At Hambridge Primary School we are focussed on making sure that Internet Safety is a top priority for all of our pupils and staff. We want to ensure that every child has a safe and happy experience online whether that is in or out of school.

                  HOW WE TEACH ONLINE SAFETY AT HAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL

We use the Somerset Active Bytes scheme of work at an age-appropriate level so that our children progressively learn how to keep themselves safe online and become considerate and responsible users of the internet.

Below is an overview of the way we teach online safety to our pupils from year R to 6

Information for parents, carers and children.

It can be challenging to ensure that a child is using technology safely.  Below you will find some links that should help you, whether that is judging if something is appropriate for primary aged children or through developing your understanding of how children are using technology. 

Computer Time at Home and Family Agreements

It is always good thing to have a family agreement about the use of technology.  A family agreement is a great way to start a conversation about how you all use the internet and discuss together how to behave in a positive way when online at home, at school or at a friend’s house. A good example is the Child net Family Agreement which can be found at: 

https://www.childnet.com/

GENERAL INFORMATION: 

• www.internetmatters.org:   Working with online safety experts, this site is here to guide you through the many issues children can experience when using the internet. 
• NSPCC:  https://www.net-aware.org.uk:

CONTACTS FOR HELP AND SUPPORT

• For help or advice use phone O2 / NSPCC 0808 800 5002
• To report abuse or inappropriate contact https://www.ceop.police.uk/Ceop-Report

The posters below were created by our pupils during some work carried out as part of Safer Internet Day 2022

Game crazes

SNAPCHAT
Snapchat has introduced a new tracker in it's most recent version where you can view the exact location of your friends. It can give you the area, town, and street and if you zoom in enough, it shows the house on the street layout. 

Snapchat has a lot of young users on it's platform.  If your children are on please check that they have their location set to Ghost mode. That way no one can see where they are. 

To do this make sure app is the updated version and go to selfie mode on the camera. Then zoom out. It will give you the option of changing who can see your location.

Police Message:

​We know that many children are using social media when ‘officially’ they are too young to sign up to the sites.  Lots of them say that Mums and Dads have signed them up. There’s nothing illegal in that, but please keep in mind that if you sign your 8 year old up to Facebook now saying they are 13, in five years they will appear as an 18 year old on the site. 

If an adult tries to groom your then 13 year old via social media, they will be able to argue that they thought they were talking to another adult. Remember to update their details, check their privacy settings, and talk to them about which pictures they use for their profile, so they’re safe online. Thank you.

The NSPCC (click link) offers guidance on how to set up parental controls, to:

• plan when your child can go online and how long for
• stop them from downloading apps they're too young for
• manage the content different members of the family can see

How online grooming happens...

​Grooming happens both online and in person. Groomers will hide their true intentions and may spend a long time gaining a child's trust. Groomers may try to gain the trust of a whole family to allow them to be left alone with a child and if they work with children they may use similar tactics with their colleagues.

Groomers do this by:

• pretending to be someone they are not, for example saying they are the same age online
• offering advice or understanding
• buying gifts
• giving the child attention
• using their professional position or reputation
• taking them on trips, outings or holidays.

They may also use secrets and intimidation to control children or online social networks

Things you may notice:

• withdrawal
• suddenly behaves differently
• anxious
• clingy
• depressed
• aggressive
• problems sleeping
• eating disorders
• wets the bed
• soils clothes
• takes risks
• misses school
• changes in eating habits
• obsessive behaviour
• nightmares
• drugs
• alcohol
• self-harm
• thoughts about suicide

Safer Internet Day February 2022

Safer Internet Day 2022 was celebrated and engaged with by our school and it provided a fantastic opportunity to engage with children about their digital lives particularly at a time that home learning was going on. ​As a school we feel that an ongoing conversation with our pupils about internet safety is extremely important.  Please see below a Young Persons  Charter 2022 which sums up children's aspirations for a better internet. 

Online Safety Newsletter November 2021

Other resources for kids to enjoy

Remember, you can always talk to a parent, carer or teacher if you are worried about how you use or how friends are using technology.