Online Safety
Parental Controls
One of the best ways to keep children safe online is to use parental controls. Apps, websites and even TV streaming services have parental controls which put you in charge of what children experience online.
Click on the links below for parental controls:
- Smartphones, PC, Laptop and ipads
- Google, Prime, iPlayer, Netflix, Youtube and other entertainment sites
- Broadband and mobile phone providers
- Social media Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok, Whatsapp and others
- Gaming controls Discord, Fortnite, Minecraft, Nintendo, Playstation and others
Social Media Guides and age limits
Primary school children are not old enough to use social media for many reasons including bullying and unwanted or unsafe contact with strangers.
Children on social media are often exposed to inappropriate and upsetting content which can affect their mental health. When the police do workshops at schools they tell us that a large number of incidents they deal with involve social media in some way.
Click the links below for a guide on each social media platform.
Social Media guides, click the links for more info. |
Minimum age to use |
|---|---|
| Instagram facts | 13 |
| Facebook facts | 13 |
| TikTok facts | 13 |
| Snapchat facts | 13 |
| YouTube facts | 13 |
| Whatsapp facts | 16 |
| Twitter / X facts | 13 |
| Discord facts | 17 |
Secondary School Safety Information from LGFL:
LGFL Parent Safe Website
We use online safety resources from London Grid for Learning (LGFL), they have a page for parents about online safety called LGFL Parent Safe. The information here is frequently updated and covers a very large range of topics from screen time, online danger trends, reporting concerns and much more.
Always be careful when you are using the internet. It can help you to keep in touch with your friends and help your education – but it can also cause harm – to you and to others.
Remember help is always available at school if you are having any problems online.
Don’t be afraid to talk to your teacher or another adult at school.
If you or anyone you know is worried about Child Exploitation, Online Protection or anything related to Internet safety please click the link below which will take you to the CEOP reporting website:
Helpful links to look at with your family
Tips for staying safe online:
- Make sure you keep new online friends strictly online. If someone you don't know asks to be your online friend you must ensure an adult knows about it.
- Know how to use the CEOP Button and how to report it to the CEOP Centre if you are concerned about someone’s online behaviour towards you.