​At LEO School, we prioritise the well-being and safety of our students, both in the classroom and online. Behaviour online, both whilst at school and at home, is an increasingly important area where we need to work together with parents to ensure that our children are able to use the internet safely.

 

Our Behaviour Policy is designed to create a positive and supportive environment that fosters respectful interactions and responsible decision-making. We believe that appropriate behaviour extends beyond physical spaces and must encompass the digital world as well.

 

Therefore, we emphasise online safety through comprehensive education on responsible online conduct, ensuring that students understand the importance of maintaining respectful interactions in all forms of communication.

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Online Safety – Supporting Appropriate Behaviour Online

 

Recognising the increasing significance of the digital landscape in our students' lives, LEO School actively promotes safe online practices. Our curriculum includes specific lessons on digital citizenship, encouraging students to be aware of their online presence and the impact of their actions. We instill best practices for online behavior, emphasizing empathy, respect, and the importance of thinking critically about the content they share and consume. Through interactive workshops and discussions, we equip students with the tools they need to navigate the online world responsibly, fostering a culture of kindness and accountability.

 

Online bullying (often called cyberbullying) is also something that we ensure that all parents and children are aware of.  The most recent DfE guidance - Advice for parents and carers on cyberbullying - helps parents to protect their children from cyberbullying, and provides advice on how to tackle it if it happens.

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Online Safety at Home

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The importance of online safety extends beyond school boundaries into students’ homes where they engage with technology in various forms. Parents play a crucial role in nurturing a safe online environment. We encourage families to establish open lines of communication about online activities, discussing potential risks and the importance of reporting any concerning behaviour. LEO School provides resources and guidance for parents to help them understand the digital tools their children are using and to promote healthy online habits at home, ensuring that they reinforce the lessons learned in school.

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As a school it is our duty to ensure that children and their families are using the internet safely and understand how to monitor its use.

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If your child has access to the internet at home do you know…

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What your child is doing when using the computer?  The dangers of using a chat site or email account?  How old a child must be to have a Facebook account?  How to monitor your child’s use of the internet? 

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If you answered no or are unsure about any of the above questions we can help! Please speak to the School Office for further information.  We also recommend the site ThinkUKnow, on which you can find a number of useful guides.  Childnet International is another useful site; the UK Safer Internet Centre also has a number of useful resources that we recommend.  

 

Online Safety Tips and Links for Parents

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To support parents in their efforts to promote online safety, LEO School curates a comprehensive range of tips and resources. We recommend implementing parental controls on devices, setting clear guidelines for internet usage, and encouraging regular discussions about online experiences. Additionally, we provide links to reputable websites and organisations that offer further advice on keeping children safe online, such as the NSPCC and Internet Matters. By working together, parents and educators can cultivate a secure online environment that empowers students to engage responsibly and confidently with the digital world.​​

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1. Support your children at home - Check you know what they are doing on the computer, especially chat rooms and games played with others online. Ask who their “friends” are. Get them to teach you about how things work.

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2. Support the school – Sign the Acceptable Use Policy and take an active interest in what your children are doing in ICT at school.

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3. Support their learning - It helps to keep the computer in a family room not tucked away in a child’s bedroom. Help your children to use the Internet for home work and leisure interests.

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4. Agree some family rules – How long to stay playing computer games, where to keep the mobile phones, which websites can be used....

 

Above all, be ‘SMART’:

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SAFE – Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information – including full name and email address - to people who you don’t trust online.

 

MEETING – Meeting up with someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Only do so with your parent’s/carer’s permission and even then only when they can be present.

 

ACCEPTING – Accepting e-mails, IM messages or opening files from people you don’t know can be dangerous – they may contain viruses or nasty messages!

 

RELIABLE – Someone online may be lying about who they are, and information you find on the internet may not be true. Check information and advice on other websites, in books or ask someone who may know.

 

TELL – Tell your parent/carer or teacher if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or you or someone you know is being cyberbullied.​ For further information, please follow this guidance Support for parents and carers to keep children safe online

 

This guidance outlines resources to help keep children safe from different risks online and where to go to get support and advice.

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