E-Safety

^{‘’Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important’’}

At the Matthew Arnold School  School we recognise that technology plays an important role in the everyday lives of children, young people and adults. As they say, technology is the future. But here at Matthew Arnold we like to quote Bill Gates.

Our E-Safety Co-ordinator : scottl@matthew-arnold.surrey.sch.uk

Consequently, we endeavour to build in the use of new technologies in order to equip young people with the skills they will need to access life-long learning and employment. We are delighted to provide children with the opportunity to use a wide range of resources to deliver our curriculum. Inevitably however, the online world develops and changes at great speed. New opportunities, challenges and risks are appearing all the time. It is difficult to stay up to date with the latest devices, platforms, apps, trends and related threats. We understand the responsibility and importance of focusing on the underpinning knowledge and behaviours that can help students to navigate the online world safely and confidently regardless of the device, platform or app. Parents and carers may wish to continue this education at home. 

To support you in this, we have collated a few important websites to refer to:

Vodafone : A guide to help your family live a better digital life

Internet matters.org : a safe digital world

CEOP : How to make a report to CEOP

CEOP : How to protect children from online sexual abuse

Parents can find the most up to date guides for a range of social media apps and platforms below.  They include information about each app and useful tips to help keep children safe:

Tik Tok Parent Guide

WhatsApp Parent GuideYouTube Parent GuideThe App Store Parent GuideScreen Addiction Parent Guide

Reddit Parent Guide

Momo Parent GuideLive Streaming Parent GuideLive Streaming Parent Guide

Instagram Parent Guide

Online Grooming Parent Guide

Fortnite : Battle Royale Parent Guide

Fifa Parent Guide

MS Teams Parent Guide

Current legal age restrictions on these sites:

Social Networking checklist

Please have a look at these very useful checklists, which give parents many answers to the questions they may have about the main social networking sites.

Facebook checklist

Instagram checklistSnapchat checklistTwitter checklist

Important steps for parents/teachers to follow when young people go online:

1. Discuss as a family how the Internet will be used in your house. Consider what information should be kept private (such as personal information, photos etc) and decide rules for making and meeting online friends. Make sure you know what your child is doing online much like you would offline.
2. Discuss using strong passwords with your child so they understand how they can protect their online accounts. It is important they know they need to keep their passwords safe and not share them with anyone or use the same password for several accounts. If your child’s account is 'hacked' make sure they change their password and report any suspicious activity.
3. Install antivirus software, secure your Internet connection and use Parental Control functions for computers, mobile phones and games consoles to block unsuitable content or contact. Always remember that parental control tools are not always 100 per cent effective and sometimes unsuitable content may get past them, so don’t rely on them alone to protect your child.
4. Consider locating your computers and laptops in a family area where children’s online activity can be monitored. Supervise the use of webcams and any applications or devices which allow voice or video chat. Also consider the use and location of other devices which allow internet access such as tablets, mobile phones and games consoles.
5. Talk to your child and ask them to show or even teach you how they use the Internet, learn which websites or tools they like to use and why. Learning together with your child can often open opportunities to discuss safe behaviour online.
6. Always ensure your child knows how to block and report people online who may send nasty or inappropriate messages or content. Encourage your child not to retaliate or reply and to keep any evidence.
7. Make sure your child knows that it is important to tell an adult they trust if anything happens online that makes them feel scared, worried or uncomfortable.
8. Be realistic. Banning the Internet or websites often will not work and it can make a child feel less able to report a problem or concern, so education around safe use is essential.
   Click here for further information and guidance

The Matthew Arnold School is proud to hold Pathfinder status within the AiEd Certified framework, supporting responsible and purposeful AI integration across our community.