E-Safety

E-Safety

At the Coppice Academy our main priority is our learners’ safety, not only physically, but online too. E-Safety is a topic which is visited regularly within our curriculum with the aim of developing learners’ understanding of the dangers and potential risks surrounding online activity.

We believe that that it is important to educate our learners in the following areas of e-safety:

Privacy and security
Managing online information
Health, wellbeing and lifestyle
Online bullying
Online relationships
Online reputation
Self-image and identity
Copyright and ownership

Once a term, parents are invited to a workshop which allow parents to get an insight of the potential dangers, how to stay safe and useful websites which will allow them to implement a safe environment not only at school but at home.

Workshop dates for this academic year are:

26th November 2024
25th February 2025
20th May 2025

Information for parents

The Internet has become an integral part of young people’s lives, enabling them to interact with their friends and access information from around the world. Increasing provision of the Internet in and out of schools brings with it the need to ensure that learners are safe.

Internet development is constantly evolving into ever more innovative areas with many websites enabling amazing creativity and interaction between peers.

Unfortunately though, there are times when Internet use can have a negative effect on children. Schools should be aware of the potential dangers taking measures to ensure safe usage by all.

We believe that it is crucial to teach pupils how to use the Internet safely, both at home and at school, and we use the Childnet safety code as an overall starting point to support our teaching in this area:

The main aspects of this approach include the following five SMART tips:

· Safe – Staying safe involves being careful and not giving out your name, address, mobile phone no., school name or password to people online.

· Meeting someone you meet in cyberspace can be dangerous. Only do so with your parents’/carers’ permission and then when they are present.

· Accepting e-mails or opening files from people you don’t really know or trust can get you into trouble – they may contain viruses or nasty messages.

· Reliable – someone online may be lying and not be who they say they are. If you feel uncomfortable when chatting or messaging end the conversation.

· Tell your parent or carer if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried.

We would also encourage the use of age appropriate precautions. Below are details of minimum age users should be before accessing certain apps or social media platforms:

13 years old to use Facebook.
13 years old to use Instagram.
13 years old to use Snap Chat.
16 years old to use WhatsApp.
13 years old to have a YouTube account (with parental permission needed for those between 13 and 17 to post content to their account)
13 years old to use TikTok.
13 years old to use Youbo
13 years old to use BeReal.
It is also a good idea to:
Check the age rating of the games you child plays.
Develop trust
Listen to your child
Potential danger signs you should look out for

If your child is:
Using technology excessively
Staying online through the night
Being secretive about what they are doing
Behaving differently in what they wear, their attitudes or friends
Receiving gifts or money from unknown sources
These signs may all be perfectly innocent of course, but remember to always s talk to your child. Be supportive.

Finally….Use the internet safely and responsibly

Useful Websites and Downloads

Think U Know provides advice from the NCA (National Crime Agency) about staying safe online.

Parent Zone provides support and guidance for parents from leading experts and organisations.

Childnet offers a toolkit to support parents and carers of children of any age to start discussions about their online life, to set boundaries around online behaviour and technology use, and to find out where to get more help and support.

Internet Matters provides age-specific online safety checklists, guides on how to set parental controls on a range of devices, and a host of practical tips to help children get the most out of their digital world.
NSPCC offer a range of guides and advice to help you to stay safe online as a family and provide information on ways to report concerns.