Online Safety

Keeping your children safe online

We understand that digital form of communications are allowing us to continue to share with our family members whether near or far and that apps such as WhatsApp, FaceTime, Zoom and Houseparty give us unprecedented digital access to those who are dear to us.  This page will be updated regularly to keep abreast of digital changes and to provide families with further information to support our children in a digital world.

On occasion, content arrives on platforms such as Tiktok that can upset or cause distress in our children if viewed. In our digital world, this sort of content sadly exists and the most essential role that we as adults can do is to always be available to talk about it and reassure our children, and to always discuss when they feel uncomfortable online. This can also include TV series (for instance, Netflix’ ‘Squid Game’ which has been given a ’15’ Age Rating).

Please see below links to support material below on parental controls for apps such as YouTube, Netflix, Xbox, PlayStation and a variety of other popular services presented by Internet Matters and also a reminder that TikTok has recently updated their parental controls so parents/carers can have more control over what their children are doing online.

This following webpage from internetmatters.org explains how to set up parental controls on a range of broadband and mobile service providers:

Broadband Parental Controls & Mobile Network Settings | Internet Matters

Whilst this page (also from www.internetmatters.org) provides instructions on how to enable parental controls on a range of digital devices, such as iPhones and Android devices:

Guides for Apple and Android devices parental controls | Internet Matters

Much of our news is now consumed online.  Below, is a useful link to help parents and carers support children when accessing and discussing the news and current affairs:

NewsWise for families  – Activities, links, tips and advice to help families learn more about the news together (NewsWise is a news litercay project for 9-11 year-olds set up by The Guardian Foundation, the National Literacy Trust and PSHE Association.)

Virtual College have produced a ‘practical tips’ guide to assist parents and carers in keeping children safe online.  Click here.

The best way to discuss news matters is openly and honestly with you child using words and explanations they can understand. The Government has written a document that helps adults support their children with this and in supporting children’s mental health and well-being.  It can be accessed by clicking here.

The Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership has collated a range of KS2 online safety resources that you can use with your child(ren).  Clicking on this link will download a .pdf file showing you how and where to access these materials.

Please contact us if you need any more guidance in keeping your child safe online.  From all of us here at BJA, stay safe and stay well.

Further Advice, Support and Useful Links for parents and carers

At Branston Junior Academy and with support from agencies such as the LSCP (Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership);  https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/safeguarding/lscp and the education program from NCA-CEOP, Thinkuknow; https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk we understand that additional challanges and dangers can present to our children and young people when working online.

At Branston Junior Academy we take your child’s e-safety very seriously. We believe that children should be able to access and enjoy the internet safely and each term the importance of e-safety is highlighted.

As in the real world, we know that you will wish to keep your children safe in the virtual world. Whether on a computer at school, a laptop, a tablet, or any other mobile device at home, children and young people are increasingly accessing the internet whenever they can and wherever they are.

To support our understanding as parents and the safety of our children, please read and consider these two documents produced as a response to children working in the remote or blended learning model:

Managing abusive people (published by the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership)

Keeping your child safe online when they are off school (published by Thinkuknow)