St Thomas à Becket C of E Primary School

At our school, online safety is a key part of our safeguarding culture. We are committed to helping children develop the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to stay safe, healthy and responsible when using technology.

Our online safety provision is regularly reviewed through the 360 Safe Online Safety Self-Review Tool, enabling us to evaluate and develop our practice against national standards. The school also has an Online Safety Group that meets regularly to monitor provision, review emerging risks and support the continuous development of online safety across the school.

We recognise that technology offers many opportunities for learning, communication and creativity. However, it is important that children understand how to stay safe online, protect their personal information, behave respectfully towards others and know where to go for help if something worries them.

Online safety is embedded throughout our curriculum and is taught through Computing, PSHE, assemblies and wider safeguarding activities. We use the Project Evolve education programme to support the teaching of online safety across all year groups. Project Evolve provides age-appropriate learning opportunities linked to the UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) framework, helping children develop the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.

We recognise that some online safety risks can increase during school holidays when children may spend more time online. For this reason, online safety is revisited regularly throughout the year and is given particular emphasis before major school holidays, including the summer break. Children are reminded about safe online behaviour, privacy settings, appropriate communication, gaming safety and where to seek help if they encounter anything that causes concern.

We believe that a strong partnership between home and school is essential in helping children become safe and responsible digital citizens.

Supporting Your Child Online

Parents and carers play a vital role in promoting online safety. Some simple ways to support children include:

• Talking regularly about their online experiences.
• Taking an interest in the apps, games and websites they use.
• Setting clear expectations and age-appropriate boundaries.
• Using privacy settings and parental controls where appropriate.
• Encouraging children to speak to a trusted adult if something online makes them feel worried, upset or uncomfortable.
• Reminding children never to share personal information online without permission.

Open and supportive conversations are one of the most effective ways to help children stay safe online. Thinkuknow encourages parents and carers to have regular discussions about online activity and ensure children know who they can turn to for help and support. [prod.think...know.co.uk], [ceopeducation.co.uk]

Online Safety Resources for Parents and Carers

SWGfL (South West Grid for Learning)

SWGfL is one of the UK's leading organisations for online safety and digital safeguarding. It provides high-quality information, guidance and resources for schools, families and young people. [swgfl.org.uk], [swgfl.org.uk]

Useful SWGfL resources include:

• Parents Hub: https://swgfl.org.uk/audience/parents/ [swgfl.org.uk]
• Social Media Checklists to support privacy and safety settings. [swgfl.org.uk]
• Guidance on online gaming, digital wellbeing and social media. [swgfl.org.uk], [swgfl.org.uk]
• Advice about artificial intelligence (AI), deepfakes and misinformation. [swgfl.org.uk], [swgfl.org.uk]
• Online Safety Podcasts and parent guides. [swgfl.org.uk]

Thinkuknow (CEOP Education)

Thinkuknow is the online safety education programme from the National Crime Agency's CEOP Education team. It provides trusted advice and practical resources for children, young people, schools, parents and carers. [prod.think...know.co.uk], [ceopeducation.co.uk]

Useful Thinkuknow resources include:

• Parents and Carers Area: https://www.ceopeducation.co.uk/parents/ [ceopeducation.co.uk]
• Parent and Carer Help Sheets containing key online safety advice and support links. [prod.think...know.co.uk]
• Home Activity Packs covering topics such as social media, gaming, livestreaming, cyber security and sharing images online. [prod.think...know.co.uk]
• Age-appropriate resources and conversation starters to support discussions about online safety at home. [prod.think...know.co.uk], [ceopeducation.co.uk]

How We Respond to Emerging Online Risks

The online world changes rapidly. Through our Online Safety Group, staff training, safeguarding procedures and curriculum planning, we continually review emerging trends and risks, including:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deepfakes.
• Online gaming and in-game communication.
• Social media and messaging apps.
• Live streaming.
• Misinformation and fake news.
• Cyberbullying and online harassment.
• Privacy, security and digital footprints. [swgfl.org.uk], [swgfl.org.uk]

Reporting Concerns and Getting Help

If you have concerns about a child's online safety, support is available from the following organisations.

CEOP Safety Centre

If you are concerned about online sexual abuse, grooming or exploitation, a report can be made directly to CEOP.

https://www.ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre/ [ceopeducation.co.uk]

Report Harmful Content

A free service that provides support for reporting harmful online content and guidance on how to have content removed from online platforms. [swgfl.org.uk]

https://reportharmfulcontent.com

Childline

Free, confidential support for children and young people.

https://www.childline.org.uk

Further Information and Advice

• UK Safer Internet Centre – https://saferinternet.org.uk
• Internet Matters – https://www.internetmatters.org
• NSPCC Online Safety Hub – https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/

Our Online Safety Group welcomes feedback and suggestions from parents and carers. If you would like further information about online safety provision within the school or wish to discuss any concerns, please contact the school office.

By working together, we can help children enjoy the benefits of technology safely, responsibly and confidently.