Safe use of the Internet

Safe use of the Internet
at Church Drive Primary School

We know that many of our pupils have access to some form of technology at home – a mobile phone, perhaps, or a tablet or laptop computer. These exciting and useful gadgets can provide a lot of fun, but they also enable access to various websites and social media tools that may not be appropriate for children of primary school age. We’d therefore like to share some useful links to help you, in partnership with us here in school, to teach your child how to use the internet safely and responsibly.

Click here for guides on how to set up safety controls on iPhones/iPads, social media sites and gaming devices.

Click here for a link to a guide on broadband parental controls.

Click here to view or download a leaflet from Childnet International; this leaflet collects together a number of useful links and pieces of information.

The UK Safer Internet Centre has advice for parents on what to do if your child sees something upsetting online.

The ‘Think U Know' website contains much useful advice for parents and sections aimed directly at children in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Other useful sites can be found in our Useful Links section (click here).

Social networking websites and apps all have clear policies about the minimum age of those signing up, and this is nearly always the age of 13. For example, the policy for Twitter states: “Our Services are not directed to persons under 13. If you become aware that your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us at privacy@twitter.com. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we take steps to remove such information and terminate the child's account. You can find additional resources for parents and teens here.”

Instagram states: “Instagram does not knowingly collect or solicit any information from anyone under the age of 13 or knowingly allow such persons to register for the Service. The Service and its content are not directed at children under the age of 13. In the event that we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13 without parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us.”

Snapchat states: “We don’t direct our Services to anyone under 13. And that’s why we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. Children under 13 may only use Snapkidz. For more information, please see the “What is Snapkidz?” section of our Guide for Parents, available here.”

Likewise, Facebook clearly states that members must be aged at least 13 and that it will delete any accounts if it becomes aware that the user is below this age. These regulations are all in place to protect the children and keep them safe.

The following poster provides clear information on how to set-up parental controls using Family Pairing for TikTok - this is a further measure that you can take to protect your children.

We do hope that you find these links useful. If you'd like to discuss any of these issues further then please do contact the school.

You can also view our eSafety Policy by clicking here.