E-Safety
As a child of a digital age, you have grown up around technology in school and also possibly at home. You have never known a time without a computer, laptop or the Internet - and might even be better than your parents!
Although technology and the Internet gives you an opportunity to learn new skill and have fun playing games, there are also some dangers that you should be aware of. You can come across inappropriate websites and images, be a victim of cyber bullying or receive junk/spam emails etc. Hence it is very important that you know how to use technology and the Internet safely and responsibly.
Hargate Pupil wins third prize - Online Safety completion
The Online Guardians group at Hargate took part in a national Online Safety poster design competition. One of our pupils came third and received £25 of Amazon vouchers as a prize.
Below you will find some advice that will help you stay safe online:
Be S.M.A.R.T!
S = Safe
Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information (such as name, email address, phone number, home address or school name) to people who you don’t trust online.
STOP AND THINK
- WHO will see the information?
- WHAT will strangers do with the information?
- HOW can you stop strangers getting information about you?
M = Meeting
Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Only do so with your parents’ or carers’ permission, and even then only when they then go with you.
STOP AND THINK
- WHY should you never arrange to meet anyone you don’t know in the real world?
- WHAT might happen if you do go and meet a stranger you have met on the internet?
- WHO should you tell and what should you do?
A = Accepting
Accepting emails, IM messages or opening files, pictures or texts from people you don’t know or trust can lead to problems. They may contain viruses or nasty messages.
STOP AND THINK
- WHO sent it?
- WILL it be safe to open?
- WHAT can I do to protect myself and my computer?
R = Reliable
Someone online may be lying about who they are, and information you find on the internet may not be reliable.
STOP AND THINK
- WHETHER you can believe what strangers tell you when you are chatting to them online.
- WHAT can I do to check they are who they say they are?
T = Tell
Tell you parent, carer or a trusted adult if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried. They can help you to report at www.thinkuknow.co.uk , and talk to someone who can help.
STOP AND THINK
- WHAT can I when people I’m chatting to online make me feel uncomfortable?
- WHO can I tell?
- WHAT can I do to stop it happening again?
S.M.A.R.T rules are promoted throughout the school using posters, a dedicated E-safety notice board and E-safety events.
Parental controls offered by your home internet provider:
The 4 big internet providers in the UK – BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media - provide their customers with free parental controls which can be activated at any time. They have come together to produce these helpful video guides to help you to download and set-up the controls offered by your provider.
The 4 big internet providers in the UK – BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media - provide their customers with free parental controls which can be activated at any time. They have come together to produce these helpful video guides to help you to download and set-up the controls offered by your provider.
In addition to content filtering offered by your ISP, many devices such as games consoles, smartphones and tablets have their own parental controls, for example to limit spending or restrict access to apps based on age rating.
Parental Controls on devices
The website links below contain fun activities and games for children and advice for parents to keep their children safe online: