Online Safety

Our Online Safety Lead is

Mr Forwood

RELATED POLICIES:

AGE LIMIT FOR AN ACCOUNT: 13 YEARS OLD:

FACEBOOK

GOOGLE +

INSTAGRAM

OOVOO

SKYPE

SNAPCHAT

TWITTER

YOUTUBE

AGE LIMIT 16 YEARS OLD:

Our School Web Filtering System

The school uses a cloud based web filtering system that proactively monitors and updates the status of billions of blocked or bad websites online every hour of the day. This system is far better than a traditional school server based software solution that can become out of date if not regularly checked or indeed can be hacked and deactivated by outside or internal 3rd parties. Our system's design is a first to be implemented in schools, and offers a level of response and protection that traditional mainstream systems in education do not.

Our system benefits from an international cloud based mesh protection system. This means that if one branch of the mesh network fails, within seconds we switch over to another branch of the mesh system which is fully functional. This means no downtime and no periods of time where the school could be online and unprotected
Our system operates a responsive policy that approves ‘allowed’ websites, blocks those on the ‘blocklist’, and those that are suspicious must pass criteria factors. The school’s IT Network Manager can also block or allow any website app or service.

If you require any further information about our Web filtering or content control please contact:

Mr Horsburgh

IT Network Manager

Courtesy of the NSPCC and 02, here are a few age related tips to help you get started:

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/

5 – 7 year olds – ‘Proper’ social networks will still be off-limits, but social games such as Disney’s Club Penguin are a great way for your kids to dip a toe in the water, with a bit of parental supervision. Just keep an eye on in-app purchases, set clear boundaries for use and start talking about staying safe and what to do if they have a concern.

8 – 11 year olds – ‘Proper’ social networks will still be off-limits. Social networks will start to come onto the radar for children, but it is important to resist for now as the age limit for almost all social media sites is 13.

You may also be thinking about your child’s first phone or tablet. Consider using app store gift cards to limit how much they spend on downloads. Make sure that if you use your credit cards for purchasing anything for your child, you delete it immediately otherwise you may run up a large bill very quickly!

12-15 year olds – Children are legally allowed to use most social networks at 13. Discuss what’s safe to share, and help set up their account. They may let you follow or friend them, but they’ll also want some independence, so talk regularly about what they’re doing online and who they’re chatting to so they know they can come to you if something goes wrong.

16+ year olds – Your teenager will no doubt be a social networking pro by now and may well be experimenting with meeting new people online. Respect their space, as you would in real life, and resist temptation to snoop. Instead chat openly about what they’re up to – this way, you can check they’re sharing information wisely.

Age Limits for popular games

Just like films, game console and online games have an age rating system. PEGI (Pan European Game Information) is the website to go to (https://pegi.info/) where you can search for information on games. This site gives two levels of information: age ratings (3,7,12,16 and 18 years old) and content descriptors (for example, bad language and violence). It is important you check the age rating of any game you buy for your child, either in a shop or online. Children at primary school should only be playing games rated for 3 and 7 year olds, and it is important that you resist the urge to allow your child to play a popular game meant for older children even if their friends are.

Internet Filters

It is important to set up internet filters so you can limit what your child can access via desktop computers, laptops, games consoles, smartphones and tablets. Internet Service Providers, such as BT, Virgin and Plusnet have network-based filters that cover all internet-enabled devices connected via the Wi-Fi in your home.

For example, search ‘bt internet filters’ to get advice on how to set this up if BT.

WARNING: These filters only allow you to control what is used through your Wi-Fi, they do not control what you child might view on their smartphone via any data plans on their phone. You will need to set up parental controls on their phone for this.

Parental Controls

You can also set up passwords on your children’s smartphones so, for example, you have control over downloading apps and also on any tablet or desktop you have. You can also do this on games consoles, such X Box and PlayStation.

This website provides excellent step by step guides.

https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/

Here are also some videos on different devices.

Windows 10: Managing User Accounts and Parental Controls

If you are interested in learning more about this topic, please visit our site at http://www.gcflearnfree.org/windows10 to view the entire tutorial on our website. It includes instructional text, informational graphics, examples, and even interactives for you to practice and apply what you've learned.

Samsung Galaxy Tab - Setup Kids Mode

Kids mode allows your child to safely use your Galaxy Tab. Using Parental control you can set daily playtime limits, protect your child from inappropriate content and download apps from the Kids store for storybooks, learning and playing. To find out more about the Tab 4 visit http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/mobile-devices/tablets/tab/SM-T230NZWABTU

How to Setup Parental Controls on an Apple iPad

Setup some basic parental controls on your iPad before you share it with the children. Tony Anscombe will show you how to lock down certain aspects of your Apple iPad so your kids won't have access to things like in-app purchases, web browser, and the ability to add/remove apps. vew it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM8e7OvcWo4&t=54s

Sexting

One of the dangers of smartphones, is that it is very easy and quick to take photos and share them online. Sexting, sharing explicit photos online of yourself or others, is a huge issue at secondary school and this issue is happening with ever younger children. Please share this powerful video with your children, and teach them about the dangers of Sexting