e-Safety in Schools

A common question from schools I receive is about engaging with parents either following a concern regarding children's online behaviour when at home or after the school have held a parents evening e-Safety workshop to which only 3 parents attended!

Technology can often seen as a "scary" or "frightening" issue to many adults and using the words "ICT", "Technology" etc can sometimes put parents/carers off attending e-Safety events as they may be concerned about not having sufficient computer skills to help protect their child. e-Safety is not about the technology, it is about keeping children safe online and so parenting skills and not computing are the most important thing. Sometimes parents/carers may think they are doing enough to protect their children by putting filters on search engines, installing antivirus software, having a laptop downstairs and banning children from using certain sites without considering how successful these tools are or if their children could access the internet elsewhere, so it is important to highlight that discussion and education about safe use is the key.

It is important that schools and settings focus on the importance of keeping children safe online and that e-Safety is not seen as a purely ICT issue. By working together, parents and carers can help to reinforce the e-safety messages and they can encourage positive behaviour wherever and whenever children go online.

Awareness-raising with parents and carers should focus on:

• The different ways children and young people use and access technology e.g. mobile phones, games consoles etc not just laptops and computers. It's important to highlight the positive use of technology as otherwise e-Safety can easily become frightening - be aware that the vast majority of interactions on the internet are positive!
•  The importance of developing risk awareness and risk management by children and young people (according to their age and ability) and resources parents/carers can use to help discuss online safety
  
•  Practical tips for e-safety in the home such as using filters, parental controls, creating appropriate user profiles and home computer security

How can Schools and Settings engage with families?

Often parents/carers can be a very hard-to-reach audience due to a number of reasons so it is important that schools explore a number of options when raising the profile of e-Safety within the school community.

1. Parental Awareness Sessions and Face to Face Training sessions
2. e-Safety Links on School Website/Learning platform. School websites can be great communication tools for busy parents/carers and can be used to highlight new resources and information for parents to use at home with their children. Schools can register their school website as a CEOP Digital Asset. Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre offer a number of free downloads which can be added to websites, which are  available when you register, each designed to provide users with a one-click route to advice, guidance and if required an ability to report online crime. Register at www.thinkuknow.co.uk/assets . Oe school I've worked with set the pupils the task or designing the e-Safety area on the school website - the children had great fun finding resources and then went home and helped their parents explore the site!
3. Regular Communication with parents/carers. Use regular school communication channels e.g. newsletters, emails, texts or letters home to ensure the schools e-Safety ethos is clear to all members of the School Community. This could include "top tips" or references to new and useful resources. This can also be a great way of engaging with parents before offering e-Safety events. One school I worked with had the students write the e-Safety newsletter which meant they went home and read it with their parents.
4. Events for or by Children on e-Safety. Turnout to e-Safety sessions or presentations have been noticeable improved by involving children, such as putting on a play or children presenting themselves at a whole school assembly. Some schools invite parents to attend children's lessons or workshops to help improve parent/child learning. These sessionscould be lead by the school, but sessions which are led by the children can often have a greater impact (as well as improved attendance).
   
