Online Safety Blog

As smart TVs become a staple in our homes, it’s crucial to prioritise our children’s safety while they enjoy these devices. Here are quick tips to keep your kids safe with smart TVs: Set Parental Controls: Utilise built-in controls to limit access to age-appropriate content and set up passwords to prevent unauthorised access. Privacy Check: […]

Whilst smartwatches (those with access to the internet or messaging or those with cameras) are not allowed in school, in recent years they have become a popular gift for children and many wear them in their free time. As with all technology, there are a number of pros and cons for smart watches. One of […]

Yoti is an app that states it is “Shaping the future of digital identity. We make it safer for people to prove who they are.” Yoti can be used to prove users’ identities when using online services as well as in person such as in supermarkets. It can also be used to verify age for […]

PEGI, Pan European Game Information, is the legally enforceable games rating system in the UK and useful tool for parents to ensure their child is playing games suitable for their age. All games released in the UK will have one of the following PEGI age ratings on the packaging: 3, 7, 12, 16 or 18. […]

Parental controls help you to block or filter upsetting or inappropriate content, as well as to control purchases within apps. Below are the main places you can find parental controls (from childnet.com) . You could choose to use these individually, or even better, combine a number of them.  Internet provider: You can set up filters to help […]

Recent research shows that children are very unlikely to take action when they see harmful content or behaviours online. So what can we do to help? Start off by encouraging conversations about online experiences. If your child describes something distressing, always stay calm despite how you may really be feeling. You can reassure your child […]

Strong passwords are key for anyone to keep their information secure and device protected. Educating children on the importance of strong passwords should begin as soon as they start using devices to log in to accounts. Passwords can be hacked through a number of ways both virtually, such as phishing or by physically seeing a […]

As part of our online safety focus in school, some classes have looked at the digital 5-a-day. This is a really useful way of ensuring that our device use is positive. It focuses less on the length of screen time and more on the quality of screen time. Devices have provided children with a way […]

Children’s school years are full of milestones which can mean many photos that are frequently shared online. Whilst this is often a very positive thing to do, it can come with some risks that are worth taking into consideration. Ensuring all your social media accounts are private is the best place to start, however do […]

Vent markets itself as a peer support app, aimed at children and young people, where they can express themselves and have their mood lifted. Vent states that users can only post in the app if they are aged 13 or older. However, the only verification required is ticking a box when signing up meaning younger […]