Online safety refers to the act of staying safe online. It is also commonly known by various other terms such as as internet safety, e-safety and cyber safety. It encompasses all technological devices which have access to the internet, including PCs and laptops; smartphones and tablets; games consoles and communication devices.
Being safe online means individuals are protecting themselves, and others, from online harms and risks which may jeopardise their personal information, lead to unsafe communications or even affect their mental health and wellbeing.
At our school we take the safety of our children very seriously, especially online. We know that some parents have asked for help with this at home. The amount of children having a smart phone under the age of ten has increased dramatically. We have found that this free app offers a level of parental control to keep your child safe online, meaning that it can filter out content on the browser, monitor what it being doing in the browser window, and set a timer so that the phone will turn off after the “screen time” alarm goes off. The free version will never ask for payment information.
Some helpful sites which deal with E-Safety:
SafetyLand game – An American site, but still relevant
Hector’s World – Cartoons showing how the characters use their computers safely
Some advice from the NSPCC and Childline