e-Safety Advice

At Sacred Heart, we are committed to educating our children about how to keep themselves safe online. Below are some useful links and resources you may want to use to help protect your child when they are using technology at home.

A key component of the new National Curriculum Computing programme of study is Digital Literacy. As well as highlighting the many benefits of using information technology, digital literacy covers all of the aspects of e-safety; using information technology responsibly and respectfully, keeping personal information private and recognizing acceptable/unacceptable behaviour. Children are taught who to ask for help when they have concerns about content and contact online.

 

Social Media

More and more children are using social media as a way to keep in touch with their friends outside of school. Social media can be a great way for children to connect with their friends, be creative, learn about uses of technology beyond school and shape their own views and personalities. However, it is important to make children aware of the dangers of sharing information and communicating with others online.

H2B Safety Centre is an excellent website with advice about how to adjust your privacy settings on all of the major apps, including WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. It is quick and free to create an account and the information is regularly updated. The website also includes instructions on how to block and report other users on the major apps, on iPhone, Android and Desktop devices.

 

Internet Matters

Internet Matters has e-safety information tailored to each age range, offering advice on how to protect your children across the primary age range, their transition to high school and beyond.

Thinkuknow

This is a great child-friendly website with lots of resources and videos to teach children about protecting themselves online.

Children aged 5-7 will enjoy the Hector’s World cartoon videos, which highlight the importance of keeping personal details private online and asking adults for advice if they are concerned about anything they see online.

There are also lots of games and resources suitable for older children, covering a range of topics including sharing personal information, recognising unsafe emails and the dangers of sharing images online.

Other e-safety resources

Dixi is an online mystery drama aimed at 7-12 year olds, exploring e-safety issues.

NetSmartz provides information about the importance of creating a secure password and how to choose one.