5. Including e-Safety at open evenings or well attended events. Many schools have found that opening up the school to parents/carers for a day or an evening has increased the number of families engaging in e-Safety. Schools have offered open ICT Suite sessions where parents can drop in (alone or with their children) to explore useful websites. Highlighting e-Safety at other events can also help to reinforce that this is about safeguarding, not ICT.
6. Linking in with other School events. Attendance for Parental Awareness Sessions can often be poor or may not always engage with the most vulnerable families. It can sometimes be more useful to highlight e-Safety when parents would already be coming into school and some events which schools have said work well are schools discos (one school offered free entry to the children whose parents attended!), school plays (a large and captive audience!), transition events, school fetes (summer, Christmas etc) etc.
7. Home School Agreements. Many schools ask parents to sign consent forms or Acceptable Use Policies before letting children use the schools computer systems. Whilst these are an excellent idea, they can often be hard to manage and to have returned to the school.  An alternative is to add a reference to the schools e-Safety policy and procedures in the Home School Agreement - which all parents/carers MUST sign before a child can join the school. This can then be discussed as part of new entry to the school to help share the schools ethos at an early stage.
8. Questionnaires/online polls. This can be a useful way of seeing where a school may need to focus its delivery or awareness raising. A good idea is to send questionnaire or online polls to parents and then compare these with answers given by pupils to highlight any gaps or concerns.
9. Sharing your Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) or School e-Safety Policy for use or adaptation in the home and inviting feedback and discussion from parents/carers. Use school parents groups/associations to help raise awareness and they can be a great place to talk about ways to engage with parents.
10. Think outside the box! Screens (TV, computer) around school can also be a good way of getting parents more engaged with e-Safety by using a rolling presentation at parents evenings, school fetes, or other times when visitors are in the building such as school opening and closing times. Some schools have made a computer with internet access available to parents/carers (with AUPS) so that those without internet access at home can still access important emails and messages.

Running Parental Awareness Sessions to achieve a good attendance

Parental awareness sessions can be a really good way of engaging with parents about e-Safety in the home to promote a consistent and clear message. However attendance at such events can vary and therefore should not be used in isolation.

To ensure the best turn out schools could try the following methods:

• Send out an invitation letter to all parents/carers and the local community - this can be via a printed letter, text/SMS services and/or email. This should be sent out a few times as reminders.
• Schools could also highlight the event on the school website and/or School newsletter.
• Schools could display posters in the reception area, in public areas (e.g. fences, display boards in the playground) and also in the wider community e.g. Children Centres, local Shops, display boards etc.
• Work with local agencies e.g. Police, Community Wardens, Children's Centres, Libraries as they can help promote your event and may be able to help you engage with families who may not have attended otherwise.
• You may be able to entice parents by including a raffle or a reward for attending. Some schools have obtained prizes from local industry and raffled these at the events; other schools have offered discounts to school events or "freebies" etc.
• Providing refreshments can be a good idea (cake and tea/coffee is always a winning combination!) and some schools have found that offering a crèche or space for children to be supervised whilst parents attend has increased attendance.
•  It is also a good idea to ask parents when they would prefer the session to be offered e.g. morning, afternoon or evening, to ensure as many parents as possible can attend. Coffee mornings/afternoons can allow parents to attend just after or before the school run and evening sessions may help to accommodate families who work during the day.
  
• The best attended events have been organised with engagement and encouragement with the Schools Senior Leadership team and if possible any parents groups/associations or Family Liaison Officer/Parental Support Advisor etc.
• Sometimes avoiding using any technical terms can be helpful to stress that this event is not about ICT and computers, but is about keeping children safe.
• Using outside speakers such as local police can be very helpful to reinforce the schools messages however schools should not become too reliant on this approach as it can mean the school lose ownership of the issues. When using outside speakers schools should ensure that they are promoting the schools ethos (and are using up-to-date and appropriate materials) and make sure staff attend the session as outside speakers will not know your school , the pupils or the community.
• Don't be put off if the first event has a lower than expected attendance. If you've got the right balance then you'll find that word will spread on the playground about how useful the session was and the numbers should increase in the future.

