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Parents Online
January 2021
Home-learning - please see the home-learning page here
Safer Internet Day parent information - Letter sent to parents.
Keeping safe online
During this time of home schooling due to COVID-19, many tasks involve online activities. Here are some areas of guidance and links to support your online safety.
Please check the following
- If you have any problems or queries with work set, please email the class teacher on the address at the top of the class page.
- Ensure your child has a good balance of online activities, physical and creative activities.
- Ensure parental controls are set on the devices used.
- Ensure internet filters are on.
- Check any websites being used, to ensure they are appropriate for your child – especially if they are different to those mentioned on the school plans.
- Remind your child to apply their online safety learning and always check with an adult before sharing any information.
If you do experience any of the following issues or would like advice, here are just a few links to guidance and support websites.
- Harmful or Upsetting content -you can contact the UK Safer Internet centre at https://reportharmfulcontent.com/
- Bullying or Online Abuse – you can contact the National Crime Agency website at https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/ or the Anti Bullying Alliance at
https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/tools-information/if-youre-being-bullied
- Mental Health and Wellbeing - you can contact https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
As during normal school days, please do inform us of any online safety issues so that we are able to keep a record of potential problems.
June 2020
Parents
This article helps you think about what is possible, what can go wrong and the decisions you need to make about safe use in the home.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/answers-to-parents-top-questions-about-smart-speakers
It includes information about how young children can make use of them, hidden costs in using them and privacy settings.
Use the list of things that can go wrong to help your family agree how your home assistant can be enjoyed safely.
New DfE Online Safety Support for Parents and Carers
The DfE have released updated guidance to support parents and carers with helping keep children safe from different risks online and where to go to receive support and advice duirng the Coronavirus crisis. Find it at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-keeping-children-safe-online/coronavirus-covid-19-support-for-parents-and-carers-to-keep-children-safe-online
May 2020
Online safety activities you can do from home
Whilst children are spending more time at home and possibly more time using their devices, these great ideas from Childnet can help you teach your child about Online Safety from home. They also have resources to use with different age groups.
The NSPCC also have advice for how to have a conversation with your children about Online Safety at:
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/talking-child-online-safety/
April 2020
Keeping safe during Home Schooling
Dear Parents/Carers
During this time of home schooling due to COVID-19, many tasks involve online activities. Here are some areas of guidance and links to support your online safety.
Please check the following
- If you have any problems or queries with work set, please email the class teacher on the address at the top of the class page.
- Ensure your child has a good balance of online activities, physical and creative activities.
- Ensure parental controls are set on the devices used.
- Ensure internet filters are on.
- Check any websites being used, to ensure they are appropriate for your child – especially if they are different to those mentioned on the school plans.
- Remind your child to apply their online safety learning and always check with an adult before sharing any information.
If you do experience any of the following issues or would like advice, here are just a few links to guidance and support websites.
- Harmful or Upsetting content -you can contact the UK Safer Internet centre at https://reportharmfulcontent.com/
- Bullying or Online Abuse – you can contact the National Crime Agency website at https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/ or the Anti Bullying Alliance at
https://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/tools-information/if-youre-being-bullied
- Mental Health and Wellbeing - you can contact https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
As during normal school days, please do inform us of any online safety issues so that we are able to keep a record of potential problems.
