eSafety

eSafety Latest News

On the 26^th September 24 we had the privilege of a visit from Nicola Doubleday, who is the Cyber Prevent and Protect Officer for Essex, who led an hour session for Parents, regarding the risks involved for children and adults in regard to Cyber Crime, which affects us all. Many topics were covered including the Law relating to use of computers/phones/consoles so that you can relay that to your children and how that and their digital footprints can have a negative impact on their ability to get a job in the future, including being accepted at colleges and University. As a School we have access to the Safer School App which can supply all this information and much more including how to keep control of children’s devices to ensure their online safety-Microsoft Word – Letter_parents_Secondary_May 21.docx (ormistonriversacademy.co.uk)  This link has instructions on where to download and how to set it up.

We have added a link to the the PowerPoint from the Parental Cyber Talk below,  please read through it and any more information you would like about any of the topics covered or indeed not covered, please contact [email protected]

>> VIEW PARENTAL CYBERTALK POWERPOINT

Acceptable Use Policy

Ms K Goodfellow (Designated Safeguarding Lead)
Email: [email protected]

We have an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) in place that outlines to you and your children safe working practices for computers and the internet. If your child is upset by anything they have viewed on the Internet, or are the subject of bullying at school you should contact the school immediately to discuss the matter. If you have any questions or concerns about your child using the internet or other technology, please feel free to email Ms Goodfellow who will be happy to advise wherever possible.

What can you do to help as a parent?

• Keep a watchful eye on your child’s internet use including email and social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc).
• Check the history folder of your internet browser to check what sites have been accessed.
• Consider purchasing filter software or see if your ISP (BT, Sky, Talk Talk, etc) provide their own.
• Protect your computer with firewall/antivirus software.

You could also read the #DITTO Online safety magazine from the eSafety advisor Alan Mackenzie. Alan’s newsletters are available from his website. Alan and his contributors discuss subjects including cyberbullying, live Streaming, sanctions and rewards and the popular apps. In #DITTO JUNIOR there are also articles from children and young people. #DITTO magazine

Helpful Links
Google Family Safety
Gives information about how to stay safe whilst using Google products, including enabling Safe Search on Google and Safety Mode on YouTube. Also includes information on how to report inappropriate content.
Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP)
An excellent site providing information on child abuse and other related issues. Parents and children are able to report attempts at grooming to the global taskforce. If you have any concerns at all please use the above link. There is a wealth of advice on how to deal with abuse, parental controls on any device, the dangers of the different apps your child uses and much more.
Childnet International
A non profit organisation working with others to “help make the Internet a great and safe place for children”. The site contains excellent Internet safety information for parents and children and each year runs an ‘Internet Safety Day’
Bullying Online
Advice on what to do if you think your child is being bullied.
Facebook Family Safety Centre
An official site from Facebook to help you and your children stay safe whilst using the social network.
Net Aware
A guide to common social media platforms
Twitter Safety Tips
A page from Twitter’s help centre to help you and your children stay safe whilst using the social network

Parental Guides
The file directory below contains a wealth of resources to help with keeping your child safe online.

SAFER SCHOOLS App

The video and documents below offer guidance on how to download and use the SAFER SCHOOLS App. Safer Schools helps entire school communities to better protect themselves in the Digital World, through delivering contemporary and relevant safeguarding information to teachers, pupils, parents and carers.

Finally, don’t let the above information put you off letting your child use the Internet, the benefits far outweigh the dangers. It’s just a balance between keeping them safe and not making them afraid.