Useful films/resources which can be used to run sessions and events for parents/carers include:

• CEOP's resources: "Where's Klaus" and "Parents Guide to Technology"- films, sample presentations, handouts etc are available at www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents and can be downloaded from www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers  
• The SWGfL video "Do you know?'  and "Golden Rules" videos can be downloaded from http://www.swgfl.org.uk/Staying-Safe/e-Safety-Movies
• "Not Knowing's not enough" for parents/carers is available online at http://explore.ee.co.uk/digital-living
• Digital Parenting Magazine available from www.vodafone.com/content/index/parents.html
• The Parent Zone: www.theparentzone.co.uk
  
• Know It ALL for Parents from Childnet International includes lots of material (including a sample presentation) and can be found at www.childnet.com/kia/parents/  
• UK Safer Internet Centre www.saferinternet.org.uk have some great resources which can be shared with parents/carers. It includes quizzes, conversation starters, factsheets about types of devices and guidance on popular parental controls
• Get Safe Online - www.getsafeonline.org 
• Family Online Safety Institue - www.fosi.org
• Internet Watch Foundation - www.iwf.org.uk
• Parents Protect - www.parentsprotect.co.uk/internet_safety.htm
• Other useful links can be found at www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/Children/safeguards_esafety_links.cfm
  

To support Kent schools and agencies with this Kent County Council are working with the Parent Zone to pilot training for professionals who want to engage with families. The Parent Zone - developer and distributor of Digital Parenting magazine have developed a new, groundbreaking training course for practitioners, aimed specifically at those working with parents. This one day course will equip staff to deliver high quality sessions and advice on e-Safety to parents and will be supported by the Kent e-Safety Officer. If you would like to find out more information about the training, please email charlotte@theparentzone.co.uk or Rebecca Avery, e-Safety Officer esafetyofficer@kent.gov.uk

Please feel free to share useful resources or ideas you've found to help engage with parents/carers in the comments section.

"Sexting", ­ the practice of sending self generated explicit pictures or video footage via mobile phones and the internet­ is becoming increasingly common among some teenagers. In October 2012, the Internet Watch Foundation found that 88 per cent of self-generated, sexually explicit online content of young people had been taken from its original location and uploaded onto other websites. Statistics from the children's charity Beatbullying suggested 38 per cent of young people have received a sexually explicit text or email, while 25 per cent have received a sexual image they found offensive. Long term consequences of "sexting" by young people can include various emotional effects (e.g. bullying, isolation etc) as well as possible criminal action.

"Sexting in schools: advice and support around self-generated images: What to do and how to handle it" aims to helps schools start to address this issue in the right way with children, young people and their families. The guidance has been developed by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, the Lucy Faithfull Foundation child protection charity, and sponsored by online software company Securus with input from Medway County Council and Kent County Council

The document includes practical support for schools and advice on whether teachers can search phones and computers. The pack also includes advice to teachers about how to respond if a child tells them about 'sexting' they have been involved in, as well as how to handle explicit images, manage student reaction and prevent further incidents. Case studies in the document also highlight the impact that sharing of explicit images can have on children's lives and the challenges faced by schools in dealing with it.

Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, welcomed the guidance, which has been produced in conjunction with a range of education groups, charities and councils. "The problem of 'sexting' - and the exposure of children to pornographic images through mobile devices - poses real and serious challenges for parents, head teachers and school staff," he said. "It exemplifies the way technology blurs the boundaries between school life and the wider world."

Peter Davies, chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, which helped develop the new document, said: "There are very real risks with this activity by young people, from bullying to the sharing of these images among sex offenders."  CEOP had seen an increase in young people sharing sexual images and videos of themselves with their peer group, he said.

 "Sexting in schools: advice and support around self-generated images: What to do and how to handle it" can be downloaded here www.securus-software.com/sexting

Primary aged entrants: Will be challenged to create a 60 second film to tell Childnet why ‘The internet is great, when you respect your mates'.

Secondary aged entrants: Will be asked to create a 2 minute film in response to the theme ‘How do you connect with respect?'

If you would like to register a group of young people for the challenge please do so at film@childnet.com

All shortlisted finalists will then be invited to a private screening of their film in front of the judging panel at the BFI in Central London, where they will be awarded some fantastic prizes for their school/youth group!

