Hunwick Primary School
Hunwick Primary School
The Internet
The Internet is now an integral part of children’s lives, enabling them to undertake research for school projects, talk to their friends and access information from around the world. Increasing provision of the Internet in and out of schools brings with it the need to ensure that children are safe.
Internet development is constantly evolving into ever more innovative areas with many websites enabling amazing creativity and interaction between peers. Unfortunately though, there are times when Internet use can have a negative effect on children. Schools and parents need to be aware of the potential dangers and take measures to ensure safe usage by all.
At School
At school we take several steps to ensure that children are kept safe while using the internet and electronic communication.
We use targeted filtering to prevent access to websites that are not suitable or may be dangerous.
Internet access in supervised and we monitor the websites that are accessed.
We use a controlled email system where we monitor the children’s emails and we limit the addresses that children can communicate with. These steps are taken protect the children from unsuitable emails and identify possible cyber bullying.
Children are also taught how to use the technology safely so that they can keep themselves safe.
We send home a copy of a magazine published by Vodafone called Digital Parenting to each child. You can read the online version by clicking here. Or you can read more about digital parenting on their website which is below.
http://www.vodafone.com/content/parents.html
At Home
Parents can have a difficult job keeping up with their children on the fast changing technology available to them, let alone knowing the dangers they face. The issues of safety, privacy, online predators or grooming and cyberbullying are sometimes complex, both technically and psychologically and parents can struggle to keep up.
To help parents we have put together a selection of links to websites that will help them to ensure that their children can reap the benefits of the Internet while staying safe.
General E-safety Websites
 BBC Stay Safe |
 Kidsmart |
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 Childnet International |
 Digizen |
 Think U Know Parents |
 Parent Info |
 Google Family Centre |
Internet Filtering
All of the big internet providers can enable internet filtering help you protect your children from unsuitable websites. The link below from Safer Internet provides information about filtering your home internet connection. But you should remember that your child may have access to the internet on their mobile device by using internet provider my the mobile provider or by connecting to other wireless services.
http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers/parental-controls
Social Media
We would like remind parents that the minimum age to open an account on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Skype and Snapchat is 13. Whilst many parents choose to allow younger children to use these services we cannot recommend this. To keep your children safe on social media parents should ensure that the correct privacy settings are enabled, and that appropriate adult supervision is provided while using online services.
Further information is available at the NSPCC site Net Aware
Fortnite
The online game Fortnite is currently very popular with young people. The game is rated PEGI 12 so is not suitable for primary aged children. However we realise that children may still be playing it so we have provided the following links to information for parents about the game.
https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/blog/parents-guide-fortnite-battle-royale
http://www.childnet.com/blog/a-parents-guide-to-fortnite-battle-royale
https://www.mykidstime.com/entertainment/is-your-child-playing-fortnite-a-parents-guide/
Roblox
If you’re the parent or carer of a school-age child, you’ve probably heard of Roblox. Launched in 2006, it’s now one of the world’s most popular video games, with more than 100 million monthly users, mostly between the ages of nine and 15.
But while it offers a dizzying amount of interactive entertainment for its target audience, it has found itself in the news more than once due to fears over its safety.
Here’s what parents and carers need to know about it – and how to ensure your child has an enjoyable and safe experience when playing it.
https://parentinfo.org/article/roblox-a-parents-guide
Kik Messenger
Kik messenger has become a popular app with some groups of pupils, however we have been warned by Durham Police that it is being used by offenders to groom children to obtain indecent photos and videos. Please be aware that :-
See further advice on http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/safety-tools/kik
If you discover that your child has been abused using this or any other app please contact Durham Police on 101 or contact the school for further advice.
YouTube
Many children spend a lot of time watching vloggers (Video Log) such as Zoella. (Zoella can have over 3 million hits on her uploads!)
Some children chose to emulate these Vloggers, and in doing so without careful thought can leave themselves open to bullying or online grooming by revealing personal details and making videos and comments available to anyone.
This is not illegal but the minimum age to create a Youtube account is 13. Having an account for a younger child breaks the terms and conditions of the site. It is not possible to upload videos without creating an account.
The following links provide additional information for parents and teachers:-
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2802272?hl=en-GB&ref_topic=2803240
http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/safety-tools/youtube
Computers
There are several ways to keep your children safe on your home computer or laptop.
Windows offers parental control systems that allow you to block or control what your children can see. The links below will help you set these up.
Windows 10
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/set-up-family
Windows 8
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/family-safety
Apple computers provide controls for parents which you can read about below.
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21683
Gaming
Games offer a wide range of experiences to suit all tastes and abilities. Some of these focus on entertainment, but others also include educational, cultural, social and skills benefits.
By finding the right games for your family, you can discover experiences that take you to new worlds, encourage fresh creativity and get the whole family playing together. From educational benefits, to collaboration and teamwork skills there are a wide range of benefits that video games offer families.
The links below provide more information about selecting suitable games for your children and protecting them against unsuitable games
Childnet Gaming Resources - http://www.childnet.com/blog/gaming-resources-for-parents-and-careers
Ask About Games - http://www.askaboutgames.com/
All of the modern games consoles and other gaming devices can now access the internet but also provide some controls so that parents can have some control over what can be accessed.The links below will provide information on how to use these controls.
X-BOX - http://support.xbox.com/en-gb/pages/xbox-live/how-to/parental-control.aspx
PlayStation 3 - http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/basicoperations/parentallock.html
PlayStation 4 - https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/get-help/help-library/my-account/parental-controls/parental-controls-on-playstation-4/
Safer Internet Gaming Devices - http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers/parents-guide-to-technology/gaming-devices
In Game Chat
While playing games online is often great fun, it's important you understand why your children will chat online, what risks there are and what measures you can take to protect them while they’re playing their favourite games.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/in-game-chat/
Smartphones and Mobiles
There a many mobile devices available now that can access the internet. The websites below provide some helpful information about the potential dangers of mobile devices.
ThinkUKnow Mobiles - http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/control/mobile/
Safer Internet Smartphones - http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers/parents-guide-to-technology/smartphones
If your child\'s device is accessing the internet on a mobile phone network then the networks are required to provide a content filter to protect young users. However this is normally switched off to start with so you will need to contact them to enable it. The links below will take you to the mobile network provider\'s websites.
Tesco Mobile - http://www.tesco.com/mobilenetwork
O2 - http://www.o2.co.uk
Orange - http://www.orange.co.uk
T-Mobile - http://www.t-mobile.co.uk
Vodafone - http://help.vodafone.co.uk
Virgin - http://www.virginmobile.com
Tablet Devices And Internet Enabled Devices
Safer Internet Tablets - http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers/parents-guide-to-technology/internet-enabled-devices
Android Parental Controls - https://www.internetsafetyproject.org/wiki/parental-controls-android
Additional Resources
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