Online Safety at Boasley Cross Primary School
At Boasley Cross Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that every child learns how to use technology safely, responsibly and positively. The online world is full of exciting opportunities, but it also presents risks—so educating children, staff and families about online safety is a vital part of our safeguarding work.
Throughout the year, online safety is taught across the curriculum, reinforced in assemblies, and celebrated through events such as Safer Internet Day, supported by resources from the UK Safer Internet Centre (a collaboration between Childnet, SWGfL and the Internet Watch Foundation).
Keeping children safe online is a shared responsibility. As technology continues to evolve, we work closely with parents and carers to ensure pupils receive consistent messages about safe and appropriate behaviour online.
If you have any concerns, questions, or would like further support with online safety or any safeguarding matter, please contact the school.
Teaching Online Safety in School
Online safety is taught regularly throughout the year and includes:
- Understanding how to keep personal information private
- Knowing what to do if something online makes them feel uncomfortable
- Recognising kind and respectful communication
- Reporting concerns to trusted adults
- Understanding age limits and rules for apps, games and social media
- Learning about online reputation, digital footprints and media literacy
Boasley Cross has robust filtering and monitoring systems in place to prevent pupils accessing unsuitable material while using school devices.
The internet is incredible and opens up a whole world of exciting possibilities for both children and adults. But as adults, how do we keep track of what children are accessing and how do we make sure they’re staying safe?
E-Safety is an important part of keeping the children safe therefore E-Safety is taught to all pupils to show them how to stay safe online. We have security measures in place in school to help safeguard pupils from potential dangers or unsuitable material.
Help for parents and carers
There are lots of websites which can show you how to keep your child(ren) safe.
Innocent searches online can lead to not so innocent results. But parental controls can help keep your child safe. The NSPCC website has step by step instructions for setting up parental controls. Click here to access the NSPCC site
Has someone done something online that has made you or a child or young person you know, feel worried or unsafe?
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 and ‘e’ world. Often it is referred to as an online 999.
Kidsmart has some clear rules for keeping children safe when they are online and lots of other tips for adults and children.
https://www.childnet.com/resources/supporting-young-people-online
Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
The button has been developed to offer anyone living in the UK a simple and convenient mechanism for gaining access to reporting routes for commonly used social networking sites, gaming platforms, apps and streaming services alongside trusted online safety advice, help and support. It also provides access to an online mechanism for reporting online harm to the RHC service for those over the age of 13 where an intial report has been made to industry but no action has been taken. RHC will review content in line with a sites' community standards and act in a mediatory capacity where content goes against these.
Children under 13 years of age are encouraged to tell an adult that they trust about what has happened and to ask for their help in reporting this going through our how we can help resource together.
RHC also have advice and links to reporting routes for other online harms people may come across or face, such as impersonation, privacy violations and intimate image abuse.
The RHC button provides a gateway to the RHC reporting pages, an area of the RHC website offering:
- links to reporting routes on commonly used sites for 8 types of online harm
- help, advice and support on what to do if experiencing or witnessing harm online
- signposting to industry partners reporting forms and the ability to report legal but harmful content directly to RHC for further investigation
Reporting to RHCReports can be made 24/7 through the online reporting forms and helpline practitioners will review and respond to reports within 72 hours between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday.
Reports can be made to RHC by anyone over the age of 13. SWGfL operates 3 helplines and to be sure you're getting the right support take a look at the Helpline flowchart to find out who can best support you.
How We Work Together to Keep Children Safe
We encourage families to:
- Talk regularly to children about what they do online
- Agree rules for screen time, gaming and device use
- Use parental controls and privacy settings
- Check recommended age limits on apps and games
- Encourage children to speak up if something online worries them
- Model safe and respectful online behaviour
If you ever feel unsure, worried or would like advice, please speak to us—no concern is too small.