Online Safety
Great Bridge Primary School understands that using online services is an important aspect of raising educational standards, promoting pupil achievement, and enhancing teaching and learning. The use of online services is embedded throughout the school; therefore, there are a number of controls in place to ensure the safety of pupils and staff.
All concerns regarding pupil and staff behaviour online are taken seriously and handled in line with Safeguarding and Staff Code of Conduct policies. Monitoring systems are in place to track violating searches on desktop computers and iPads.
Please see the Online Safety Policy below for further information regarding the measures we have in place at Great Bridge.
Online Safety is taught regularly to all pupils and is covered in both the Computing and RSE curriculums. Below is an overview of the online safety content that is currently taught in Years 1 - 6 based on the Switch on Online Safety curriculum from Rising Stars. However, in Year 2 we are currently piloting the use of Project Evolve to baseline pupils' online safety knowledge each term. We then use the Project Evolve resources to deliver weekly sessions in response to the knowledge gaps that are identified. Pupils also participate in activities to celebrate Internet Safety Day which takes place annually in February.
We believe that parents play a vital role in keeping their children safe online. We offer access to parent workshops on an annual basis, as well as reposting parental safety guides from National Online Safety on our twitter account which can also be accessed via our website. Any individual concerns are addressed with parents immediately following discussion with the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Parents can seek further guidance on keeping children safe online from the following organisations and websites:
What are the issues? – UK Safer Internet Centre
Hot topics – Childnet International
Parent resource sheet – Childnet International
Healthy relationships – Disrespect Nobody
Parental guides to keeping children safe online - Skips Safety Net
CEOP to report online safety concerns - https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
Online Safety for Children - Tips & Guides | NSPCC
Parental controls offered by your home internet provider | Safer Internet Centre
10 Internet Safety Tips - Staying Safe Online | SWGfL
Staying safe online | Childline
SMART-rules-poster-A3-Free.pdf (childnet.com)
Childrens Commissioner: A Guide for Parents
E Safety Overview Year 1
Unit 1.1 – We are Year 1 rule writers
Creating rules that help us stay safe online
Unit summary
Children help to develop a simple set of age appropriate rules to establish a working framework for online safety for school and home during Year 1.
Online safety focus:
- understand that rules help us stay safe, both in the real world and online.
- suggest strategies for staying safe in different online scenarios.
- help to develop a set of online safety rules that are easily understood and appropriate for Year 1.
Unit 1.2 – We are kind and thoughtful
Understanding the impact of our behaviour on others
Unit summary
Children carry out an experiment with two apples to see the impact of unkind behaviour.
Online safety focus:
- understand that unkind behaviour online can affect other people, even though we can’t see them.
- understand that the rules created in Unit 1.1 can be applied to any concerns they may have about their online activities.
Unit 1.3 – We are responsible internet and device users
Remembering to take time out from technology
Unit summary
Children consider how much time they spend using devices and come up with ideas for other activities that they might do instead.
Online safety focus:
- learn the very basic principles of what the internet is.
- understand how people use the internet.
- understand that using computer devices too often can be bad for us and we should take time out form technology to do other things.
- discuss what to do if they see or hear something online that upsets them.
Unit 1.4 – We are information protectors
Understanding what is meant by personal information
Unit summary
Children will find out what is meant by ‘personal information’ and how this should always be kept private.
Online safety focus:
- understand what is meant by ‘personal information’.
- recognise that anyone online who we don’t know in real life is a stranger.
- understand how we can protect our personal information, including reporting worries to trusted adults.
Unit 1.5 – We are good digital citizens
Finding out what it means to be a good digital citizen
Unit summary
Children find out what is meant by ‘digital citizen’ and develop an awareness that good digital citizenship is important wherever technology is used.
Online safety focus:
- understand what is meant by ‘digital citizen’.
- understand how to be responsible, respectful and safe online.
- understand that being a good digital citizen means having a kind heart, a warning tummy and a thinking brain; all things that keep us safe online.
- recall what to do if something happens online that makes them feel uncomfortable – building on Unit 1.4 – We are information protectors lesson.
