Westmeads Community Infant School

　Online Safety Information

At Westmeads we are committed to the use of computer technologies and recognise the use of computers and the Internet as a valuable tool for learners of all ages.

We also acknowledge that computers and the internet do have the potential for inappropriate use and access to undesirable material and that we have a duty of care to protect our pupils.

All pupils use computer facilities, including the internet, as an essential part of the curriculum and to support learning opportunities within the school. There are well publicised concerns regarding access to material on the Internet that would be unsuitable for pupils. Whilst it is impossible to ensure that all pupils will not access such material, the school takes all reasonable steps to minimise a pupils access to unsuitable material. These include:

• Use of a filtered Internet Service to prevent access to internet sites with undesirable material.
• The requirement that all Internet access during school hours will be supervised by a member of staff or another responsible adult
• The following of Internet Rules which we share with parents and pupils.

With technology advancing at a rate faster than most of us can cope, and with the added pressure of children nowadays being at the forefront of exposure to this advanced technological age with regard to the internet, mobile phones, laptops, computers and tablet devices, we believe that online-safety awareness and safe practice is of paramount importance.

While prevention is sometimes better than the cure as it is so often said, we understand and appreciate the need for children to learn of and embrace these technologies and as a result we equally understand the need to teach them to use it responsibly, ethically, wisely and to guide them on how to best prepare themselves to stay safe while online.

Of course, as with all things in life, the good always seems to be accompanied by the bad, and we therefore feel it is so important to help prepare children by showing them the options available to them if should they experience something they feel uncomfortable with while online in this digital age.
 

Important Organisations and Reporting a Problem

For Westmeads Community Infant School 'Online-Safety' information click on the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy (see link below). If you have any concerns about Online-Safety then please do not hesitate to come in and speak to a member of our Safeguarding Team or to Mrs Watkins our Online-Safety leader. Click on the images below to visit the websites.

Teaching children how to keep themselves safe online is of paramount importance and something that is constantly changing. At Westmeads all children have termly online safety lessons to help them to understand about the risks of being online and how to ensure that they stay safe and what to do if something unfortunate happens.

Our computers and tablets have the appropriate filters set and these are regularly monitored.

We often put updated links to useful sites on our newsletters to parents too.

Feel free to visit these pages; they are rich in content with useful guidelines and other extremely important general and legal information and procedures of which all parents and children should be aware.

Internet matters:　

• Online safety leaflets & resources

  Promote online safety in the classroom and at home with our free printable e-safety leaflets and resources. Download or print and share with other parents or colleagues to help kids stay safe online.

Digital Parenting (by Vodafone):　

• We want everyone to get the most out of tech and enjoy happy and safe digital lives. With regularly updated articles and expert advice, here you'll find plenty of resources and support - helping you make the right digital choices for your family.
• Discover how to help your child enjoy using apps, games and devices safely with Digital Parenting Pro

NSPCC:

• We all have a part to play in keeping children safe online. Find out how with our online safety guides

Childline:　

• Childline is here to help anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through.

CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre):　

• The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) delivers a multi-agency service dedicated to tackling the abuse and exploitation of children in the 'real world' and the 'e-world'

Think U Know website:

• The Think U Know website is divided into 5 areas:  5-7's, 8-10 Cyber-Cafe (Key Stage 2 Resources), 11-16 (Key Stage 3 and 4 Resources)Parents/Carers (Free resources and monthly emails for parents/carers)Teachers/Trainers.  There is also a suite of resources to support children with SEN including children with mild to severe learning difficulties, are blind or have a hearing impairment.
• Visit the Think You Know Website to find out the latest information on the sites you like to visit, mobiles and new technology. Find out what’s good, what’s not and what you can do about it. If you look after young people there’s an area for you too – with resources you can use in the classroom, at home or just to get with it. Most importantly, there’s also a place which anyone can use to report if they feel uncomfortable or worried about someone they are chatting to online. All the information here is brought to you by the team at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre. 

The VGT:

• CEOP works as part of the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) which is made up of law enforcement agencies from around the world such as Australia, Canada, Italy, America, etc;
• Any reports of abuse made via CEOP's, or the VGT's, 'Report Abuse' button can be answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from around the globe. The report abuse button can be used to report inappropriate or potentially illegal activity towards a child. It can be found on many websites; If a child is in immediate danger, contact 999 for police assistance.