Online Safety

Online safety and keeping children safe online is an important part of the curriculum. We ensure that online safety is taught explicitly throughout the academic year and is a continuing theme through every unit of computing we teach.

We have organised parent sessions through Lancashire authority. We ensure that all of our children know how to stay safe online and what to do if they ever feel unsafe.

Please do what you can by checking the settings of your child's devices and talking to them about the online safety rules we learn in class.

We promote an ethos of respect when online and make sure that whatever we type or say online is kind and useful- we need your help at home to support this so that we can all work together to keep our children safe and SMART.

Online safety is an integral part of children’s education in today’s digital world and is embedded in their learning at school. We also want to help our parents and children improve their own understanding of online safety issues so they can learn to use the internet and all digital media in a safe and secure way.

At Barrowford St Thomas, we buy fully into Lancashire Digital Services who ensure that our internet filtering is effective. Through Lancashire Digital services, we utilise NETSWEEPER across our entire school network

Online Safety Policy

Internet Acceptable Use Policy

Online Safety in the curriculum

For online safety lessons, we utilise resources from Project Evolve.

Project EVOLVE resources each of the 330 statements from UK Council for Internet Safety's (UKCIS) framework “Education for a Connected World” with perspectives; research; activities; outcomes; supporting resources and professional development materials. 

The content has been written by a team of experts at the UK Safer Internet Centre. It is up to date; relevant and engaging and moves online life education into the third decade of the 21st century.

Each half term at Barrowford St Thomas, there will be focused lessons regarding online safety as part of our PSHE and computing lessons. Of course, it goes without saying, that online safety is ongoing and is addressed throughout all subjects when appropriate or when issues arise.

Please see the overview below which shows which areas we will be focusing on each half term.

Click here for our computing plans

Click here for PSHE scheme of work

Here are quick links to a range of Internet safety sites that you may find useful:

Online safety for 5 to 7 year olds 

Online safety for 8-10 year olds

Parentsafe: Keeping your children safe online and beyond

Further information and links for parents from Lancashire authority following parent training in November 2020 'Keeping children safe online'.

Online Tutors: Keeping children safe

Online Safety for Children

• When you are using the internet at school or at home it is very important that you stay safe.
• You will have been taught at school how to stay safe when using the internet on the computer, an Ipad or a mobile phone. It is also a good idea to talk to your parents or an adult and they will be able to help you!
• If you are worried about anything you see on the internet talk to an adult who you trust. You can also report it to the police by clicking HERE.

Reporting harmful content

The RHC button is an asset of SWGfL, a charity working internationally to ensure all benefit from technology, free from harm.

The button has been developed to offer anyone living in the UK a simple and convenient mechanism for gaining access to reporting routes for commonly used social networking sites, gaming platforms, apps and streaming services alongside trusted online safety advice, help and support. It also provides access to an online mechanism for reporting online harm to the RHC service for those over the age of 13 where an intial report has been made to industry but no action has been taken. RHC will review content in line with a sites' community standards and act in a mediatory capacity where content goes against these.

Children under 13 years of age are encouraged to tell an adult that they trust about what has happened and to ask for their help in reporting this going through our how we can help resource together.

RHC also have advice and links to reporting routes for other online harms people may come across or face, such as impersonation, privacy violations and intimate image abuse. 

The RHC button provides a gateway to the RHC reporting pages, an area of the RHC website offering: 

• links to reporting routes on commonly used sites for 8 types of online harm

• help, advice and support on what to do if experiencing or witnessing harm online

• signposting to industry partners reporting forms and the ability to reportlegal but harmful content directly to RHC for further investigation

Reporting to RHC

Reports can be made 24/7 through the online reporting forms and helpline practitioners will review and respond to reports  within 72 hours between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday.

Reports can be made to RHC by anyone over the age of 13. SWGfL operates 3 helplines and to be sure you're getting the right support take a look at the Helpline flowchart to find out who can best support you.