Internet Safety
Using the internet and mobile devices is central to many of our students’ lives. We recognise the enormous value these technologies have in helping our students learn and function effectively in the 21st Century. Our school has pioneered the use of e-learning tools such as the use of iPADs on our St. Bede's Learning Gateway.
With these opportunities comes the need to protect our students from the associated risks. We take ‘e-safety’ very seriously. In addition to taking steps such as web filtering, we educated our students about the risks they face on-line and how they can protect themselves through student assemblies and our IAG programme.
All students are required to read and sign our 'IT Acceptable Use Policy', which describes the responsibilities students have when using IT.
A key part of our 'e-safety strategy' is to help parents/carers become more informed so that they feel better equipped to support their children and keep them safe on-line through annual e-Safety sessions dedicated for our parents.
The school also provides Internet Safety raising awareness sessions for our feeder primary schools.
Remember:
- Help your children to understand that they should never give out personal details to online friends they do not know offline.
- Explain to your children what information about them is personal: i.e. email address, mobile number, school name, sports club, arrangements for meeting up with friends and any pictures or videos of themselves, their family or friends. Small pieces of information can easily be pieced together to form a comprehensive insight in to their lives and daily activities.
- Make your children aware that they need to think carefully about the information and pictures they post on their profiles. Inform them that once published online, anyone can change or share these images of them.
- It can be easy to forget that the internet is not a private space, and as result sometimes young people engage in risky behaviour online. Advise your children not to post any pictures, videos or information on their profiles, or in chat rooms, that they would not want a parent or carer to see.
- If your child receives spam or junk email and texts, remind them never to believe their contents, reply to them or use them.
- It's not a good idea for your child to open files that are from people they don't know. They won't know what they contain—it could be a virus, or worse - an inappropriate image or film.
- Help your child to understand that some people lie online and that therefore it's better to keep online mates online. They should never meet up with any strangers without an adult they trust.
- Always keep communication open for a child to know that it's never too late to tell someone if something makes them feel uncomfortable.
St. Bede's School actively promotes the use of Facebook as a communication tool; however, please remember that in order for a student to create a Facebook profile they must be a minimum of 13 years of age.
Useful Websites:
Home Office site for pupils and parents/carers explaining internet dangers and how to stay in control.
http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
KidSmart
SMART rules from Childnet International and Know It All for Parents
http://www.kidsmart.org.uk/
