Online Safety

At Peak Academy, we believe that keeping pupils safe online is a shared responsibility between school and parents/carers. As the internet continues to evolve, it is essential that we work together to educate children on how to use it safely and respectfully.

Online Safety at School

• Peak School Rules: Our rules for staying safe online have been shared with parents and carers for each pathway. These provide clear guidance for pupils.
• Security Measures: We have extensive security systems in place, monitored both internally and externally, to protect pupils from potential dangers and unsuitable material.
• Incident Management: Any e-Safety incidents are carefully recorded and managed to ensure the safety of all pupils.
• Education: Online safety is taught to all pupils through age-appropriate lessons that explain and demonstrate how to stay safe and behave responsibly online.

The Role of Parents and Carers

We can only achieve consistent online safety if parents reinforce the e-Safety message at home. It is crucial for parents to:

• Talk to children about staying safe online.
• Encourage respectful behavior and educate them about appropriate sharing of personal information.
• Help them understand the risks of interacting with others on social media or gaming platforms.

Supporting Pupils with Special Educational Needs

Children with special educational needs may face additional vulnerabilities when using the internet, including:

• Difficulty recognizing bullying or understanding their own actions as potentially harmful.
• Limited awareness of when it is safe to share personal information.
• Challenges in identifying and reporting online abuse.

By working together, we can provide tailored guidance and tools to help all pupils navigate the online world safely and confidently.

For further advice or information on keeping your child safe online, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Together, we can help our children thrive in a digital age.

Below are some links to provide you with information to help you protect your children online:

NSPCC Be Share Aware
The range of online apps changes on a regular basis and the NSPCC have a site called Net Aware.   This provides unbiased up-to-date information on current apps and sites along with advice to parents about dealing with issues.

CEOP
Online safety advice for parents

Think You Know
Is a website aimed at children and their parents from the National Crime Agency.  It has lots of useful suggestions and advice on how to report issues.  It also has lots of games and activities including Jessie and Friends for the younger children and Band Runner for the older ones.

Internet Matters is a site paid for by many British companies.  It has a lot of good advice on adding parental controls as well as on most aspects of online safety. Parental controls will only help keep children safe.  The best safety feature that a child has is their parent or carer.  Take the time to talk to your child about the apps and games they are using and don’t be afraid to say no sometimes!

Safer Internet Centre
Parental controls offered by your home internet provider

Please find below a link to the Childnet web site which contains a large amount of advice and guidance.

National Online Safety’s mission to make the internet a safer place for children. They achieve this through equipping school staff, parents and children with the knowledge they need to understand online dangers and how best to react should an incident arise.