Further links and guidance / support can be found on our Parents Online page on the school website: https://www.puritonprimaryschool.org.uk/Parents/Parents-Online/
Useful Links
- Thinkuknow provides advice from the National Crime Agency (NCA) on staying safe online
- Parent info is a collaboration between Parentzone and the NCA providing support and guidance for parents from leading experts and organisations
- Childnet offers a toolkit to support parents and carers of children of any age to start discussions about their online life, to set boundaries around online behaviour and technology use, and to find out where to get more help and support
- Internet matters provides age-specific online safety checklists, guides on how to set parental controls on a range of devices, and a host of practical tips to help children get the most out of their digital world
- London Grid for Learning has support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online, including tips to keep primary aged children safe online
- Net-aware has support for parents and carers from the NSPCC, including a guide to social networks, apps and games
- Let’s Talk About It has advice for parents and carers to keep children safe from online radicalisation
- UK Safer Internet Centre has tips, advice, guides and other resources to help keep children safe online, including parental controls offered by home internet providers and safety tools on social networks and other online services
Healthy Me Diary
There are two versions of the diary which can be downloaded for free:
Healthy Me Diary - simple (2 A4 pages) www.bit.ly/eLIM-Healthy-Me-Simple
Healthy Me Diary - booklet (with symbols - 6 A4 pages) www.bit.ly/eLIM-Healthy-Me-Booklet
Online Safety at Home Resources
The education team at Thinkuknow have launched new #OnlineSafetyAtHome resources to support schools and families during Covid-19 closures. The packs, which are released every fortnight, include 15 minute activities parents and carers can do with their child to support their online safety at home and are all for all age groups.
Thinkuknow have also published social media support resources to help schools share Online Safety resources with their families.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/professionals/our-views/onlinesafetyathome-resources
March 2020
Please do remember in this time of Home schooling and probably increased Online activity that we all need to stay safe and follow our usual Online safety learning.
If you would like more guidance don't forget about
Childline - for support
UK Safer Internet Centre - to report and remove harmful online content
CEOP - for advice on making a report about online abuse
Also linked to the posters below-
www.nationalonlinesafety.com
gives advice on specific sites/apps.
Childline's Calm Zone
- Activities
- Breathing Exercises
- Expressing Yourself
- Yoga Videos
- Games
- Ways to cope videos
and is free to use.at:
https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/calm-zone/
Please do let me know if these are useful to you and I will try and find more. Thanks Ms Franks
January 2020
TikTok Family Safety Mode
Tiktok is proving to be a huge success, with many of its users being children and young people. We are hearing from many schools and parents that their children are Tiktok users.
As with all social networks, users need to be aware of the risks as well as the opportunities and it's vital that parents monitor their children's use. To support parents in this, a new Family Safety mode has been launched. It allows parents to link their own account to their children's and set restrictions on content, contact and manage screentime.
Common sense have a useful guide to Tiktok for parents at:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/parents-ultimate-guide-to-tiktok
Keeping Your Connected Home Safe for your Children
More and more families now regularly use a range of devices that connect to the internet, such as smart speakers, smart meters, fitness trackers, and even toys.
Alongside the excitement and convenience of these devices, we also need to be aware of the risks associated with any device that connects to the internet. ThinkUKnow say that these risks include:
- Concerns have been raised about whether these devices are collecting too much personal information from children.
- Some children (either accidentally or on purpose) are able to search for and access age-inappropriate material via a connected device such as a smart speaker.
- Children may make ‘in-app purchases’ and spend money, which is often taken from their parents’ bank account without their knowledge or consent.
- Some of these devices may be more vulnerable to hacking and monitoring, as there are currently no security standards in place for connected devices.
Luckily,they have also released guidance to support us in keeping their connected homes safe for children: These tips, as well as further details can be found at:
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/what-is-the-internet-of-things-iot
November 2019
Choosing Video Games for your Family
With Christmas around the corner, many parents and carers will be considering games consoles and new video games as presents for their children. But knowing which devices and games are most suitable for your children can be difficult.
Childnet have produced advice for parents specifically about choosing games for your children. They suggest that parents:
- Talk to other parents. Are their children playing the game? What do they think about it?
- Try the game yourself. This is the best way to really find out whether it is suitable for your child.
- Get information from reliable sources, such as Netaware and Common Sense.
- Trust your own judgement. Even if other children are playing the game, it is important you make your own decision for your child.
The full blog can be found at: https://www.childnet.com/blog/but-everyone-else-is-playing-it-how-do-i-decide-if-a-game-is-right-for-my-child
October 2019
Commonsense media
www.commonsensemedia.org is a free website which provides guidance about games, apps and films.
You can read reviews written by experts, parents and children, including their suggested age-suitability and details about the content. You can also choose to sign up to receive the latest updates and personalise the content based on the age of your child.