For information, the dates for the competition are as follows;

At a glance

• Competition opens: Monday 25^th February 2013
• Competition closes: Friday 21^st June 2013 @5pm
• Finalists notified: Monday 1^st July 2013
• Screening & finalist event at the BFI: Monday 15th July 2013

Please email film@childnet.com if you would like any more information

CEOP have released their latest film, First to a Million (aimed at young people aged 13-18), which is now available to download from the Thinkuknow site. The film is also now live on YouTube. As many schools block access to YouTube CEOP have created a 'First to a Million Software' package which can be downloaded from the Resources area of the Thinkuknow site. This package enables schools to play the film on network as if it were a DVD - but it's still interactive. Registered Thinkuknow users can download the zip file in the resources area (right click 'Extract All', open up the 'First to a Million.exe' file) and it is available in PC or Mac formats. The download also comes with a full set of guidance notes and a supporting activities pack in the Thinkuknow Resources area

If you work with young people aged 13 and up then you can also encourage them to watch the film at www.thinkuknow.co.uk/first2amillion

CEOP also have a blog which they are using to share news and information (such as new resources and updates around recent changes in technology or trends) on 'Thinkuknow: News and Views' and staff can share how they have used First to a Million via the blog's comments feature. You can also keep updated with CEOPs activities via the Click CEOP Facebook Fan Page and on Twitter via @CEOPUK or #First2aMillion.

Children are texting and spending more time online than ever before, according to Ofcom's latest annual report on children's media habits.

Texting is most prolific among 12-15 year olds, who say they are sending an average of 193 texts every week. This has more than doubled from 12 months ago, when just 91 were sent; and is almost four times as much as the UK average of 50 texts per week.

Older girls (12-15 year olds) are texting significantly more than boys, sending an average of 221 messages a week - 35% more than boys of the same age, who send 164 a week. The average 8-11 year old sends 41 texts each week, almost double the number (23) sent in 2011.

The new report also reveals the increasing role of the internet in children's lives. For the first time, 12-15 year olds are spending as much time on the internet as they do watching TV. This amounts to an estimated 17 hours a week on each activity.

Claudio Pollack, Ofcom's Consumer Group Director, said: "Ofcom's latest research shows that children's take-up and use of different media is growing at a rapid pace, with some areas such as texting and smartphone ownership fast outstripping the general population. However, children are not just using more media, they are also adopting some forms at a very young age. This highlights the challenge that some parents face in keeping up with their children when it comes to technology and in understanding what they can do to protect children."

Children and smartphones

Children's access to the internet is not restricted to PCs or laptops. Those aged 12-15 are more likely than last year to go online using their mobile phones and are more likely to say that this is the device they would miss the most.

Since 2011, there has been a 50% rise in 12-15 year olds owning smartphone devices. Almost two thirds (62%) of this age group now has one - up from 41% the previous year. This is significantly higher than the UK average for adults of 45%.

Mobile phones are more important to this age group than any other device, even TV. Two fifths (39%) of 12-15 year olds now say they would miss their mobile phone more than any other device, up from just over a quarter (28%) in 2011. Only one in five (20%) said that they would miss TV the most.

Around one in seven (14%) of all children aged 5-15 now use a tablet device at home, a threefold increase since 2011 (5%). Children aged 12-15 are most likely to use a tablet, with 17% saying they do, up from 6% in 2011.

Children and TV

Television continues to play an important role in children's lives, particularly for younger children. It continues to be the media activity that the most children in all age groups say they do almost every day, and the medium that children aged 5-7 and 8-11 say they would miss the most.

The average child aged 5-15 spends an estimated 16 hours a week watching TV. Older children view for longest, with the average 12-15 year old saying they watch 17.3 hours each week. More than a fifth (21%) of children watch television between 21:00-22:00 alone. Among the younger age group (4-9) this figure is 14%; among the older group (10-15) it is a quarter (25%).

However, since 2007 there has been a fall in the proportion of children with a TV in their bedroom - decreasing from 52% to 43% for 5-7s, from 69% to 58% for 8-11s and from 81% to 73% for 12-15s.

