Online safety at Benjamin Adlard is all about measures to keep children, and adults working with children, safe while using digital technologies.

At school this can include computers, laptops and tablet computers, and at home it can also include devices such as games consoles (Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch), mobile phones and anything else which allows interactive digital communication.

The online environment is an integral part of children’s lives, so it is important that we work together as a school community to ensure that our children have a healthy relationship with technology and support them to use it responsibly. As a result, online safety runs through both our Computing and PSHE curriculum. Our staff also deliver ad-hoc lessons when they feel they are appropriate. Children at Benjamin Adlard use the internet on a regular basis to support them with their learning. 

As technology becomes more accessible, children are even more exposed to different information and media, and it has therefore never been more important to ensure the children are kept safe online.

Here are some tips and useful links to help you to keep your children safe online:

• Make sure your child knows to keep personal information private (name, address, phone number, school, date of birth). Their screen name should not include their real name.
• Ensure all privacy settings are switched on.
• Choose a strong password.
• Regularly check who is on their ‘friends list’. Ensure they are only communicating with people who they know in real life and are not interacting with strangers.
• Encourage them to talk to you if something they see online makes them feel uncomfortable or upsets them.
• Always report any bullying and abuse directly to the website or app.

Useful websites:

• National Online Safety website has a wide range of information for parents https://nationalonlinesafety.com/ 
• Visit www.ceop.gov.uk/parents for more information.
• Visit the age-appropriate related sites: 5-7s (Hector’s World), 8-10s (Cybercafe) or watch one of the films on the 11-16s site.
• Useful video resources can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/topics/stay-safe.

From time to time, we will send out National Online Safety User Guides. Please take the time to read through these as they provide lots of up-to-date guidance on how best to protect you children on digital devices and different apps.

If you have any concerns about your child’s safety online, please contact Mrs Jo Richardson, Designated Safeguarding Lead on 01427 612562 or email jrichardson@benjaminadlard.anthemtrust.uk.

If you require any support with ensuring privacy settings on mobile phones and tablets are secure, Mrs Holly Anderson would be happy to assist with this and can provide the latest information about how to protect your child on different apps. Please ring 01427 612562 to make an appointment.

The NSPCC website also has lots of valuable information. Click on the link below to access this.

Junior Online Safety Officers 

Benjamin Adlard Junior Online Safety Officers are pupils who have been appointed to be ambassadors for staying safe online. They are available to give advice to other children and to be someone children to go to if they have a question or a worry about being online. They are also around to give advice in assemblies and to encourage children to be safe when online.

The Junior Online Safety Officers come and talk to adults if they are concerned about something they have been told regarding online safety. 
 

Excellent Informative Videos

The Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) has a Youtube channel where they upload information videos about staying safe online, we strongly recommend you watch the video which cover subject such as 'Sexting', 'Parental Controls' and 'Video Game Ratings':

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxMnZ02Sl1AbtIhq-m3rrVQ