Online safety is very important to us at Yorkmead Junior and Infant School and it is therefore vital for us that you are not only alert to the behaviours being displayed by some children in school but also to the dangers of online usage and the influence that these games/videos/apps have on a child’s reality.
Online Safety
Online safety is very important to us!
At Yorkmead, we follow the ProjectEVOLVE toolkit for teaching children about online safety.
About ProjectEVOLVE
ProjectEVOLVE resources each of the 330 statements from UK Council for Internet Safety’s (UKCIS) framework ’Education for a Connected World’ with perspectives, research, activities, outcomes, supporting resources and professional development materials. This framework covers knowledge, skills, behaviours and attitudes across eight strands of our online lives from early years right through to eighteen. These outcomes or competencies are mapped to age and progress. The statements guide educators to the areas that they should be discussing with children as they develop their use of online technology.
The vibrant new content has been written by a team of experts at the UK Safer Internet Centre. It’s up to date, relevant and engaging and moves online life education into the third decade of the 21st century.
ProjectEVOLVE might not seem an exciting title for a toolkit but it does reflect the philosophy behind the project, we wanted to “evolve” the online safety messages that children and young people were being taught into something more appropriate, more meaningful, that encourages reflection, and that generates positive outcomes.
What does Online Abuse look like?
- Name-calling between peers (bullying)
- Sexual exploitation and abuse (sexualised language, images, videos)
- Inappropriate language (swearing, making threats)
- Adults or other children directing children to steal, exploit or bully others
- Adults posing as children with sinister intent to abuse or exploit
How can online usage Impact on Children’s Behaviour?
- Affect a child’s sleep
- Interfere with routines i.e. mealtimes/bedtime
- Alter child’s mood – can provoke anger, violence, frustration
- Child can become withdrawn
- Child could have an increased confidence
- Child may start to talk about new ‘friends’
- Child may get upset at the prospect of giving up the game, video or app
- Child’s behaviour at school may decline
- Child’s academic progress may be limited
With this in mind, Online Safety is an aspect of safeguarding that Yorkmead Junior and Infant School takes very seriously. We therefore actively promote and reinforce the age limits of games, videos and apps all with the pupil’s safety and wellbeing in mind. We would therefore appreciate parental support in enforcing this at home.
Age Restraints
All of the apps and games that children are playing do have a recommended age range:
- Tik Tok – 13 years
- Snapchat – 13 years
- Facebook – 13 years
- Instagram – 13 years
- Whatsapp – 16 (previously 13 years)
- Fortnite – PEGI 12 Years
- Grand Theft Auto – M for ‘Mature Players’ rated 18+
- Youtube – 13 years
Recommendations for assisting in keeping your child safe online
- Reduce screen time
- Speak to your children about what they are doing and who they are talking to online
- Create and implement rules and boundaries relating to online gaming/videos
- Be aware of who your children are engaging with online
- Be aware of the tone of conversations that are being had
- Monitor games and websites prior to allowing your child free access
- Adhere to the age constraints outlined on apps, games and videos
Please see the Parental Controls Guidance Documents which explain how to implement parental controls on a number of popular devices. If your device is not listed, please do contact Mr Eustace via the school office and he will endeavour to add a guidance document for you.
