As the country has been in ‘lockdown’ the world has turned even more to technology to keep ticking. As a school we have embraced technology and have moved towards digital classrooms and explored new avenues of social media communication with parents.
E-safety is at the heart of Mortimer Primary School’s computing curriculum and we have continued to attend e-safety briefings by numerous organisations throughout the Covid-19 lockdown.
While schools have been closed across the country there has been an increase in the number of children using the internet and digital devices. Screen time has rapidly increased not only for adults but also for children. Younger children are using gaming platforms, streaming videos; there is an increase in social media such as Tic-Toc and Instagram and communication platforms such as House Party and Zoom have helped to keep the world connected while apart. As adults and children are very much aware, these come with age guidance of use and although many are fantastic portals they all carry risks of some level that both adults and children should be aware of.
E-safety is the new ‘stranger danger’ of our day and as a school and as parents/carers it is our duty of care to keep our families updated and educate our children to be aware of the dangers in an age appropriate way. We have linked CEOP resources Think You Know to our website. These are age appropriate units of work that generally involve a video and a discussion with your child.
Please click here to be taken to the resources.
Sadly, not everyone on the internet are nice people wanting the best for your children. A number of parental apps can help you to monitor apps on your children’s devices. ‘Our Pact‘ is one app which is highly rated but there are others on the market.
If you have concerns regarding e-safety; would like more support for adding parental controls to home devices or have concerns you can contact the school, who has trained members of staff to support you and your family. Our website also has links to ICT in Schools (local support), CEOP and Common Sense Media.
