Kents Hill Infant Academy is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all its students in the digital age. On this page, parents will find essential resources and guidance about e-safety, equipping them to talk to their children about online risks and responsibilities. With the increasing use of technology in education, we believe it’s vital for families to stay informed about safe internet practices, helping to foster a secure and supportive online environment for children.
We invite parents to explore these resources and engage in conversations with their children about safe online behavior, promoting awareness and understanding together as a community.
Technology is at the very centre of all our lives today, especially our children’s. Learning how to use technology wisely is an essential skill for life and learning in the 21st century. However, at a time when there is increased access to numerous different technology platforms, many children are at a greater risk of online grooming, cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate or illegal content online.
Kents Hill Infant Academy believe that both school and parents/carers need to work in partnership in order to safeguard children from harm online.Kents Hill Infant Academy believe that promoting online safety plays a critical role in protecting our pupils online and as a result pupils are taught about how to stay safe and how to behave appropriately online. Kents Hill Infant Academy have extensive security measures in place which keep children safe whilst using technology in school and their usage is monitored to help safeguard them from potential dangers or unsuitable materials.
Parents/carers have a highly important role to play in keeping children safe online. There are many ways parents/carers can help minimise the risks associated with children being online and increase parents/carers awareness of online safety. The list below provides ideas to help parents/carers keep children safe online.
Age appropriate
Only give your child access to devices, websites, apps, games and social media sites that are age-appropriate. Access the PEGI guidance (https://pegi.ingo/page/pegi-age-ratings) on age ratings to inform your choices when buying games for your child, or deciding whether the games they are playing are appropriate, by following the age ratings assigned to each game. Read each game’s advice for parents and play the game yourself to help you understand what it involves.
Common Sense Media offer a trusted library of independent age-based and educational ratings and reviews for movies, games, apps, TV shows, websites, books and music which can be found using the found using the following link https://www.commonsensemedia.org/.
Below is a poster produced by National Online Safety which offers information on age ratings. Please use the following link https://nationalonlinesafety.com/guides to access many more posters
National Online Safety – A parent’s guide to Age Rating
Appropriate content
Only give your child access to devices, websites, apps, games and social media sites that you feel comfortable with and not as a result of peer-pressure.
Communication
Talk to your child about why it is important to stay safe online. Explain that whilst the internet is a fun, exciting and knowledge-rich tool, it is also a place where people may wish to bring them into dangerous activities or expose them to unpleasant material. It is important to be clear that you are not saying your child may never use the internet again, or that everything on it is harmful – it is about teaching them to have a greater awareness and to be able to manage and report any risks. Keep an open dialogue with your child – letting them know they can always talk to you about anything that has made them feel uncomfortable online is key to keeping them safe.
Rules and boundaries
Discuss with your child rules for being online and draw them up together, including which websites, games, apps, social media sites etc., are acceptable. If certain materials are off-limits, try to explain why, for example, because of excessive violence or bad language. If your child uses online gaming, consider setting rules, such as only talking to people you know and having the conversations on speaker, rather than through headphones, so you can monitor it.
Information sharing
Talk to your child about what information should be kept private; for example, name(s), date of birth, address, contact details, school name etc., should never be given out to strangers online. Remind your child not to give out their passwords and ensure they change it occasionally. Teach them to unclick the ‘remember me’ option on public computers such as at school and the library.
Supervision/monitoring and parental controls
Ensure all devices used by your child are kept in a communal space, or a space where they can be supervised whilst using their devices. You can check what your child has been doing by looking at the history in your internet browser, set parental controls which are designed to help parents/carers manage their child’s online activities. However, do not rely on parental controls on devices over you offering support and advice to your child online, as they are not always 100% effective and some children know how to bypass them. The use of ‘SafeSearch’ is highly recommended for use with children. Most web search engines will have a ‘SafeSearch’ function, which will allow you to limit the content your child is exposed to while online. Look out for the ‘Settings’ button on your web browser homepage (often shaped like a small cog).
For further information on setting up parental control, see the following link:https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/Parental-controls/
For further information on how to set up parental controls on different devices see the following link:https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/
Reporting and blocking
Make sure your child knows how to report or ‘block’ unsuitable content, messages or people online – show them how to block on the websites or games they frequently use and explain that they can always tell you, a teacher or another adult if they experience anything which makes them feel uncomfortable. If a parent/carer is worried about online sexual abuse or the way someone has been communicating with a child on line a report should be made to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) team. CEOP is a command of the National Crime Agency and can investigate what is happening – with the assurance that the safety and well-being of children is always paramount.
To make a referral to CEOP, see the following link:CEOP
Kents Hill Infant Academy is dedicated to providing a supportive and informative environment for parents, especially regarding e-safety and useful resources. We understand that navigating the online world can be challenging, and we aim to equip families with necessary tools and knowledge to ensure their children’s safe internet usage.
This section provides links to trusted websites and resources that can help parents foster a secure online experience for their children. We encourage parents to discuss e-safety topics at home, reinforcing the importance of safe internet practices and open communication about online activities.