E-Safety

We work very hard with our children at school to ensure that they are safe when using new technologies. It is important that we have your cooperation at home. Part of our role is to also educate parents in how to protect their children from harm when using these technologies.

The Internet is part of our everyday lives and is now easier to access than ever before, however using the Internet can also have risks.

Children and young people are more at risk of exposure to inappropriate or criminal behaviour if they are unaware of the dangers.

These dangers can include:

• viewing unsuitable content e.g. hate material, adult content, sites that endorse unhealthy behaviour 
• giving out personal information
• arranging to meet an online ‘friend’
• becoming involved in, or the victim of, bullying, identity theft, or making and sending indecent or illegal images
• spending too much time online which can effect concentration, education, sleep and health
• copying information from the Internet or buying work from other people to use as their own.

We believe it is important to work with children, staff and parents/carers to understand online dangers and how to combat them. We hope you find these materials useful. Click here for our Online Safety Policy.

Courtesy of the NSPCC and 02, here are a few age related tips to help you get started:

5 – 7 year olds – Proper social networks will still be off-limits, but social games such as Disney’s Club Penguin are a great way for your kids to dip a toe in the water, with a bit of parental supervision. Just keep an eye on in-app purchases, set clear boundaries for use and start talking about staying safe and what to do if they have a concern.

8 – 11 year olds – Social networks will start to come onto the radar, but try to resist for now. Facebook doesn’t allow users younger than 13 (due to advertising laws in the USA) to join. You may also be thinking about your child’s first phone or tablet. Consider using app store gift cards to limit how much they spend on downloads.

12-15 year olds – Children are legally allowed to use most social networks at 13. Discuss what’s safe to share, and help set up their account. They may let you follow or friend them, but they’ll also want some independence, so talk regularly about what they’re doing online and who they’re chatting to so they know they can come to you if something goes wrong.

16+ year olds – Your teenager will no doubt be a social networking pro by now and may well be experimenting with meeting new people online. Respect their space, as you would in real life, and resist temptation to snoop by chatting openly about what they’re up to. This way, you can check they’re sharing information wisely.

Do you have an issue you wish to report?

You have two choices:

Is the issue of a criminal nature? Do you need support from the police? If so, click on CEOP and fill in the form. The button is on the bottom of every page of our website 

Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult due to the nature of the form.

1. Is the issue something the school could help you out with? Are people who are at Thornden Wood Primary saying nasty things to you online? Has something happened and you are not sure how to deal with it? If so, please do speak with an adult in school that you trust whether it be your teacher, TA or Mrs Wilson.

Staff and Governors

All staff and governors have completed safeguarding and e-learning training developed by The National Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters (NCTPHQ), in conjunction with the College of Policing which includes guidance on how to identify people who may be vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism, and how to refer them into the Channel process.

Any extra information regarding counter terrorism, extremism and radicalisation can be found on a specially created website from the Department for Education and the Home Office.