The majority of parents are happy with the level of regulation on TV, with three-quarters of parents (77%) agreeing that there is about the right amount.

3-4 year olds

For the first time, Ofcom has researched the media habits of 3-4 year olds. This indicates that many in this age group are using a range of different media devices, including over a third (37%) who are going online using a desktop PC, laptop or netbook. This is possibly to do activities such as look at a website, watch a TV programme or play games online.

One in ten (9%) 3-4 year olds use a tablet at home, according to their parents. The research also suggests that this age group spends an estimated 15.5 hours watching TV every week and one third (33%) has a TV in their bedroom.

Social networking

Children are keen users of social networks. Forty-three per cent of 5-15s with access to internet at home have a social networking profile, rising to 80% of 12-15s. Those aged 8-11 have an average of 92 friends and children aged 12-15 say they have, on average, 286 friends.

Children express high levels of confidence online with 83% of 8-11 year olds and 93% of 12-15s saying that they are confident that they know how to stay safe online. However, children aged 8-11 estimate that they have not met around one in eight (12%) of their social network friends in person (an average of 11 people per child) while 12-15s say they have not met around one in four (25%) - an average of 72 people per child.

Keeping children safe

Although parents' concerns about content online and on TV are decreasing, the vast majority of parents (97%) believe that they have some responsibility to ensure children do not see unsuitable TV content.

Most parents are taking some sort of action to protect their children from inappropriate material. Four fifths (79%) of parents of 5-15 year olds who go online at home say they have rules in place about their children's internet usage - such as checking what their child is doing online or setting time limits. Half of parents of 5-15s have parental controls installed on their TV; 46% of parents of 5-15s who go online at home have online controls installed on computers at home; and 31% of parents of 12-15s with a phone that can be used to go online have mobile phone ‘filters' in place.

One in ten (10%) parents say they do not have parental controls installed on computers either because they don't know how to do this, or are not aware that it is possible, rising to 21%-25% for fixed/mobile games consoles and 35% for mobile phones. The most frequent reason given by parents of younger children for not having technical controls on computers is that their child is always supervised (63% for both 5-7s and 8-11s), while for children aged 12-15 it is because they trust their child (67%).

Ofcom's Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2012 is available here.

Safer Internet Day 2013 will take place on Tuesday 5 February 2013. Focusing on online rights and responsibilities, this will be the tenth anniversary of the event and they are looking to children, young people, schools and partners across the UK to help us make Safer Internet Day 2013 bigger and better than ever before. For Safer Internet Day 2013 the UK Safer Internet Centre are giving children and young people the opportunity to share with the Government and key people from the internet industry what they want from the internet and how it can be a better place.

The UK Safer Internet Centre are delighted to be launching the Safer Internet Day 'Have your Say' survey, which asks children and young people to consider what they believe will make the internet a better place and will ask them to reflect on whether online services, government and schools are doing enough to support them to get the most out of the internet. Do they have a right to access all information? Do they have a right to control their privacy? It will also give them the chance to reflect on their online responsibilities, and consider how the way they act online can affect other people's online experiences. They will then present the collated views and opinions of children and young people across the UK to the Government on Safer Internet Day.

It would be great if schools and organisations could take part and ask the young people they work with to complete a copy of the Safer Internet Day survey, either online, or on the downloadable pdf and return it to the UK Safer Internet Centre by 31st October 2012.

You can access both the 7-11 age and 11-18 age survey's online at www.saferinternet.org.uk/survey .

If you have any questions about the survey, please do feel free to email hannah@childnet.com who will be able to help.

Vodafone have launched their new and updated Digital Parenting Magazine Following the success of the first issue of the magazine in 2010, 500,000 copies of the new magazine have been printed in 2012.

