e-Safety in Schools

CONFLICT: Mature Eyes Only - Views and supporting information regarding Young People and Adult Rated Games

2012-05-23T10:10:00Z

The third ‘chapter' of the ‘Munch Poke Ping' project by Stephen Carrick-Davies has been been published. This resources has been completed with students from the Bridge Academy in Hammersmith, West London sharing their experiences of adult rated online games. The "Munch Poke Ping" project is funded by the Nominet Trust and looks specifically at how vulnerable, excluded young people are using social media and how those working with them in Pupil Referral Units can best support them...(read more)

Request for e-Safety FAQ's please!

2012-04-17T14:51:00Z

I'm attempting to document some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) around e-Safety topics to help schools and other settings. This is to build on our document " Safer Practice with Technology " which started life as a selection of similar questions and has recieved very postive feedback from schools, agencies and other settings, both within Kent and beyond. The list of FAQs so far is as follows: What upcoming online trends does my school need to be aware of? Where should e-Safety sit...(read more)

Childnet’s Film Competition 2012

2012-03-27T13:04:00Z

Childnet International are launching their Film Competition 2012 and are hoping to build on last year's success and see another batch of fantastic short films promoting the positive uses of the internet (previous winners can be seen on their website: http://www.childnet.com/film-winning/ . Positive and inspiring use of the internet is at the heart of Childnet's Film Competition 2012. Childnet is inviting all schools and youth organisations in the UK to enter the challenge. Two separate projects...(read more)

NFER Report: "Protecting Children Online: Teachers' Perspectives on e-Safety"

2012-02-28T09:40:00Z

The NFER have published a report " Protecting Children Online: Teachers' perspectives on eSafety " The report provides an analysis of the responses to questions from a bespoke NFER online teacher survey, using NFER's Teacher Voice Panel , for the DfE's Vital Programme (delivered by the Open University). The survey data shows that the majority of teachers feel that they can deal with most e-Safety issues and can support their pupils to do so. Teachers also acknowledged that technology...(read more)

Staff ICT Acceptable Use Policy Template 2012: Update from Kent

2012-02-06T11:36:00Z

The Kent e-Safety Strategy Group are pleased to announce that the Staff ICT Acceptable Use Policy Template 2012 is being published to celebrate Safer Internet Day 2012 as part of "Connecting Generations" and exploring the digital world together safely. e-Safety relates to the safe use of the Internet, mobile phones and other electronic communications technologies and is an essential part of the wider safeguarding agenda. Schools and other settings must decide on the right balance between...(read more)

Beatbullying publish updated report "Virtual Violence II": The Real Impact Of Cyberbullying Revealed

2012-02-06T08:59:00Z

Beatbullying today publishes Virtual Violence II: Progress and Challenges in the Fight against Cyberbullying - an in-depth study of the state of cyberbullying amongst children, young people and teachers in the UK. The report is commissioned by Nominet Trust and in association with the NAHT . It will be unveiled in a hard-hitting Panorama documentary airing on the BBC tonight (6th February) and reveals that cyberbullying, as a weapon of choice amongst the nation's youth, is showing no signs of...(read more)

SID 2012 - What can Schools and Settings do to get involved?

2012-01-05T15:45:00Z

The theme for Safer Internet Day 2012 will be 'Connecting generations' and will take place on the 7 th February 2012 to encourage all internet users, whatever their age, to discover the digital world together safely. The UK Safer Internet Centre will be encouraging parents, carers and grandparents to connect with their children and young people and to share their ideas for staying safe online with others. Similarly, Safer Internet Day will be a call to action for children and young people...(read more)

New e-Safety Materials for Early Years Settings from Childnet

2012-01-05T15:42:00Z

There has been an increasing number of requests for internet safety presentations and resources for Nursery, Reception and KS1 aged children, and therefore Childnet International have developed a set of resources to support settings in talking about being safe online with young children who are increasingly exposed to technology at a very early age. The resources have been produced as part of the UK Safer Internet Centre and, The Early Surfers' Zone is now live within the "I work with Kids"...(read more)

A Parents Guide to Technology: New e-Safety Material from UK Safer Internet Centre Published

2011-12-07T13:57:00Z

The UK Safer Internet Centre has released some information for parents in the run up to Christmas. A Parents’ Guide to Technology is an online resource providing advice for parents about the benefits, capabilities and potential risks of smartphones, gaming devices, tablets and internet-enabled media players. It introduces some of the most popular devices such as the BlackBerry, iPhone, iPod Touch and 3DS, highlighting safety tools that are available, as well as setting out top tips to help parents...(read more)

Safer Internet Day 2012 - New resources from Childnet and the UK Safer Internet Day Centre

2011-11-28T09:50:00Z

The theme for SID 2012 will be 'Connecting generations' and it will encourage all users, whatever their age, to discover the digital world together safely. The UK Safer Internet Centre will be encouraging parents, carers and grandparents to connect with their children and young people and to share their ideas for staying safe online with others. Similarly, Safer Internet Day will be a call to action for children and young people, supported by their schools, in sharing their knowledge on how...(read more)

Safer Internet Day 2012 - get involved!

