Keeping Safe Online and e-Safety
Guides and more information can be found in the links at the bottom of this page.
The internet has become an integral part of our lives.
Children start using computers from a very early age and are increasingly using the Internet more and more whether it is at home, in school, on their mobile phones or on a games console. With this in mind, Internet Safety and knowing how to help protect children and young people online is essential.
Children at Homelands use the internet on a regular basis as part of their learning. We want to ensure that pupils get the most from technology by encouraging responsible online behaviour. When children start at Homelands, both parents and pupils need to sign our 'E-Safety Rules' and consent form. We also have an e-Safety Policy.
Our staff are able to recognise the risks associated with technology and how to deal with them, both within our school and outside the school environment. They also understand why there is a need for an e-safety policy. In school, our access to the internet is filtered by South West Grid for Learning to help prevent access to inappropriate sites. We also have regular 'e-safety' activities to remind children the importance of keeping themselves safe online. If children or staff access anything that they are not happy with, they should report this to the Headteacher.
At home, sometimes children can be given unsupervised access to the Internet, whether this be on a computer, tablet, phone or games console. This, potentially, allows them to access all kinds of content, both good and bad. Here are some links and useful tips to help you to keep your children safe online:
Talk to your child about what they are doing online and, if possible, set up your computer in a shared area at home so that you can all share in the wonderful sites that are available online.
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram - These sites have a minimum age limit of 13, so our pupils should NOT be using them. They do not offer many levels protection, allowing children to communicate with anyone.
Explore e-safety sites - There are lots of links to useful e-safety sites for children. They are great fun to explore, so why not browse through them with your children?