Keeping Children Safe Online

At St Peter’s, online safety is an important part of safeguarding. We want every child to enjoy the opportunities offered by technology while learning how to use it safely, respectfully and responsibly.

How we keep children safe in school

We take a whole-school approach to online safety. This includes:

• teaching children how to stay safe online through computing, PSHE, assemblies and wider curriculum activities;
• using age-appropriate filtering and monitoring systems on school devices and networks;
• supervising children’s use of technology and setting clear expectations for safe and responsible behaviour;
• teaching children to protect personal information and recognise when something online may be unsafe, upsetting or misleading;
• helping children understand respectful online communication, cyberbullying and the importance of seeking permission before sharing information or images;
• teaching children to question whether online information is reliable, including content created using artificial intelligence;
• providing additional guidance and support for pupils who may be particularly vulnerable online;
• ensuring that staff receive regular safeguarding and online-safety training; and
• responding promptly to concerns and reviewing patterns or emerging risks.

Pupils, staff, governors, volunteers and visitors are expected to follow the school’s acceptable-use arrangements when using school technology. The school also has procedures for protecting personal information and responding to data-security concerns.

What happens if there is a concern?

Children are regularly reminded that they should tell a trusted adult if something they see or experience online:

• makes them feel worried, frightened or uncomfortable;
• involves bullying, threats or unkind messages;
• asks them to share personal information, photographs or passwords;
• comes from someone they do not know;
• encourages them to keep secrets from a parent or trusted adult; or
• appears inappropriate, unsafe or too good to be true.

Online-safety concerns are taken seriously. Staff report safeguarding concerns to the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead and record them through the school’s safeguarding procedures. Where necessary, the school will work with parents, safeguarding partners, the police or other appropriate agencies.

How parents and carers can help

You can support your child by:

• talking regularly about what they watch, play and do online;
• taking an interest in the games, apps and websites they use;
• checking age ratings, privacy settings and parental controls;
• keeping accounts private and helping your child choose strong passwords;
• encouraging devices to be used in shared family spaces;
• agreeing clear boundaries for screen time and device use;
• reminding your child never to arrange to meet an online contact without your knowledge;
• reassuring your child that they can tell you if something goes wrong, without immediately losing access to their device; and
• reporting harmful content, bullying or suspicious contact through the relevant app or platform.

Remember that many social media services have a minimum age requirement, commonly 13 years, and some games and platforms include communication features that allow children to interact with strangers.

If you are worried

If your concern relates to something that has happened in school, involves another pupil or may affect your child’s safety or wellbeing, please contact the school and ask to speak to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Where there is an immediate risk of harm, contact the police on 999. Concerns about suspicious or harmful online contact can also be reported to the police or through the CEOP Safety Centre.

Working together, families and school can help children become confident, kind and responsible digital citizens.