2011-11-16T09:46:00Z

Next year, Safer Internet Day (SID) will take place on Tuesday 7 February 2012 and will be centred around the theme " Connecting generations and educating each other" . The UK Safer Internet Centre, together with the University of Plymouth is undertaking some research into 'inter-generational' technological use: How involved are parents with their children's online lives? Do children support their grandparents? How many children speak to their grandparents online? The research...(read more)

e-Safety Christmas Message for parents from SWGfL and UK Safer Internet Centre

2011-11-16T09:24:00Z

There is often a 'must have' gadget each Christmas and it’s usually technological! Parents can sometimes be swept along and not necessarily consider all aspects when making some of these present purchases, for example online access, age rating etc. The SWGfL and UK Safer Internet Centre have produced some content that any schools or organisations could include in their communication to parents such as a newsletter or website. “Technology and the online world are becoming an intrinsic part...(read more)

Kent e-Safety Policy Template 2012 Update for Schools and Settings

2011-10-31T17:38:00Z

The Kent e-Safety Policy Template has been updated for 2012 by the Kent e-Safety Strategy Group to reflect the rapid changes in technology and to promote good practice within schools and settings. The e-Safety agenda relates to children and young people as well as adults and is concerned with the safe use of the Internet, mobile phones and other electronic communications technologies, both in and out of school. It includes education for all members of the school community on risks and responsibilities...(read more)

TDA publish research into e-Safety and Safeguarding in Primary Schools

2011-10-31T17:17:00Z

The TDA recently commissioned Sheffield Hallam University to work with two primary schools researching positive steps to achieving the outstanding grade from Ofsted in regards to safeguarding and e-Safety. The development and use of digital technology has grown quickly, and advancements in social networking sites, web-cams, portable media devices, and online gaming have been particularly appealing to children and young people. Whilst these technological developments bring benefits and opportunities...(read more)

Internet Watch Foundation marks 15 years of tackling abuse on Annual IWF Awareness Day

2011-10-26T11:07:00Z

Today (26 October) the IWF not only marks its annual Awareness Day, but reflects on its 15 years of tackling online child sexual abuse content. The IWF is the UK reporting Hotline for images of child sexual abuse hosted anywhere in the world and UK-hosted extreme adult pornography and non-photographic images of child sexual abuse. It is an independent self-regulatory body which was set up and funded by the online industry and the EU. It has more than 100 members. Since it was launched on 1 December...(read more)

New Ofcom Report published: Children and Parents - Media Use and Attitude

2011-10-26T10:43:00Z

Ofcom have published a new report which focuses on the importance of technology with children and teenagers and their parents. There are some interesting statistics uncovered including 12-15s say they would miss their mobile (28 per cent) and the internet (25 per cent) more than TV (18 per cent)! The following information has been taken from the Ofcom Press Release Ofcom's research reveals that more than nine out of ten (95 per cent) 12-15 year olds now have internet access at home through a...(read more)

New "Back to School" resources to use with parents/carers from CEOP

2011-09-15T15:41:00Z

The start of a new academic year is a great time to get parents and carers engaged and this year the team at CEOP have made it easier for schools and organisations to start the discussion. The specially produced ‘Back to School' resources, sponsored by Visa Europe, give you everything you need to raise the awareness of parents. These are: a fully scripted presentation to deliver to parents and carers an animated film on the increasing influence of social media a guide for running successful awareness...(read more)

Using Social Media and Technology in Educational Settings - New document published

2011-09-14T11:05:00Z

The Kent e-Safety Strategy Group are pleased to announce a new document: "Using Social Media and Technology in Education Settings". Online social media tools such as blogs, Wikis, social networking and video sharing sites can be excellent tools for teaching and learning and can provide exciting and new opportunities for schools to engage, communicate and collaborate with pupils and the wider community. The positive use of social media and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) within...(read more)

A back to School 2011 gift from Insafe

2011-09-14T09:54:00Z

As the beginning of a new school year is here, Insafe continues its popular Back to School campaign offering teachers and schools a useful box of tools and tips to help start the year off on a positive note. This year the gift package for teachers includes a quiz for pupils to complete, lesson plans, an update on Facebook's new privacy settings, and an eSafety PowerPoint presentation giving an overview of benefits and challenges facing children and young people using online technologies, which...(read more)

Facebook announce new and improved friends lists functions

2011-09-14T09:42:00Z

Facebook has announced on its official blog that it will be making changes to have Friends list operate. Friend lists have been a feature of Facebook for some time, however very few users (approximately only 5%) are aware and make use of the feature. The original blog post can be found from Facebook here . A summary of the key changes are: New Smart lists - You'll see smart lists that create themselves and stay up-to-date based on profile information that your friends have in common with you...(read more)

New resources to support new and trainee teachers

2011-09-09T07:53:00Z

Childnet international have launched a new set of resources ith the support of the TDA , which have been developed to inform and assist Trainee teachers and NQTs. . There are three key components to this new resource: a guide designed to support teachers personal use of social networking services, keeping themselves, their students, and their job safe. a checklist for those entering a school to assist and inform them in relation to technology use at home, at school and in the classroom. a matrix...(read more)

Facebook New Privacy Setting Changes: an e-Safety perspective

2011-08-24T10:11:00Z

In the next few days Facebook will be rolling out changes to its privacy settings options to all users. Facebook state that they believe the new privacy settings will offer more control to users and will make managing personal data more visual and straightforward. One of the key changes for users to be aware of is that Facebook has changed some of the appearance, terminology and language that it uses. The previous option in the Privacy Settings "Everyone" is going to be replaced with "Public"...(read more)

Are we a nation of Smartphone addicts? New report from Ofcom published

2011-08-04T12:12:00Z

New Ofcom research published today (4 th August 2011) reveals the extent to which the UK has become "addicted" to smartphones. The Ofcom Communications Market report looks at the huge growth in smartphone take-up in the past 12 months - over one in four (27 per cent) GB adults and almost half of teens (47%) now own one - and how the devices have affected people's lives. The rapid growth in the use of smartphones, which offer internet access, email and a variety of internet-based applications...(read more)

New research on Cyberbullying published

2011-08-01T15:12:00Z

Anglia Ruskin University has published a study which identifies how bullying via texts, e-mails, social networks can have detrimental effects on mental health for people aged 11 to 19.This reseacrh would estimate that nearly one in five UK youngsters have been the victim of cyberbullying, with more girls being affected than boys. The study led by academics from the University, questioned almost 500 young people (273 girls and 200 boys) aged between 11 and 19 and almost a fifth (18.4%) admitted they...(read more)

The Impact of Digital Technologies on Human Well being - Report from Nominet Trust published

2011-07-04T15:32:00Z

According to a recent study published today undertaken by the Nominet Trust , eighty per cent of parents believe that social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have the ability to take over their children's lives. And one in three parents believes the internet has the power to ‘rewire' brains without a person's knowledge and thinks their children are in danger from the web. The poll of 1,000 parents was carried out by the Nominet Trust who worked alongside Dr Paul Howard Jones...(read more)

"Me on the Web" - Google tool to manage online reputation

2011-06-23T10:14:00Z

Google has launched a tool to enable users to understand and manage what people see when they search for you on Google. The tool called "Me on the Web" and is part of the Google Dashboard (users register to access personalised Google apps and tools). Google states " Your online identity is determined not only by what you post, but also by what others post about you - whether a mention in a blog post, a photo tag or a reply to a public status update ". Being aware of your own digital...(read more)

Formspring Information from YHGfL

2011-06-22T09:23:00Z

Formspring is a social networking site with over 20 million users. Formspring lets users set up a profile and enables them to post questions to other users as well as answer questions posted to them. It can be integrated with other social networking sites such as Facebook and information sharing sites like Twitter, so these questions can appear on profiles set up on these sites. The questions can be asked with a user's name hidden, or they can be visibly sent from another Formspring account depending...(read more)

Safer Internet Day 2012 – save the date in your diary!

2011-06-17T08:53:00Z

Safer Internet Day (SID) 2012 will take place on Tuesday 7th February 2012 and the theme will be around 'Connecting Generations' . This theme lends itself to looking at educating each other and placing the subject of positive internet use and internet safety as a family issue. It will also fit in well with the RaceOnline 2012. The UK Safer Internet Centre's plans for the day are being worked on now and they will be providing a range of resources (lesson and assembly plans) for schools...(read more)

NAHT publish Guidance on Social Media for School Leaders

2011-05-12T08:26:00Z

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has recently launched some guidance for school leaders following increasing number of concerns raised by members about the problems experienced with social networking sites (with Facebook being the one most frequently cited). The Guidance recommends a robust e-Safety Policy and Acceptable Use Policy needs to be in place and also highlights ways to report concerns to social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter directly. Read the document...(read more)

Childnet International Film Competition 2011

2011-04-14T15:07:00Z

Following the success of their 2010 film challenge, Childnet International is pleased to announce that they will be running their second summer film challenge for young people aged 7-16 (previous winners can be seen at http://www.childnet.com/film/ ). Launching on Tuesday 26 April 2011, Childnet has two separate projects in place for primary and secondary aged children. Once you have registered, you will be emailed a lesson plan, further resources and most importantly, this year's theme! All...(read more)