Unit 1.6 – We are responsible gamers
Learning how to stay safe when playing online games
Unit summary
Children learn the importance of gaming in a shared space and of taking breaks from gaming.
Online safety focus:
- understand the importance of playing games in shared spaces where grown-ups are available for support.
- understand the importance of taking breaks away from technology.
E Safety Overview Year 2
Unit 2.1 – We are Year 2 rule writers
Reviewing and editing our online safety guidelines
Unit summary
Children review different online safety scenarios and decide how to respond to these. They then review, discuss and edit the online safety rules they created in Year 1.
Online safety focus:
- consider online safety scenarios encountered in Year 1 (both at school and at home) and appreciate how these new experiences can be used to update their online safety rules.
- consider what strategies they might use if their usual trusted adult is not available
- review and edit their online safety guidelines.
- develop their online safety rules so they are easily understood and appropriate for Year 2 pupils.
Unit 2.2 – We are not online bullies
Creating a strong message against online bullying
Unit summary
Children learn about the consequences of online bullying and the role of a bystander in online bullying situations. They create an anti-online bullying slogan to send a strong message that bullying is never acceptable.
Online safety focus:
- begin to understand the concept of online bullying and the role of the bystander.
- develop an understanding of the consequences of online bullying.
recall their online safety rules for reporting concerns and inappropriate behaviour.
Unit 2.3 – We are safe searchers
Learning how to use search engines safely
Unit summary
Children find out how to use technology safely to find information online. They then will create a ‘top tips’ list for safe searching.
Online safety focus:
- understand the very basic principles of how search engines work.
- understand the key steps for searching the web safely.
understand how to report concerns when searching the web.
Unit 2.4 – We are code masters
Generating strong passwords and keeping them safe
Unit summary
Children learn that passwords help us to keep information safe. They will then look at the rules for creating a strong password and use these rules to practise generating their own passwords.
Online safety focus:
- understand that passwords are an important part of keeping information safe.
- understand the differences between strong and weak passwords.
understand that sharing a password makes it weak.
Unit 2.5 – We are online behaviour experts
Solving online safety problems
Unit summary
Children watch three short video clips and discuss how the people in them can be better digital citizens. They then develop their own responses to these scenarios through role-play.
Online safety focus:
- understand that the way technology is used is as important as good online behaviour.
- understand that the way we use technology impacts the people around us.
- further develop responses to incidents of poor behaviour online.
Unit 2.6 – We are game raters
Understanding and applying the PEGI rating system for games
Unit summary
Children learn that not all digital games are suitable for everyone. They find out about the PEGI rating system and develop a rating for a game of their choosing.
Online safety focus:
- recognise the PEGI age rating system for digital games.
- understand that the system is useful for helping people decide which games are appropriate.
- understand what to do if someone nearby is playing a game which is inappropriate for them.
E Safety Overview Year 3
Unit 3.1 – We are Year 3 rule writers
Reviewing and editing our online safety rules
Unit summary
Children review, discuss and edit the online safety rules they created in Year 2. Children then recall their learning from the previous year’s online safety lessons and then review different online safety scenarios to decide the best responses to online safety incidents.
Online safety focus:
- Consider online safety scenarios encountered in Year 2 (both at school and at home) and appreciate how these new experiences can be used to refine their online safety rules.
- Consider what new strategies they can apply to online safety scenarios, such as calling Childline.
- Review and edit their online safety guidelines.
- Develop and edit their online safety rules so they are easily understood and appropriate for Year 3 pupils.
Unit 3.2 – We are digital friends
Developing an awareness of online bullying
Unit summary
Children watch a series of short clips around online bullying and examine the role of each person involved. They then discuss the consequences of the action on the victim and perpetrator. Finally, they will review anti-bullying slogans.
Online safety focus:
- begin to understand that information shared online cannot always be controlled
- develop a deeper. understanding of the consequences of online bullying.
- understand the role of a bystander in online bullying.