Annie Mullins OBE, Vodafone's Global Head of Content Standards, says: "Vodafone Digital Parenting helps to build parents' and grandparents' confidence so that they can help children make the most of digital technologies and also understand the potential challenges and risks. We received great feedback about our first issue in 2010 so we're delighted to be able to provide this free magazine again to hundreds of thousands of parents across the UK."

Digital Parenting draws on the latest research and advice to bring parents up to speed on critical topics. Where bullying is concerned, for example, the magazine looks at one recent study that reveals how some young people regard and refer to online meanness as ‘drama' and don't see themselves as either a bully or a victim - a viewpoint that might differ considerably from that of their parents. Digital Parenting also explores the issues of privacy and online reputation, explaining why children and teenagers need to carefully consider what they reveal about themselves online as they're creating long-lasting digital footprints that could affect them when they apply for college or jobs in the future.

The magazine contains articles by more than 25 digital and parenting experts, including psychiatrists, teachers, parenting advisers and industry representatives. As well as Expert View articles on subjects as wide-ranging as the importance of age ratings to the future of the internet, there is a focus on the sexualisation and commercialisation of young people, as parents are increasingly concerned about this.

The Digital Parenting team also spoke to a number of young people around the UK, including three Paralympic athletes, about the digital technologies they enjoy and the difference they make to their lives.

To help parents make the most of some of the safety and privacy tools already available, there are 10 step-by-step ‘How to' guides in Issue 2 of Digital Parenting, including how to use the Vodafone Guardian app and how to set up the new BlackBerry Parental Controls. There is also a guide to help parents report any online concerns their child might have to popular service providers (such as Facebook, Google and Xbox) and relevant authorities (such as CEOP, the IWF and ParentPort).

In addition, there is a special feature on the role that grandparents can play in their grandchildren's digital world, especially as so many are now involved with childcare. To support grandparents, Vodafone is providing, for the first time, guidance to help them make accessing the internet and using mobiles and other digital devices more enjoyable and safer for their grandchildren. Ahead of the launch of Digital Parenting, Vodafone commissioned YouGov to poll grandparents about this issue - you can find the survey results here.

Parents can access an electronic copy of the magazine online now at www.vodafone.com/content/index/parents.html so why not link to the magazine from your website or send the link home in your next newsletter.

Schools and settings can also order hard copies of the Digital Parenting Magazine to give out to parents via The Parent Zone by using the online order form

When making a judgement about a school, e-Safety and cyberbullying is highlighted in the Ofsted inspection in two of the four key judgements: "the behaviour and safety of pupils at the school" and "the quality of leadership and management" when describing outstanding schools.

In addition to this, inspectors will also be evaluating schools provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, including pupils' ability to "develop and apply an understanding of right and wrong in their school life and life outside school". It is clear that schools must increase their safeguarding agenda to include e-Safety as it will be an important area to ensure that children and young people are kept safe and aware of how to manage risks, even when they are not on the school site.

Ofsted have now published a section 5 briefing for inspecting e-Safety which highlights some key points which schools will need to consider when extending their safeguarding obligations to the online world. The briefing sheets is publicly available to schools and will help to give a direction and focus to school leadership teams as to what good and outstanding online safeguarding practice looks like and additionally clearly outlines what inadequate practice looks like.

The new briefing "Inspecting e-Safety" has been developed building on the 2010 Ofsted publication "The safe use of new technologies".

The key findings of the "safe use of new technology" report were:

