resources:

There is a great new online safety tool designed for parents launched by the Department for Education called Parent Info.  It's has advice on everything from keeping children safe from online trolls to WhatsApp - a guide for parents.

Child Net International

Childnet is a great website resource for parents and children on online safety.  Click here to watch an interactive video on how to keep your child safer online.

Think U Know has a great section for parents and covers topics such as gaming and talking to strangers.  You can also search by topic or age range to find information that is relevant for your family.  You can find the site here.

Internet Matters is another great site to use - it has advice on cyberbullying, how to talk to  your children about internet safety and quick guides to different types of social media such as Instagram and Snapchat.  You can visit their pages here.

Here are quick links to a range of Internet safety sites that you may find useful too...

Skips Safety

NSPCC NetAware

Safer Internet

Childnet

Internet Matters

CEOP Police

Key national contacts:

• NSPCC helpline - helping adults protect children 24 hours a day. For help and support, including anyone needing advice about female genital mutilation, young people affected by gangs, concerns that someone may be a victim of modern slavery contact the NSPCC trained helpline counsellors on:

  • help@nspcc.org.uk
  • Text 88858
  • 0808 800 5000
• NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line - free advice and support for professionals concerned about how child protection issues are being handled in their organisation.

• • 0800 028 0285
  • help@nspcc.org.uk

• UK Safer Internet Centre professional advice line - helpline for professionals working with children and young people in the UK with any online safety issues they may face themselves or with children in their care.
• • helpline@saferinternet.org.uk
  • 0844 381 4772

• Police Anti-Terrorist Hot Line number 0800 789 321