Unit 3.3 – We are internet detectives
Assessing the trustworthiness of websites
Unit summary
Children will understand that not everything on the internet is true.
They will learn how to decide if a website is trustworthy and develop a checklist of these clues to critically compare a trustworthy and untrustworthy website from a given selection. Finally, they will apply their understanding when discussing this skill with parents at home.
Online safety focus:
- use clues to make choices about which web pages they consider most useful and trustworthy.
- understand that not all links are safe or trustworthy.
- understand different ways to report concerns and inappropriate behaviour.
Unit 3.4 – We are aware of our digital footprint
Understanding the digital trails we leave behind
Unit summary
Children learn what is meant by ‘digital footprint’ and that everything shared on the internet can be found, shared, broadcast and copied and that it lasts forever. They start to build a picture of their own digital footprint that can be shared with grown-ups at home.
Online safety focus:
- Understand that every time we use the internet we leave a digital trail that can be found, copied, shared and broadcast
- Understand that the things we upload onto the internet last forever.
Unit 3.5 – We are netiquette experts
Practising good netiquette
Unit summary
Children find out what is meant by netiquette and why it is important. They compare and contrast different styles of written communication and help compose a class response to an email and then create a netiquette guide to help promote good online behaviour.
Online safety focus:
- understand that good online behaviour is important for making the internet an enjoyable place for everyone
- understand that email is a widely used form of digital communication that lasts forever and can be shared.
Unit 3.6 – We are avatar creators
Who do we really know online?
Unit summary
Children discover that online identities may be misleading or false. They create their own online avatar, and distribute these randomly and try to guess the identity of each creator.
Online safety focus:
- understand that internet identities are actively constructed by the user
- recognise that internet identities can be misleading or not representative of the creator
- recall that personal information should not be shared by anyone online who we don’t know in real life.
E Safety Overview Year 4
Unit 4.1 – We are Year 4 rule writers
Reviewing and editing our online safety rules.
Unit summary
Children recall their learning from the previous year’s online safety lessons and then review different online safety scenarios and decide the best response to these. They then review, discuss and edit the online safety rules they created in Year 3.
Online safety focus:
- Consider online safety scenarios encountered in Year 3 (both at school and at home) and appreciate how these new experiences can be used to update their online safety rules.
- Consider what new strategies they can apply to online safety scenarios, beyond talking to a trusted adult.
- Review and edit their online safety guidelines.
- Develop their online safety rules so they are easily understood and appropriate for Year 4 pupils.
Unit 4.2 – We are standing up to peer pressure
Dealing positively with peer pressure
Unit summary
Children find out that access to the internet is not the same among all people and that peer pressure can be both positive and negative. They will scrutinise and discuss a short online safety scenario and decide how to resolve a problem where access to the internet is not the same between two friends.
Online safety focus:
- Understand that peer pressure can be a positive and negative influence.
- Understand that access to the internet is not the same for everyone.
- Recall ways to report concerns and inappropriate behaviour.
Unit 4.3 – We are aware that our online content lasts forever
Getting the message: pre- and post-internet
Unit summary
Children compare and contrast the ways messages were sent before and after the advent of the internet. They then think about a digital medium through which they can spread information as if it was the 1940s, assessing the speed and reach of the message if it was sent via social media today.
Online safety focus:
- Understand that because of the internet, information can be spread more quickly and reach more people now than at any time in the past.
- Understand that although information posted on the internet might not always be true or accurate, it lasts forever.
Unit 4.4 – We are online risk managers
Understanding risk and prevention of information loss
Unit summary
Children learn that hacking can be a criminal activity and clicking on links in suspicious websites or emails can introduce viruses to devices, putting personal information at risk and stopping the device from working. They will learn ways to protect their devices and accounts and use this information to create a family protection plan to share at home.
Online safety focus:
- Understand the risks involved in clicking on and opening links on suspicious websites and in emails.
- Understand that hacking can be illegal and has consequences for the hacker.
- Develop awareness of viruses and what to do if they think their account has been compromised.
