E-Safety encompasses Internet technologies and electronic communications such as mobile phones as well as collaboration tools and personal publishing. It highlights the need to educate pupils about the benefits and risks of using technology and provides safeguards and awareness for users to enable them to control their online experience.
The potential that technology has to impact on the lives of all citizens increases year on year. This is probably even more true for children, who are generally much more open to developing technologies than many adults. In many areas technology is transforming the way that schools teach and that children learn. At home, technology is changing the way children live and the activities in which they choose to partake; these trends are set to continue.
Our e-Safety Policy (which can be located below) has been written by the school, building on government guidance. The school’s e-safety policy operates in conjunction with other policies including those for ICT, Student Behaviour, Bullying (including cyber bullying) Cross Curriculum, Child Protection, Data Protection and Security.
Click on the link below to have a look at the NSPCC website for further advice and guidance on how to keep children safe online;
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-we-do/about-us/partners/nspcc-o2-online-safety-partnership/
It is important to be realistic- banning the internet or technology will not work and it often makes a child less likely to report a problem. Education around safe use is essential.
Search Engines
No search engine is 100% safe but if you click on the link below and follow the instructions, you can ensure that your google search engine at home is as safe as can be;
http://www.woodlands.kent.sch.uk/attachments/download.asp?file=7&type=pdf
Image Searching
The links below are for 'safer' alternatives to online image searches;
http://www.picsearch.co.uk/
http://www.pics4learning.com/
Websites for more information
Click on the icons below to find further information and to visit each website;
CEOP (The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) 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. By clicking on the button, young people and parents can get advice on a range of issues such as viruses, hacking and dealing with online bullying.
The "Thinkuknow" website is brought to you by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) centre.
"Kidsmart" provides a wealth of tips and advice about how to stay safe online.
New e-Safety Portal for Parents and Schools – Internet Matters
Internet Matters is a new online portal designed for parents to access simple, easy and practical advice about online safety for their children, right through from pre-school to teens. It provides tips on protecting children from online grooming, cyberbullying, privacy and identity theft and inappropriate content. Internet Matters is a not-for profit organisation set up by BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media.
ParentINFO is a collaboration between ParentZone and CEOP. There are useful guides and articles on helping your child stay safe online.
Click on the links below for some additional handy guides on how to help keep your children safe online:
Safer Internet Day
Tuesday 8th February.
‘All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online’.
From gaming and chat, to streaming and video, young people are shaping the interactive entertainment spaces they are a part of. Safer Internet Day 2022 celebrates young people’s role in creating a safer internet, whether that is whilst gaming and creating content, or interacting with their friends and peers.
About Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day is celebrated globally in February each year to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people, and to inspire a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically, and creatively. Safer Internet Day 2022 is on 8th February and will be celebrated with the theme ‘All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online’. Co-ordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, Safer Internet Day is celebrated in over a hundred countries coordinated by the joint Insafe/INHOPE network, with the support of the European Commission, and national Safer Internet Centres across Europe
Classes explored how to use the internet safely. We discussed the benefits of being able to use the internet but also why we must be careful when using it. Classes were able to watch some short clips and then create their own posters and set of rules to teach others about staying safe online.
Please look at our recent newsletters for Online Safety
NSPCC Websites:
ICT & Computing
Philosophy and overview
At St Mary’s we value the contribution that technology can make for the benefit of all pupils, staff, parents and governors. We strive to provide safe opportunities in all subjects to motivate and inspire pupils and raise standards across the curriculum. Everyone in our school community will become lifelong learners equipped to meet developing technology with confidence, enthusiasm and the skills that will prepare them for a future in a rapidly changing world where work and leisure activities are increasingly transformed by technology. At St. Marys we follow a progression of skills document. This allows us to teach and build on skills and knowledge each year. Children are given the opportunity to explore and use a wide range of technology within lessons, allowing them to secure and deepen their understanding.Classes are each allocated a weekly timeslot for the ICT Suite as well as access to class sets of iPads.
1) Aims
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To enable our staff and pupils to become competent, confident, and independent users of technology.
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To provide pupils with the computing skills necessary to become independent learners through a stimulating and challenging curriculum.
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To experience computing across the curriculum, enriching and extending learning by providing access to a wide range of technology.
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To provide pupils with opportunities to apply their computing skills in other areas of the curriculum.
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To promote safe and sensible use of information and technology.
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To provide continuity and progression in all strands of the Computing National Curriculum at Key stage 1 and 2.
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To provide pupils with an understanding of the role of computing in the world around them and its importance in the future.
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To ensure appropriate and equal access to technology for all pupils regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or ability.
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To commit to the continuous professional development of computing for staff.
Have a look at our policies and how we keep safe on the internet: