Online safety

 At Gleadless, we are a National Online Safety school. We take the dangers of the internet seriously and work with our families to keep our pupils as safe as possible online.

How do we teach Online Safety?

We teach online safety as part of our PSHE (Jigsaw) curriculum and through our Computing curriculum. This means that children understand how keeping safe online is an important part of their health and wellbeing, as well as a daily consideration when using computers and the internet. We also aim to raise awareness about online safety through events such as assemblies and 'safer internet day'. 

Computing Charters

 At Gleadless, all of our children are taught how to use devices in school safely. Each class has a 'computing charter' which they go through every time they use a school computer or tablet. This helps us all to understand how we can keep everybody at school safe when we are online.

Top Tips for Foundation Stage Parents

Top Tips for Y6 Parents

Helpful Websites for Children and Young People

Below you will find some websites which provide help and advice for children and young people about how to keep themselves safe online:

Childline for free and confidential advice
UK Safer Internet Centre to report and remove harmful online content
CEOP for advice on making a report about online abuse

Helpful Websites for Parents and Carers

Here are some useful websites for parents and carers with tips, tools and advice about how to keep your children safe online:

Childnet offers a toolkit to support parents and carers of children of any age to start discussions about their online life, and to find out where to get more help and support
Commonsensemedia provides independent reviews, age ratings, & other information about all types of media for children and their parents
Government advice about protecting children from specific online harms such as child sexual abuse, sexting, and cyberbullying
Internet Matters provide age-specific online safety checklists, guides on how to set parental controls, and practical tips to help children get the most out of their digital world
How Can I Help My Child? Marie Collins Foundation – Sexual Abuse Online
Let’s Talk About It provides advice for parents and carers to keep children safe from online radicalisation
London Grid for Learning provides support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online, including tips to keep primary aged children safe online
Stopitnow resource from The Lucy Faithfull Foundation can be used by parents and carers who are concerned about someone’s behaviour, including children who may be displaying concerning sexual behaviour (not just online)
National Crime Agency/CEOP Thinkuknow provides support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online
Parentzone provides help for parents and carers on keeping their children safe online
Talking to your child about online sexual harassment: A guide for parents – This is the Children’s Commissioner’s parental guide on talking to their children about online sexual harassment

We are Here to Help!

There are many staff in school to help with concerns or queries about online safety. Please contact the school office and ask for the following staff members.

If you would like to discuss online safety, what your child is learning in school, and how to use the resources on this page: 

Your child's class teacher

Megan Holloway (Online Safety Coordinator) - Deputy Headteacher

If you have a concern about a child's safety, including cyberbullying:

Sinead Gaffney - Designated Safeguarding Lead

Fran Palfreyman - Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion

Michelle Storer - Safeguarding Liaison Officer

Megan Holloway - Deputy Headteacher

Being Kind Online

 An important part of keeping children safe online involves teaching them to behave kindly towards others when using the internet. This is in line with our core values; 'we care' and 'we are respectful'. We have an agreement with out children about what it means to be kind online:

Age Restrictions

Did you know that all social media platforms and online games have age restrictions? This means that they are only suitable for people of a certain age. This is usually because these platforms contain content that is not suitable for children and co. Check out the age restrictions on some popular apps and games below:

Top Tips for KS1/KS2 Parents

Useful Documents for Families - Social Media and Gaming

The following documents offer guidance on how you can help your child to stay safe on various popular online platforms. Just click on the links below to download the latest guidance.

Quick Guide

This quick guide from Child Net has key information about what to do and where to look if you would like support with your child's online safety.