Kirkburton CE First School

What is Online Safety?

Kirkburton First School works with children and parents to ensure safety, as we learn together about the internet, and new technologies.

Parents and children can find out more about online safety by looking at resources posted on the CEOP web site. Follow the link to find out more.

http://ceop.police.uk/

Online Safety encompasses not only Internet technologies but also electronic communications via mobile phones, games consoles and wireless technology. It highlights the need to educate children and young people about the benefits, risks and responsibilities of using information technology.

• Online SafetySafety concerns safeguarding children and young people in the digital world.

• Online Safety emphasises learning to understand and use new technologies in a positive way.

• Online Safety is less about restriction and more about education about the risks as well as the benefits so we can feel confident online.

• Online Safety is concerned with supporting children and young people to develop safer online behaviours both in and out of school.

The Internet is an unmanaged, open communications channel. The World Wide Web, email, blogs and social networks all transmit information using the Internet’s communication infrastructure internationally at low cost. Anyone can send messages, discuss ideas and publish material with little restriction. These features of the Internet make it an invaluable resource used by millions of people every day.

Some of the material on the Internet is published for an adult audience and can include violent and adult content. Information on weapons, crime and racism may also be unsuitable for children and young people to access. Children need to develop critical skills to evaluate online material and learn that publishing personal information could compromise their security and that of others. We (School and parenst/carers) have a duty of care to enable children to use online systems safely.

At Kirkburton First we need to protect ourselves from legal challenge and ensure that staff work within the boundaries of professional behaviour. The law is catching up with Internet developments: for example it is an offence to store images showing child abuse and to use email, text or instant messaging (IM) to ‘groom’ children.

We help protect ourselves by making it clear to children, staff and visitors that the use of school equipment for inappropriate reasons is “unauthorised” and ensure an Acceptable Use Policy is in place. Online Safety training is an essential element of staff induction and part of an ongoing CPD programme. However, we are  aware that a disclaimer is not sufficient to protect a school from a claim of personal injury and the school needs to ensure that all reasonable actions have been taken and measures put in place to protect users.

The rapid development and accessibility of the Internet and new technologies such as personal publishing and social networking means that Online Safety is an ever growing and changing area of interest and concern. The school’s Online Safety policy reflects this by keeping abreast of the vast changes taking place around us. The school’s Online Safety Policy operates in conjunction with other school policies including Behaviour, Child Protection and Anti-Bullying. Online Safety is also built into the curriculum.