ONLINE & INTERNET SAFETY

We proactively prepare children for their digital futures, teaching them to use technology efficiently and supportively.

Our curriculum balances the benefits of the internet with essential safety training, ensuring that students understand how to protect themselves and others as they navigate the online world.

Online Presence

Our children will grow up with an online presence and pressure around them to engage (often before they are emotionally or intellectually mature enough to protect themselves or understand their influence on others).

Our curriculum and guidance focuses on how to stay safe and responsible online. These lessons are weaved throughout our PSHE and Computing curriculum and are backed up with online safety assemblies, age appropriate workshops (including debate and discussion) and in the way that we tackle the misuse of social media and online presence through out therapeutic behaviour approach, ensuring that children are explicitly taught where they may have impacted on others or how they may be unsafe themselves.

We talk extensively to the children about the role of the bystander (those who facilitate negative activity) and actively teach all children how to be ‘upstanders’ (speaking out when something is not right and asking an adult for help).

Parent Support

We rely heavily on an aligned approach with parents asking that they take responsibility for their child’s actions and appropriate use of IT, social media outside school, monitoring and supporting with the tools available. We know that all families are busy and that the use of IT, phones, tablets and computers are really useful and practical in the modern world (we use them too). However when parents actively monitor and restrict screen time, what pupils are looking at (particularly Youtube and social media), and take time to speak with their child honestly about responsible use, will benefit from well rounded and supportive citizens who can take responsibility for their safety and their actions.

Online Safety Policy

Use of Internet in school

At Long Lane safeguarding is our highest priority which is why we have procedures in place to be able to use the internet safely whether an adult or a pupil. Our system has a number of phises that monitor and filter what we are able to access in school on all our devices. This ensures a layer of safety so that pupils and staff can use IT without concerns over content as we understand that there are risks everyday across the internet.

All staff are trained in the reporting of any breeches and we also teach the children to report any concerns or content that they feel is not age-appropriate. Pupils are supervised with their use of IT at all times.

Use of mobile phones and other devices

We have a no mobile phone or smart device (including smart watches) policy and staff also do not use their personal devices in public areas of the school (there are designated adult only spaces for taking calls or checking media). We ask our parents to respect this also when they are in school or on the school grounds.

Staff are encouraged to capture events in photographs and video through school devices that do not leave the building and are monitored regularly for content and GDPR protocols.

Use of the Internet and E-safety across the curriculum

We explicitly teach the many uses of IT across the curriculum supporting a balance of how IT can be used effectively and efficiently to support learning (the exciting aspects of modern technology for our future) whilst also providing open discussion and explicit teaching about the risks and dangers in order to future proof and foster healthy boundaries and respect for themselves and others.

Through our PSHE curriculum (where we tackle cyberbullying, online safety and responsible use of internet) and our Computing curricululum that accompanies these values but teaches the risks and joys of technology, we believe that we cover all aspects of this topic.

Alongside this active teaching we have regular assemblies to re-inforce online safety in the context of behaviour, respect and other values of citizenship (including respect for self).

We have noticed that there is a definite shift in online presence by Year 6. In order to ensure that we are proactive rather than reactive in situations regarding online safety. This includes a variety of parent leaflets for supporting this at home.

In Year 5 and 6 the Headteacher delivers a Social media and Internet workshop (age appropriate) to ensure that children have a good understanding of the dangers and risks before they are exposed to it. This highlights age-appropriate content as well as the benefits and enjoyment of online content. It assumes that at some point they will be using it and so focuses on 'Staying Smart, in control and Responsible'.

Year 5 & 6 Social Media Workshop

Safe Internet Use Assembly

How the school deals with the misuse of online content and cyberbyullying

At Long Lane we take the misuse of Online content and Cyberbullying extremely seriously. Where children are using the internet inappropriately either to view content, cyberbully or be irresponsible in thought, word and action there needs to be both protective and educational consequences. Some of these issues can also present themselves as a safeguarding concern as children may not be safe as a result of the misuse.

We work closely with families and need their support to monitor and restrict internet use to age-appropriate and emotionally safe viewing and we also need their support to unpick and support resolution to this form of bullying or conflict as evidence is likely to remain outside school although any issues can often come to a head inside school when children see each other. If we don't know, we can't deal with it effectively.

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility in the community. We ask that any unsafe or irresponsible behaviour online is reported to safeguarding leads or SLT at the school so that we can work together to support this.

Remember your child's perspective is just that... we need to see facts and understand intentions to get a good resolution.

If you have any concerns about appropriate online use or cyberbullying, please contact us via our safeguarding email;