Internet Safety
Keeping Children Safe Online
Online Safety is an important part of keeping children safe at MOSPS, because we recognise that the internet is essential in 21st century life – for education, for business and for social interaction. As children move up through the school, their access to various types of technology increases and it stands to reason that their exploration and curiosity increases too.
The positives of the digital world overwhelmingly outweigh the negatives but children, schools and parents all need to be aware of various online risks.
Our Computing curriculum has e-safety woven through it and allows our staff to discuss, explain and demonstrate how to stay safe and behave appropriately online. (For further information, see our Computing Curriculum page). Alongside this we deliver lessons on different aspects of online safety, drawing these from the National Online safety group.
While we will be doing all we can at school, we need to work together to take an active role in teaching children about online dangers and helping them to learn how to act safely when using the internet. If you haven’t already done so, please create a FREE MOSPS account with National Online Safety to access a huge range of resources including guides, explainer videos and parent/carer courses. (see below)
Advice & Support For Parents
The online world is posing an ever-increasing risk to children, and it is important that schools, parents and carers work together to take an active role in teaching children about online dangers. Learning how to act safely when using the internet is an incredibly important part of safeguarding our children.
We are therefore delighted to announce that MOSPS have shown our commitment to protecting our pupils online by working with National Online Safety- providing resources for all parents and carers.
The resources include Parents & Carers courses (presented by Myleene Klass), online video resources and weekly guides covering a huge range of topics, including:
Online Relationships
Fake Profiles & Social Bots
Online Bullying
Online Grooming
Child Sexual Exploitation
Sexual Harassment & Violence
Sexting
Live Streaming
Online Identity
Screen Addiction
Online Challenges
Overspending
Social Media Platforms
Online Gambling
Radicalisation, Terrorism & Extremism
Age Inappropriate Content
Copyright & Ownership
Hacking
Fake News
Online Fraud
Online Reputation
Personal Data
Pornography
Targeted Adverts & Pop-Ups
The Dark Web
Games & Trends
To create your account, please follow this link and complete your details. When you’re set up, you’ll be able to set ‘Parent/Carer’ as your user type.
You can access National Online Safety online via any device- including via our smartphone app:
Finding a Healthy Screen Time Balance
Findings from studies conducted by internetmatters.org, suggest that nearly 40% of children aged 9-10 say they feel like they spend too much time online. Unfortunately, while many children recognise this issue, they don’t often have the skills to counter it.
It’s important to foster a balanced digital diet when it comes to screen time. The following resources can help you support children:
- A Guide to balancing screen time – Work with your children to develop good screen time habits.
- Screen time advice hub – For more in-depth advice.
Parental Controls
The document below from the Knowsley City Learning Centre has some really useful information to help you make informed decisions about parental control measures – both on your home network and on popular internet and social media sites.
Popular Apps and Platforms
Learn how to set up Supervised Accounts and use YouTube parental controls and safeguarding settings.
Please note that the recommended age for using this app is 13+
TikTok parental controls come in the form of Family Pairing. The platform also features a number of privacy and safety settings to manage communication, screen time, content and more.
Please note that the recommended age for using this platform is 15+
Snapchat features a number of functions to help your child manage who can see their content and how they interact with others. They can also use the reporting function to flag content that breaks community guidelines and upsets them.
Please note that the recommended age for using this platform is 16+
Fortnite is a battle royale video game that offers a range of parental controls to help you keep children and teens safe within the game. Manage language filters, screen time, spending and more with in-game controls.
Please note that the recommended age for using this app is 12+
Pokemon GO safety features on the app include pop up warnings to users to encourage safe play and a reporting tool to report any issues with the game or inappropriate gameplay.
Please note that the recommended age for using this app is 10+
Minecraft is a worldbuilding game that lets children create, explore and discover. It can be played independently or with others. It also includes different types of gameplay to suit different interests.
Please note that the recommended age for using this app is 8+
Roblox is a social gaming platform.There are various types of games to play for different ages. The right controls and parental oversight can give you peace of mind when it comes your child’s time online.
Please note that the recommended age for using this app is 13+