Online Safety

E-Safety is an important part of keeping children safe at Milford-on-Sea Primary School, because we recognise that the internet is essential in 21st century life - for education, for business and for social interaction. As children move up through the school their access to various types of technology increases and it stands to reason that their exploration and curiosity increases too.

The positives of the digital world overwhelmingly outweigh the negatives but children, schools and parents all need to be aware of various online risks.

Our Computing curriculum has e-safety woven through it and allows our staff to discuss, explain and demonstrate how to stay safe and behave appropriately online. (For further information, see our Computing Curriculum page)

While we will be doing all we can at school, your help is still needed to support our e-safety message and prevent children accessing inappropriate material at home by way of filters and parental controls. Look below at our list of links and resources for Parents/Carers, Teachers and Young People to help you with your child’s online safety at home.

See What Our Cyber Ambassadors Are Saying...

In the first of their addresses to the school, our Cyber Ambassadors have given an important message about managing screen time.

Check out what they said by clicking here.

In the second of their addresses to the school, our Cyber Ambassadors have supported this year's Internet Safety Day initiative and given an important message about online gaming.

Check out what they said by clicking here.

In their third video message, our Cyber Ambassadors gave an important message about online reputations and how to protect them. Check out what they said by clicking here.

In their latest address to the school, our Cyber Ambassadors gave a reminder about the SMART rules for staying safe online. Check out what they said by clicking here.

This year's Internet Safety Day Focus was all about playing games online safely and respectfully.

We marked the National Day in school with a presentation from our Cyber Ambassadors and discussions on the topic of safe gaming in class.

To find out more about online gaming - its benefits and its pitfalls, click on the link below:

https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/online-gaming-advice/

To find our what you need to know about games that are popular amongst 5-11 year-olds, download a help guide from the list below:

Latest Advice For Parents

Taking a little time to visit the Parentzone website will give you the knowledge and confidence to support your child in enjoying the online world safely and responsibly. Please follow this link to see the latest list of commonly used apps/games and what to be aware of, if your child is using them.

https://parentzone.org.uk/advice/parent-guides

Each year, more and more of us are turning to online providers for our shopping.

We might consider it a fast, convenient way to get what we need, but do we consider how safe it might be for our own personal data?

The National Cyber Security Centre has issued some clear advice on how to protect your data and your devices while shopping online. Click the link below.

Home Activity Packs

National Online Safety Support Group 'ThinkYouKnow' have produced a suite of Home Activity packs containing simple 15 minute activities you can do with your family to support their online safety at home. Each activity sheet has a selection of short conversation starters, practical tips and fun tasks to do as a family:

They have also produced age-appropriate packs of activities that you can do at home with your children.

Just click on the links below to be taken to their fantastic resources:

Home Activity Packs for children aged 4-5

Home Activity Packs for children aged 5-7

Home Activity Packs for children aged 8-10

!! New !!

Short videos for parents and carers: delivering online safety at home.

ThinkYouKnow have teamed up with The National Cyber Security Centre to give you some advice about how you and your family can work together to become more Cyber Aware. There are videos on the following topics:

• Cyber Security - A guide for parents and carers
• Viewing Videos online - A guide for parents and carers
• Social Media - A guide for parents and carers
• In-Game Chat - A guide for parents and carers
• Live Streaming - A guide for parents and carers
• Sharing Images (Primary & Secondary) - A guide for parents and carers

Click here to go to the ThinkYouKnow videos page.

Internet Safety Day 2021

This year, Internet Safety Day falls on the 9th February.

This important national event is celebrating its 18th year this year with an important theme in these days of 'fake news':

An Internet we TRUST - Exploring reliability in the online world.

We will be celebrating the day here at school and we would love everyone learning from home to join us too.

Click on the link below to join us in celebrating Internet Safety day 2021

At Milford-on-Sea Primary School, we follow the SMART rules for safe use of the internet. Here they are:

Parental Controls - An Overview

Take a look at the document below for some really useful information to help you make informed decisions about parental control measures - both on your home network and on popular internet/social media sites.

Helpful Websites For E-Safety Advice