Online Safety
Newbridge School is a special needs educational provision catering to both primary and secondary students. We recognise the importance of online safety for our pupils, particularly considering their unique complexities and vulnerabilities. As such, we place great emphasis on implementing additional precautions to ensure our students' safety in the digital world. We achieve this by collaborating closely with parents/carers, teachers, and teaching assistants to equip them with the knowledge and resources necessary for supporting children online. Furthermore, we prioritise personalised learning experiences that are both meaningful and relevant to each student's individual needs.et Day - 8th February 2022
Policy
The 4 key categories of risk Our approach to online safety is based on addressing the following categories of risk:
Content:
Some online content is not suitable for children and may be hurtful or harmful. This is true for content accessed and viewed via social networks, online games, blogs and websites. It’s important for children to consider the reliability of online material and be aware that it might not be true or written with a bias. Children may need your help as they begin to assess content in this way.
There can be legal consequences for using or downloading copyrighted content, without seeking the author’s permission.
Contact:
It is important for children to realise that new friends made online may not be who they say they are and that once a friend is added to an online account, you may be sharing your personal information with them. Regularly reviewing friends lists and removing unwanted contacts is a useful step. Privacy settings online may also allow you to customise the information that each friend is able to access. If you have concerns that your child is, or has been, the subject of inappropriate sexual contact or approach by another person, it is vital that you report it to the police via the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. www.ceop.police.uk.
If your child is the victim of cyberbullying, this can also be reported online and offline. Reinforce with your child the importance of telling a trusted adult straight away if someone is bullying them or making them feel uncomfortable, or if one of their friends is being bullied online.
Conduct:
Personal online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm, such as making, sending and receiving explicit images (e.g. consensual and nonconsensual sharing of nudes and semi-nudes and/or pornography), sharing other explicit images and online bullying; and
Commercialism:
Young people’s privacy and enjoyment online can sometimes be affected by advertising and marketing schemes, which can also mean inadvertently spending money online, for example within applications. Encourage your children to keep their personal information private, learn how to block both pop ups and spam emails, turn off in-app purchasing on devices where possible, and use a family email address when filling in online forms.
Internet Matters - https://www.internetmatters.org/?_gl=1%2A5orar3%2A_up%2AMQ
Parents’ Guides for Keeping Children Safe
Links and information sheets to help keep your child safe
10 Tips to keep children safe online
YOUTUBE - Safety Detection Website
Educational Websites and Apps
Help Kidz Learn - https://www.helpkidzlearn.com/
Call Scotland - https://www.callscotland.org.uk/assets/files/android-apps-for-complex-communication-support-needs.pdf
Eye Gaze Setup Guide - https://www.callscotland.org.uk/downloads/posters-and-leaflets/eye-gaze-setup-guide/
Eye Gaze Software Curve - https://www.callscotland.org.uk/assets/files/eye-gaze-software-curve.pdf
SENICT - https://www.ianbean.co.uk/senict-members-resource-portal/
The National College - https://beta.nationalcollege.com/library?sortBy=newest&phase=15&types%5B0%5D=App%5CModels%5CResource&amount=24
Child Internet Safety Link
Childline - https://www.childline.org.uk/
Online Safety Support for Parents and Carers
CEOP - https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
NSPCC - https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
UK Safer Internet Centre - https://saferinternet.org.uk/
Useful Phone Numbers
NSPCC – online safety helpline where you can find practical advice about how to set parental controls on devices: 0808 800 5002
NSPCC Adult Helpline – where you can call and speak to someone about a concern you might have or to check that what you are doing about online safety at home is correct and appropriate: 0808 800 5000
