Keeping Your Child Safe Online

The children enjoy a rich and practical experience at St Leonards engaging with 'e-safety'. The content of what we deliver changes constantly to be as relevant to each current issue the children are facing online. This year for example, the children have designed their 'e-safety superhero' in 2D, then 3D and printed the 3D models out with the intention of using them in an animated film in the summer around making great decisions online! Please feel free to pop in to see Mr Minto to see the display in our computing suite or pop into the hall to engage with our new interactive 2022 display with your child. 

In addition to the ongoing 'e-safety' that is embedded into the DNA of our curriculum, we regularly hold our own parent event to discuss use of technology, teaching our children safe online behaviours, where to go for assistance and common concerns parents have regarding online use.

From Year 2, every child in the school is given their very own 'Microsoft 365 ID' from Mr Minto which assigns them the full Microsoft suite of apps throughout their KS2 experience. There are many reasons behind this:

1. To ensure that they are truly ready for the digital world it is important that their experience is practical and relevant rather than abstract. As well as receiving communication and learning stimulus digitally as part of their journey via Microsoft, the children also subscribe to sites such as 'code.org' as part of their coding experience. This allows elements such as reading subscription 'T&Cs', privacy/communication settings etc to be taught and monitored in a safe environment. Children are not allowed to email anyone outside of the school system (outside of @pup.stcmat.org) and the content should always be related to their learning in some way.

2. When the children leave in Y6 they will have a sparkling portfolio of KS2 digital creations that they will have stored in their 'OneDrives' - together with being a great assessment record for Mr Minto, it is more importantly a glittering showcase of years of work that the children will be able to download at home and keep forever. Please do ask your children to sign in at home into their Microsoft accounts from time to time and ask them to show you what they have been producing!

3. As social media becomes a more prominent influence on our children - their interaction with 'Teams' within school enables us not only to enhance their learning online as a group but also guide them through responsible handling and use of an online platform; learning responsibility and accountability for everything they write. 

We have had brilliant discussions in parent forums and shared the following resources and websites:

Adblockplus is an add-on for any browser. This can help prevent inappropriate adverts popping up whilst your child's uses a device. You can download online https://adblockplus.org/

It was discussed how to regularly audit settings and ensure they are still sufficient, the Safer Internet Centre has a good page for parents where you can find the Parent's Guide to Technology

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/parents-and-carers

That site also has helpful guides to controlling privacy settings in different social media - WhatsApp was mentioned for example  https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/social-media-help/whatsapp

https://www.whatsapp.com/faq/en/general/21197244

In addition, some parents asked about how to put safety mode on YouTube

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/174084

We aim to regularly host these forums to continually share information, watch this space for more details or visit the 'PARENT ZONE' outside the computing suite where Mr Minto posts regular updates and has parent material/booklets readily available for you to take away.

The following websites are also full of useful information, from monitoring your child's online activity, security and privacy settings, educational websites and more. 

Talk to your child often about their digital footprint and their screen usage and how they keep themselves safe. The conversation should be ongoing and as their digital usage evolves, the messages will stay with them.