Online Safety
At The Growth Learning Collective we know that it is important to teach pupils about the underpinning knowledge and behaviours that can help them to navigate the online world safely, which is forever changing, and confidently, regardless of the device, platform or app. Children in every year group take part in specific lessons which discuss how to be safe online, how to report worrying content and what they should do if they are unsure. It is taught and referenced throughout PSHE and Computing.
We also, throughout the year, offer parent workshops and regularly communicate with parents about how to keep safe online. If you would like any support with adding restrictions on your devices please speak to Michael (our Computing Lead).
Our online safety policy can be found on the policies page of the website.
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.
