Online Safety
E-Safety is an important part of keeping children safe at Woodlands school, we have taken measures to protect our Pupils from inapropriate internet content. By working closely with WES IT our web filtering system is able to monitor Pupil usage on the computers, we are also vigilant to new threats which can be escalated to the ICT service desk.
Any IT threat is recorded and noted on our behaviour and incident logging system (CPOMS), this is then monitored by our Pastoral Team who are always on the ball to alert parents, teachers and senior staff to safety concerns.
E-safety is also taught regularly on the School curriculum in order to increase awareness and provide students with a breadth of combative tools to reduce online risks.
Woodlands Online Safety Lead - Justine Barlow ([email protected])
Online Safety for Parents
Smartphones
Smartphones are mobile phones with internet access. They are capable of a range of functions, including social networking, listening to music, playing games, browsing the internet, checking emails, taking photos and videos and watching TV – along with the usual texting and calling!
Smartphones provide a variety of interesting activities and ways for young people to engage with their friends and families. However, it is important to be aware of what these devices can do and how you can talk with your child to help them to use this technology in safe and positive way.
Three steps for parents:
- When you sign up to a mobile contract, make sure that you and your child understand the contract’s internet data allowance – accessing the internet uses internet data and if you go over your allowance it may cost you.
- Understand the capabilities of smartphones and how you as a parent can support your child to be smart and safe in their smartphone use.
- Talk with your child about safe and responsible smartphone use and agree a set of family rules. Perhaps you could agree rules with your child about not meeting up with people they have only met online, how much they are allowed to spend on apps, what websites it’s okay and not okay to visit, and whether their phone should be switched off at night. - SaferInternet.org
Gaming devices
Gaming devices provide a variety of interesting activities and ways for young people to engage with their friends and families. However, it is important to be aware of what these devices can do and how you can talk with your child to help them to use this technology in safe and positive way.
All modern gaming devices offer parental controls to help you manage how your child uses their device, but these do need to be set up in order for them to be operational.
Three steps for parents:
- Understand the capabilities of gaming devices and how you as a parent can support your child to be smart and safe in their gaming. To help, read the FAQs below. If you are buying a gaming device.
- Find out about the parental controls available - it helps if you are the one to set up the gaming device so you are in control of these. Gaming devices have parental controls to help parents manage their children’s gaming, for example, to prevent internet browsing or restrict access to age-restricted games (see our tips for Nintendo, Xbox or PlayStation 4 and Playstation 3 devices). Find out about PEGI age ratingsto help you decide which games are appropriate for your child’s age.
- Talk with your child about safe and responsible gaming and agree a set of family rules. Perhaps you could agree rules with your child about how long they are allowed to play for, how they should behave towards other gamers and agree rules about not meeting up with people they have only met online. Remember that gaming devices like the Xbox 360, Wii and PSP connect to the internet, so the same advice and rules for keeping safe online apply. - SaferInternet.org
