Embracing a Safer Digital Future: Observing Safer Internet Day

2nd February 2024

In an age where technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace and screen time becomes an integral part of our daily lives, it's crucial to navigate the digital landscape with caution and responsibility. We believe that through a collaborative effort with parents, teachers and pupils, we can create an environment where everyone feels confident and secure in their online interactions.

Whiteknights will be hosting a special school assembly to mark Safer Internet Day on February 6th. This event aims to engage students in conversations about online safety, digital responsibility and the positive impact of technology.

In preparation for the upcoming assembly, Mr. Lane, our Head of Computing, proactively conducted a survey among KS2 pupils to gauge their preferences on topics to be featured. The survey results revealed that students harbour concerns related to the appropriateness of online content, seeking guidance on what constitutes a 'healthy amount' of screen time, and expressing curiosity about age restrictions on the online platforms they wish to utilise.

Understanding the significance of addressing these concerns, we encourage parents and guardians to leverage the resources provided below. These materials are designed to assist you in continuing to support your children in their digital endeavours, both at home and beyond.

Safeguarding the online well-being of our school community is a shared responsibility. Together, we can make a difference!

National Online Safety:

Whiteknights have partnered National Online Safety (NOS) - providing free resources for all parents and carers. The resources include Parents & Carers courses and online video resources.

To create your account, please follow https://nationalonlinesafety.com/enrol/whiteknights-primary-school and submit your details. Once your account is set up, you’ll be able to set ‘Parent/Carer' as your user type and access NOS online via any device, including via the smartphone app (available on Apple / Android app stores).

*Please be sure to register your account as referred to in the link above before completing the course/s - this will aid our school in acquiring ONLINE SAFETY POINTS towards our online safety status. 

 

Other useful resources:

Parent video on parental controls - https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/

Advice on inappropriate content - https://youtu.be/dzDAEClQELg

 

As an integral component of our curriculum objectives, we actively instil the principles of safe and responsible online use within our Computing lessons. Project Evolve serves as an invaluable curriculum resource in this endeavour, providing comprehensive tools and guidance to enhance our pupils’ digital literacy and ensure their adept navigation of the ever-evolving online landscape.

Below is one of the resources, from Project Evolve, we will be sharing with pupils at our assembly.

Internet Matters - click to enlarge