Being online is an integral part of children and young people’s lives. Social media, online games, websites and apps can be accessed through mobile phones, computers, laptops and tablets – all of which form a part of children and young people’s online world. The internet and online technology provides new opportunities for learning and growth, but it can also expose children to new types of risks.

Schools have a dual responsibility when it comes to e-safety:

• to ensure the school’s online procedures keep children and young people safe
• to teach children about online safety, in and outside of school

At Newquay Primary Academy, we foster an open environment in which children are encouraged to ask any questions and participate in an ongoing conversation about the benefits and dangers of the online world. E-safety forms a fundamental part of our safeguarding and child protection measures.

 

Screen Time

We know that there are many positives about screen time, according to a recent survey conducted by RCPCH, children stated the following as the top 3 positives:

• Gives you knowledge
• It’s entertaining and enjoyable
• Provides you with more opportunities to reach a wider community

We have all seen a natural increase over recent years as screen time has allowed us to access work and learning and most importantly keep in touch with family and friends when we have been unable to see them. However, now that we are beginning to make the journey out of lockdown, and we are back at school for our learning, we need to think about how much screen time we are having. Some issues associated with too much screen time include:

• Loss of social connection - it stops you from talking to the people around you
• Eye concerns - it can hurts your eyes, make them tired/blurry if you are on screen for too long
• Sleep interference - screen time before bed can stop you from sleeping and having a screen in your room (TV, mobile phone, iPad, games console etc) also prevents a good sleep pattern as the temptation to watch, respond or play can be hard to ignore.

We thought it would be a good time to have a think about  how we can reduce the time spent on screen, and do some physical  activities instead. Here are some top tips to help you manage family screen time.  So let’s all try and TURN OFF our screens and GET ACTIVE!

If you want to find out a little bit more about the health impacts of screen time, have a look at the fact sheet for parents (below) that has information about the impact and ideas to help you make changes.

Useful Parental Controls Guidance

 

Help and information for parents and carers

The most important thing is to get involved with your children and their lives online. By maintaining an open dialogue with your child and encouraging them to talk to you about their internet use, you can help them to access the resources the internet has to offer whilst keeping them safe online.

A Family Agreement is a great way to start a conversation with your whole family about how you all use the internet and discuss together how to behave in a positive way when online at home, at school or at a friends house. Childnet’s Family Agreement template provides a framework that will help families set clear expectations for positive and safe internet use.

Most online services offer some safety features that can help you manage access to age-inappropriate content, report concerns or protect privacy. It is a good idea to think about the sites and services your family uses, and check out which features these sites have that might be helpful for you.

The following videos from the Safer Internet Centre will help you in supporting your children in balancing the risks and benefits of using the internet and technology. 

 

If your child has seen inappropriate content

Sometimes, innocent searches can lead to not so innocent results. And sometimes, children may look for things because they are curious. It is important to know how to reassure young people and help them know what to do and where to go for support if they see inappropriate content online. If your child has seen inappropriate content online, you can:
 

• Talk with them about what they’ve seen – let them know what is, and isn’t, appropriate for their age.
• Reassure them they can come to you, another trusted adult or Childline if they’re worried about something.
• Get advice on setting up parental controls. Try the useful links below.
• Report any inappropriate, illegal, explicit, identifying or distressing content to CEOP through their website.
• Child sexual abuse content found online should also be reported to the Internet Watch Foundation.
• Block any distressing, inappropriate or upsetting content on social media websites. You can learn how to do this through Net Aware.

If you have any questions regarding e-safety, don’t hesitate to speak to:

Jamie Riches - e-safety lead