E-Safety
At The Manor Field Schools, we recognise the value of the internet and the integral place of digital technology in the world in which we live; however, we also understand our responsibility in teaching the children how to access digital technology, and particularly the internet, safely and mindfully.
We teach e-safety as an fundamental part of our curriculum and discuss issues such as; keeping password and personal information private, trusting people and sources online, what to do if anything makes children feel uncomfortable online and safe internet searching.
There are a number of resources for parents wanting to find out more about how to keep their children safe online, we would highly recommend accessing www.thinkuknow.co.uk. This website contains a wealth of information, is up-to-date and informative.
Online Safety Advice
Here are some useful tips for making sure your child is safe online:
- Encourage your child to treat online strangers the same way they would treat them in the street - not to trust everything they say.
- Make sure your child does not arrange to meet up with anyone they have met online. You need to explain the dangers to them.
- Encourage your child to keep personal information to themselves while online.
- Treat their online friendships in the same way as their real world friendships - by showing an interest.
- Share the experience of going online - go surfing together.
- Agree with your child that you will help set up their profile with them. This way you will know their password and can access their account if necessary.
- Encourage them to limit their number of friends.
- Talk with your child about their experiences online.
Here are some things you can do that will not only protect your children online, but your whole family:
- Set up the computer in a communal area of the house, like the living room.
- Agree how much time can be spent on each site by each family member. Microsoft has a downloadable "Online Code of Conduct Contract" which every member of the family can sign up to.
- Use an up-to-date web browser.
- Make sure your wireless network is password protected.
- Make regular back-ups.
- Get anti-virus software, anti-spyware software and a firewall.
- Keep your computer up-to-date.
- Block spam emails.
- Use child protection settings to restrict access to certain sites.
Help and Advice
Resources
NSPCC - Keeping children safe online
KidSMART - Information about being smart online
Get Safe Online - How to protect your PC and avoid internet crime.
Choose - Staying safe online with parental control software