Protecting children online  How can you protect your child online?  Are you aware of the dangers?  Do you know what you can put in place to protect your child?

Whether on a computer at school, a laptop at home, a games console or mobile phone, children and young people are increasingly accessing the internet whenever they can and wherever they are. As you would protect your child in the real world, it is important to make sure that they are safe whatever they are doing. Like learning to cross the road, online safety skills are skills for life. Where’s Klaus? Do you know what your child is doing when using the latest technology? Do you understand the technology they use? Here at Upton Hall we are urging you to work with us to ensure our pupils are made aware of the dangers of using digital equipment and how to keep themselves safe.

At Upton Hall in Year 7, pupils are made aware of: The dangers of the inappropriate use of digital equipment The importance of passwords The dangers of putting information online The importance of using the internet responsibly and safely The dangers of using web cams and posting images online The importance of using their mobile phones responsibly and safely Stay Safe

Incoming Message In Year 7, pupils are beginning to use mobile phones more and more. Text messaging becomes increasingly common as a form of communication. At Upton, pupils are made aware not only of the dangers they face but also of the consequences of their actions in this summer term video.

Where to go for help

Mobile Phones 1.There are mobile phone operators who sell phones with filtering software included. This means that children won't access inappropriate websites or content. It is worth checking that your child's phone has this capability. 2.Remind children that any image they send on their mobile can be changed and shared online, and that once they have sent an image they have lost control of it. 3.Help them to understand that they shouldn't give out personal details such as their mobile number to strangers, or other young people that they don't fully trust. Helpful information

Social Networking The first point on the Facebook User Policy states this: If you are under the age of 13, do not attempt to register with Facebook. Once they are old enough to use social networking sites you need to encourage safe working habits Encourage children to only upload pictures that you as their parents/carers would be happy to see – anything that is not appropriate to be passed round the dinner table should NOT make it on to the web. It's also not a good idea to post pictures which can identify our school since this could help someone locate them. Tell your children not to post their phone number or address on their homepage. Help your child to adjust their account settings so that only approved friends can instant message them. New people can still send them friend requests and message them, they just won't be able to pester them via Instant Messenger (IM). Check if your child has ticked the “no picture forwarding” option on their social networking site settings page – this will stop people sending pictures from their page around the world without their consent Encourage them not to give too much away. Friends can phone them for the address of the latest party rather than read about it on their site.

Chat You can minimise the risks: 1.If your child uses Instant Messaging (IM) then it is a good idea to ask them to show you how it works 2.It is also a good idea to ask them if they know how to block someone who they no longer wish to talk to. 3.You can also direct them to the Thinkuknow website, where they can watch films and play games on how to stay safer online. 4.Consider creating some family rules which you will all agree to on online use, including not giving out personal information, or talking to strangers without discussing it. 5.Remind your children that they should never agree to meet with someone that they have met online

Remember Summary 1.Online Safety Skills are ‘Skills for Life’ 2.As a parent you need to know what your child is doing when online 3.It is important to work with the school to keep your child safe 4.Emphasise the importance of passwords and not giving out private information 5.Stress the importance of having secure privacy settings and filters in place 6.Alert them to the dangers of postings images online or texting images via mobile phone 7.Lots of useful help and advice can be found at Another useful site is : Empower your child to show you how to use a social networking sites to share the experience 9.Have a set of family rules in place for using the internet 10.Remind them never to meet up with someone they have met online