Unit 4.5 – We are respectful of digital rights and responsibilities
Understanding and respecting digital rights and responsibilities
Unit summary
Children discuss three articles from Unicef’s Rights of the Child and apply them to digital citizenship, looking at rights and responsibilities as well as consequences of knowingly ignoring responsibilities. They apply these to their own experiences and share a developed digital citizen with their families.
Online safety focus:
- Understand that both digital rights and responsibilities are important to ensure the internet is a great place for everyone.
- Understand that there are consequences for knowingly ignoring rights.
- Further develop a positive and responsible attitude towards technology and internet use.
Unit 4.6 – We are careful when talking to virtual friends
Virtual friendship vs real friendship; who we can trust
Unit summary
Children learn what is meant by virtual friendship and how this differs from real-life friendship. They discuss the places people might meet virtual friends and then test a virtual friendship with a real friendship.
Online safety focus:
- Understand that virtual friends are still strangers that they do not know.
- Apply their knowledge of online safety to decide what information they, as virtual friends, can safely share online.
- Recap rules for reporting suspicious or uncomfortable online situations.
E Safety Overview Year 5
Unit 5.1 – We are Year 5 rule writers
Reviewing and editing our online safety rules
Unit summary
Children recall their learning from the previous year’s online safety lessons and then review different online safety scenarios to decide on the best response to these.
They then review, discuss and edit the online safety rules they created in Year 4.
Online safety focus:
- Consider online safety scenarios encountered in Year 4 (both at school and at home) and appreciate how these new experiences can be used to update their online safety rules.
- Consider what new strategies they can apply to online safety scenarios, such as clicking the CEOP ‘Report abuse’ button.
- Review and edit their online safety guidelines.
- Develop their online safety rules so they are easily understood and appropriate for Year 5 pupils.
Unit 5.2 – We are responsible for our online actions
Understanding the impact of online behaviour
Unit summary
Children learn that we must take responsibility for our own actions regardless of what others are doing.
They take on the role of one of six characters in an online safety scenario and decide how each character should respond to the situation.
Online safety focus:
- Recognise that online behaviour can have real life negative effects on other people.
- Understand that we must take responsibility for our own actions online, regardless of what other people are doing.
- Critically assess all information surrounding an online safety scenario to decide whether it constitutes online bullying.
- Use their knowledge of online safety to reach a consensus on the appropriate response to an online incident.
Unit 5.3 – We are content evaluators
Understanding advertising and endorsements online
Unit summary
Children discover that some online content creators are paid by companies to support their products. They learn to ask probing questions about online content and go on to create a simple rap or rhyming saying to remind them of ways of being discerning when viewing content online.
Online safety focus:
- Understand that some people get paid to endorse products online.
- Develop a discerning attitude to online content so that they can confidently reach their own conclusions.
Appreciate the value of trusted adults in helping them reach an informed conclusion.
Unit 5.4 – We are protecting our online reputation
Developing strategies to protect our future selves
Unit summary
Children learn that posting inappropriate, rude or offensive content online can affect our online reputation.
Through role-play, they discover the consequences of posting inappropriate content online.
Online safety focus:
- Understand that posting inappropriate information online can cause regret later.
- Understand how to manage their online reputation.
- Understand that, although information posted on the internet might not always be true or accurate, it can last forever.
- Understand that it is possible to search the internet for information about particular individuals.
Unit 5.5 – We are respectful of copyright
Understanding and applying copyright laws
Unit summary
Children learn that copyright rules exist to protect original content creators. They review a scenario to work out if copyright rules apply and what the rights and responsibilities are of the parties involved.
They then review how copyrighted content could be used in school, and provide alternatives for this.
Online safety focus:
- Understand that copyright laws exist to protect original content creators.
- Understand that content they choose to use or upload on the internet may be subject to copyright laws.
- Further develop their understanding of rights and responsibilities as digital citizens.
Unit 5.6 – We are game changers
Understanding how games developers make money
Unit summary
Children discover the different ways that game developers ensure their games are successful and make money. They learn strategies to help guide them when selecting and playing online games and apply their knowledge to create a safe online gaming guide for families.