Find out more about commonsense at: www.commonsensemedia.org
Digital Parenting - Building Good Habits
For Apple devices, 'Screen Time', allows parents to know how much time you and your kids spend on apps, websites, and more. Find support for using parental controls on Apple devices at: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201304
For Android devices, 'Google Family Link', (also available for iOS) has a number of features, including managing your child's apps, setting limits and viewing their activity. Find out more at: https://families.google.com/familylink/
July 2019
Roblox Parental Controls
With the summer holiday approaching, many children will be looking forward to some time playing games on their computers and consoles - ideally as a shared family activity!
Roblox continues to be one of the most popular games amongst our children. As with all games - particularly those which are played online - there are risks for parents to be aware of and steps you can take to support your children in playing safely. The best way to keep your child safe is to ensure they are always supervised when they play. In addition, parents can apply controls to the game to limit certain features. An excellent guide to Roblox Parental Controls can be downloaded from Internet Matters by following this link:
https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/entertainment-search-engines/roblox/
May 2019
'The book is a modern twist on the classic fairy tale and offers a fun and accessible way for parents to discuss responsible social media use with their younger children.'
It can be downloaded for free at: https://www.vodafone.co.uk/mobile/digital-parenting/goldilocks
April 2019
Help your Child Learn to Search Safely
That's why a new child-friendly search engine called 'Swiggle' has been launched. It's powered by Google but, because it is run by a charity, contains no adverts. and aims to reduce the risk of inappropriate content appearing, as well as providing simple tools to deal with any unsuitable content that does appear.
Why not set Swiggle as your default search engine at home? Find it at:
More details about Swiggle can be found at:
https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/blog/new-swiggle-protects-children-they-take-their-first-net-steps
MARCH 2019
Parents vs. Kids Online Quiz
Visit https://www.o2.co.uk/help/nspcc/parents-vs-kids to find out more!
DON'T FORGET!!!!
E SAFETY MEETING
MONDAY 18th MARCH 2019 5.45-7.00pm
Come and hear our children talk about their Online Safety learning and get advice from our ICT advisor.
Please do come and ask questions.
Creche for primary school children available on completion of forms from the school office.
February 2019
http://www.iclevedon.co.uk/esafety-resources-for-parents/
The above link has details for parents about E-safety including the recent MOMO challenge. Please do look and support your child.
Talking to Your Children About Healthy Internet Use
Five of their tips are:
- Remember: the internet isn’t all bad.
- An internet ban is rarely helpful.
- Be age-appropriate.
- Keep talking.
- Use the internet alongside your child.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/talking-your-children-about-healthy-internet-use
February 2019
We love how technology enhances our learning at Puriton. It can, however, have it’s down sides. You may have heard about a sinister video appearing online called, ‘The Momo Challenge.’ If you would like to find out more about this, then please click the link below and then download the guide for advice on how to keep your children safe. As always, it is recommended you check your parental controls on your family devices, that young children aren’t watching videos unattended and that they are encouraged to discuss anything that may worry them.
January 2018
Dear Parents,
It has come to our attention that a number of children in our
junior classes are often coming into school complaining that
they are really tired because they have “been up all night”
playing Fortnite.
Whilst we understand that in reality, this usually means they
have actually been playing until only 9 or 10pm, it is
concerning that not only is this undermining their learning in
class but they are also playing online, unsupervised, often
with unknown opponents.
In the interests of Safeguarding, we would just like to highlight the fact that the game
is rated 12; the language and graphic content is unsuitable for children aged 8 or 9.
Parents might find the following information helpful:
Fortnite is an online shooter that starts with 100 players and leaves one winner standing.
The entire point of the game is to kill other players, but the violence is cartoon-like.
Although the game itself seems pretty harmless, players can talk and type whatever they
want to each other, and bad language is rampant.
In-app purchases can turn this free game into an expensive habit.
Short matches and accessible gameplay make the game addictive.
You can regulate your child's playtime (as well as in-app purchases) via parental controls
on platforms like PS4, Xbox One, Switch and iOS.
