Carwarden House Community School

Online Safety

Online safety at Carwarden

As a school we treat the safety of your pupils and online safety with the highest importance. Routines have been built into the day to enable our learners to work in a safe environment. Every morning when pupils arrive in their tutor groups all mobile phones are collected in and then returned at the end of the school day. Every pupil at Carwarden has their own secure login allowing them access to the internet, emails and their programme of study thus promoting independence.

Our pupils are becoming more and more digitally savvy and starting to explore the online world, so it is of high importance that they are taught how to navigate the online world safely and make sure they have the confidence and awareness to raise anything that may concern them. Within the Computing curriculum Online Safety is at the full front of the programme, looking at and investigating different aspects of Online Safety throughout all year groups. Some of the topics covered include passwords, emails, digital footprint, gaming, how to report any concerns, sharing information when online, safely access the internet/websites/social media and navigating content safely.

Throughout the academic year there will be external speakers such as the Police and the Break Foundation coming in to our School to give talks to our pupils and parents on staying safe when online.

As a school:

All staff receive up to date training on how to report any concerns and staff are registered with the National Online Safety website receiving up to date and current information on all areas of online safety.

Within the school daily online usage is closely monitored using a programme called Smoothwall. This allows SLT to identify any concerns and address them quickly. We have an online Safety policy which is regularly reviewed (please see our policy section on this website).

Top Tips for Parents and Carers

For any guidance on how to keep everyone safe when online at home please see below useful resources and guidance on how to support your young person at home.

Having conversations without judgement.

Whether by playing games, watching videos, or doing things your child enjoys, spending time together online is a great way to start conversations about the online world and how they’re finding being a part of it. It is important to ask questions and take an interest in what your child enjoys online. An essential part of having this open dialogue is to not judge, even if their behaviour or life online isn’t what you wanted or expected. This ensures that your child feels they can come to you if ever they make a mistake or experience a problem online.

Knowing where you can learn more about their favourite apps and games.

Websites like Common Sense Media or The Family Gaming Database can be invaluable sources of information. When your child starts talking about a new game or app, why not do some research into the reporting and blocking options available? Then you can help your child if they come to you with an issue.

Getting support if things go wrong.

There are lots of organisations who are there to support you and your family if something has gone wrong. The Report Harmful Content website can help you with issues such as cyberbullying, impersonation and threats. You can report worrying behaviour towards children to CEOP. Find out more on Childnet’s Get Help page.

Reassuring your child that whatever happens online, you are there to support them.

Let your child know that the best way to address any problem they have online, is to tell a trusted adult immediately. For example, this might include someone sending them a friend request; an online message; telling them to visit a specific website, or app; or asking them for their personal information. Reassure them that if anything happens online that they are unsure about, or makes them feel worried or upset, they can come to you for help.

 

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