At Rood End Primary School, keeping our children safe online is really important to us. We know that technology plays a big part of children's lives, so we want to help them enjoy it safely and confidently. This page is here to let parents and carers know how we teach online safety and how you can help your child stay safe on the internet.

Our school values—respect, resilience, inclusivity, collaboration, and honesty—guide everything we do, including online safety. We want children to:

• Respect themselves and others when they’re online.
• Build resilience to handle tricky situations like cyberbullying.
• Feel included, no matter their background or how much experience they have with technology.
• Work together with parents and carers to keep everyone safe.
• Be honest and open about their online experiences and worries.

Here’s what we do to help children learn about staying safe online:

• Lessons: Online safety is taught throughout the year both in independent lessons at the start of each unit and throughout topics. Children learn about things like spotting safe websites, protecting their privacy, and what to do if they see bullying online.
• Practice: Teachers help children use technology responsibly every day.
• Parents: We share resources  to help you understand online risks and how to support your child at home.
• Safe School Tech: We keep our computers and internet safe and watch over what children can access during school time.
• Thinking Skills: We help children think critically about what they see online and talk confidently about it.

You play a big part in keeping your child safe online. Here are some simple ways you can help:

• Talk About It: Ask your child about what they do online and listen to any worries they have.
• Set Rules: Agree on how long they can use devices and what apps or websites are OK.
• Use
  Parental Controls: Turn on philtres -> filters and monitoring tools on phones, tablets, and computers.
• Teach Privacy: Remind your child not to share personal info and to keep their passwords secret.
• Be a Good Example: Show respectful and honest behaviour when you’re online.

Many popular apps have age restrictions, usually 13 or older, because they can expose children to risks. Some of these include:

• TikTok
• Snapchat
• Instagram
• WhatsApp
• Facebook

Even if your child wants to use these apps, it’s important to talk about the risks and make sure they understand how to stay safe. Using apps meant for younger children or those with parental controls can be a safer choice.

See the Parent Support Guides below to help you help your child stay safe online. 

In the digital age we are living in it’s even more important to help our children feel confident online and understand how to stay safe.

By teaching online safety, we’re helping children become more resilient and ready to face challenges—both in school and in life.

At Rood End Primary School, online safety is something we all share responsibility for. Together, we can help children use technology safely, be respectful to others, and feel confident online.

Thanks for working with us to keep our children safe online!