If your child is showing signs of isolation or depression because of the game, seek
professional help.
The internet can provide amazing online entertainment and we certainly wouldn’t want to stop
children from enjoying fun (and sometimes educational!) opportunities. However, can we
kindly remind parents to ensure that they are informed about any material that children are
accessing online, ensure suitable time limits are placed on “screen” time so that the children
do get an appropriate and healthy quantity of sleep as well as other play experiences.
Please do speak with the class teacher if you would like to discuss this further
eLIM Safer Internet Day Pledge:
Make your family game plan!
Our e-Pledge supports this year's Safer Internet Day focus of helping children to make choices when they are online. We have produced a gameplan template for parents to use at home, a covering letter from the school and a poster for the classroom. which schools can pledge to share with the families at their school.
Schools who make the pledge will receive a certificate to display
https://www.somerset.org.uk/sites/edtech/SitePages/e-Safety/e-Pledge%202019.aspx
Digital Wellbeing - Childnet Guidance for Parents
As adults, it can be difficult to know how to support our children to become healthy, confident users of technology.
So Childnet has produced guidance to support parents in this. It is organised into different age groups from 3-18 year-olds and provides support for parents with children of all ages:
https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/hot-topics/digital-wellbeing
Online Safety for Under-Fives
ThinkUKnow from CEOP have recently published new guidance for keeping under-fives safe online. The article explores the benefits of online access for this age group as well as providing advice for ensuring their internet use is as safe and healthy as possible.
The eLIM team always advise building good online habits with children at an early age. Our 'Building Good Habits' poster can be downloaded from :http://bit.ly/eLIMBuildingHabits
Read the CEOP article at: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/keeping-your-under-five-safe-online
Screen Time Advice
Earlier this month, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health published new screen time guidance.
The guidance advocates supporting parents to make informed decisions to 'adjust the amount of time spent on screens by all members of the family, depending on what’s important to them and their child.'
Questions suggested to support parents include:
- Is your family’s screen time under control?
- Does screen use interfere with what your family want to do?
- Does screen use interfere with sleep?
- Are you able to control snacking during screen time use?
They also emphasise the expert recommendation that all screens are avoided in the hour before bedtime and that the risk to wellbeing comes when screen time displaces other activities, such as socialising, exercise and sleep.
Their message is that 'There is not enough evidence to confirm that screen time is in itself harmful to child health at any age, making it impossible to recommend age appropriate time limits.'
Read the guidance and find downloadable guidance for parents at:
https://somersetelim.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2ffddbefda06354a51a264e68&id=52e8b2a1cb&e=91630946ed
October 2018
Family Gaming
(including a special offer!)
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ICT update September 2018
September is a demanding time of year for families as children get used to being back at school; making new friends, and experiencing the challenges of a new year group. As a child's world expands, so does their 'digital social circle' (relationships they make with others online and in the real world).
To support families, Internet Matters are promoting their back-to-school guides for parents. For more information, visit their website: https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/back-to-school-online-safety-guides
Musical.ly update
Musical.ly is a popular live streaming app amongst children and teenagers, with over 200 million users worldwide. The app has also hit the headlines, with concerns over adults using it to inappropriately contact children. Recently, Musical.ly has been taken over by a different company and is now called 'TikTok'. It remains important to remind children about security settings. They also need to think carefully about the information they are providing. 'Tik Tok' asks users for their Instagram ID to add to their profile which makes it easier for someone to find other accounts they have.
A useful to guide to the change can be found on Wayne Denner's website:
https://www.waynedenner.com/blog/popular-app-musical-ly-has-changed-its-name
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Latest trends: Twitch . |
https://parentzone.org.uk/home
This online magazine is FREE to sign up to and has lots of good advice and top tips for you to support your child/children with Online Safety.
Online Safety Tips for Parents
Please be aware: Seemingly innocent videos, featuring children's favourites Peppa Pig and Elsa, show disturbing and violent scenes which are inappropriate and frightening for young children.
Click here to download a parent factsheet to help protect children against online videos that are slipping through the net.