Online safety focus:
- Understand different business models for online games.
- Understand that accounts for devices are linked to real-life bank accounts.
- Understand that some features in online games and apps cost real money.
- Understand that research, parental controls and device settings are tools we can use to help us game confidently.
E Safety Overview Year 6
Unit 6.1 – We are online safety ambassadors
Reviewing and editing our online safety rules
Unit summary
Children look at the use of ‘Report this’ functionality within websites and apps before considering appropriate responses to online safety scenarios specific to them. They will then consider how online safety rules for their class could be made more relevant for their age groups, in response to these new scenarios.
Online safety focus:
- Consider online safety scenarios encountered in Year 5 (both at school and at home) and appreciate how these new experiences can be used to update their online safety rules.
- Consider what new strategies they can apply to online safety scenarios, such as using reporting buttons within websites and apps.
- Review and edit their online safety guidelines.
- Develop their online safety rules so they are easily understood and appropriate for Year 6 pupils.
Unit 6.2 – We will not share inappropriate images
Inappropriate use of technology and the internet – nude selfies
Unit summary
Children learn about the risks, responsibilities and consequences of sharing inappropriate images including nude selfies. They discuss the reasons why people might post such selfies and offer advice to two children who are considering sharing nude selfies.
Online safety focus:
- Understand the negative consequences of sharing nude selfies.
- Develop confidence in saying no when they are posed with a request for inappropriate and/or indecent images of themselves.
- Understand that once an image is online, it stays online forever.
Unit 6.3 – We are safe social networkers
Understanding that internet safety skills must always be switched on
Unit summary
Children learn that most popular networking sites have age restrictions which should be adhered to. They discuss the ways of reducing the risks of using social networking sites and go on to develop a personal memo to remind them how to minimise these risks.
Online safety focus:
- Understand that most online sites and apps require an account holder to be a minimum of 13 years old.
- Understand that they should check and adhere to the age restrictions of a site or app.
- Understand why age restrictions apply to online communication tools.
- Develop resilience to online behaviour and influences in an unfamiliar setting.
Learn how to use appropriate social networking sites safely.
Unit 6.4 – We are respectful of others
Respecting the personal information and privacy of others
Unit summary
Children learn that everyone has a right to privacy and that they need to be mindful of protecting other people’s personal information online. They consider situations where we must be mindful of the privacy preferences of others and then create a permission pledge for their family.
Online safety focus:
- Consider online safety scenarios encountered in Year 5 (both at school and at home) and appreciate how these new experiences can be used to update their online safety rules.
- Consider what new strategies they can apply to online safety scenarios, such as using reporting buttons within websites and apps.
- Review and edit their online safety guidelines.
- Develop their online safety rules so they are easily understood and appropriate for Year 6 pupils.
Unit 6.5 – We are online safety problem solvers
Using our skills to resolve unfamiliar situations
Unit summary
In this unit, children will develop confidence in responding to unfamiliar online safety scenarios, in preparation for moving on to secondary education. Children will be presented with three unfamiliar online safety scenarios and have to develop an appropriate response to each.
Online safety focus:
- Develop confidence in their ability to act appropriately when confronted with unfamiliar situations involving technology and the internet.
- Revisit the key concepts of digital citizenship.
Unit 6.6 – We are safe gaming experts
Creating and delivering advice on safe online gaming
Unit summary
In this unit, children will learn about the possible online safety risks of online gaming, including exposure to inappropriate content, bullying and trolling, and bribery. Children will then use what they have learnt to plan an assembly or presentation around safe gaming advice for parents, children or teachers.
Online safety focus:
- Understand the risks involved with online gaming, including exposure to inappropriate content, grooming, bullying, trolling and the use of bribery tactics.
- Understand that research and parental controls and device settings are tools we can use to help us game safely and confidently.
- Apply their knowledge of safe gaming practices to plan and deliver an assembly to other children and/or parents.
- Consolidate everything they have learnt about age- appropriate online gaming in preparation for their transition to KS3.