• In the five schools where provision for e-Safety was outstanding, all the staff, including members of the wider workforce, shared responsibility for it. Assemblies, tutorial time, personal, social, health and education lessons, and an age-appropriate curriculum for e-Safety all helped pupils to become safe and responsible users of new technologies.
• Pupils in the schools that had ‘managed' systems had better knowledge and understanding of how to stay safe than those in schools with ‘locked down' systems. Pupils were more vulnerable overall when schools used locked down systems because they were not given enough opportunities to learn how to assess and manage risk for themselves.
•  In the outstanding schools, senior leaders, governors, staff and families worked together to develop a clear strategy for e-safety. Policies were reviewed regularly in the light of technological developments. However, systematic review and evaluation were rare in the other schools visited.
• The outstanding schools recognised that, although they had excellent relationships with families, they needed to keep developing these to continue to support e-Safety at home.
• Few of the schools visited made good use of the views of pupils and their parents to develop their e-Safety provision.
• In some schools there were weaknesses in e-Safety where pupils were receiving some of their education away from the school site.
• The weakest aspect of provision in the schools visited was the extent and quality of their training for staff. It did not involve all the staff and was not provided systematically. Even the schools that organised training for all their staff did not always monitor its impact systematically.

• audit the training needs of all staff and provide training to improve their knowledge of and expertise in the safe and appropriate use of new technologies
• work closely with all families to help them ensure that their children use new technologies safely and responsibly both at home and at school
• use pupils' and families' views more often to develop e-Safety strategies
• manage the transition from locked down systems to more managed systems to help pupils understand how to manage risk; to provide them with richer learning experiences; and to bridge the gap between systems at school and the more open systems outside school
• provide an age-related, comprehensive curriculum for e-Safety that enables pupils to become safe and responsible users of new technologies
• work with their partners and other providers to ensure that pupils who receive part of their education away from school are e-safe
• systematically review and develop their e-Safety procedures, including training, to ensure that they have a positive impact on pupils' knowledge and understanding.

When conducting inspections, from September 2012, Ofsted will be identifying the following aspects as key features of good and outstanding e-Safety practice

Whole School Consistent Approach

• All teaching and non-teaching staff can recognise and are aware of e-Safety issues.
• High quality leadership and management make e-Safety a priority across all areas of the school.
• A high priority given to training in e-safety, extending expertise widely and building internal capacity.
• The contribution of pupils, parents and the wider school community is valued and integrated

Robust and integrated reporting routines

• School-based online reporting processes that are clearly understood by the whole school, allowing the pupils to report issues to nominated staff, for example SHARP.
• Report Abuse buttons, for example CEOP

Staff

• All teaching and non-teaching staff receive regular and up-to-date e-Safety training.
• At least one staff member has accredited training, for example CEOP, EPICT.

Policies

• Rigorous e-Safety policies and procedures are in place, written in plain English, contributed to by the whole school, updated regularly and ratified by governors.
• The e-Safety policy should be integrated with other relevant policies such as behaviour, safeguarding and anti-bullying.
• The e-Safety policy should incorporate an Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP) that is signed by pupils and/or parents as well as all staff and respected by all

Education

• A progressive curriculum that is flexible, relevant and engages pupils interest; that is used to promote e-Safety through teaching pupils how to stay safe, how to protect themselves from harm and how to take responsibility for their own and others safety.
• Positive sanctions are used to reward positive and responsible use.
• Peer mentoring programmes

Infrastructure

• Recognised Internet Service Provider or RBC together with age related filtering that is actively monitored

Monitoring and Evaluations

• Risk assessment taken seriously and used to good effect in promoting e-safety.
• Using data effectively to assess the impact of e-Safety practice and how this informs strategy.

Indicators of inadequate e-Safety practice

Indicators of inadequate e-Safety practice in schools will include the following concerns:

• Personal data is often unsecured and/or leaves school site without encryption.
•  Security of passwords is ineffective, for example passwords are shared or common with all but the youngest children.
• Policies are generic and not updated.
• There is no progressive, planned e-Safety education across the curriculum, for example there is only an assembly held annually.
• There is no internet filtering or monitoring.
• There is no evidence of staff training.
• Children are not aware of how to report a problem.

The briefing also includes some sample Questions which inspectors may ask when visiting schools. Schools may wish to use these questions to highlight areas to target for review.

Sample questions for Senior Leadership Teams

1. How do you ensure that all staff receive appropriate online safety training that is relevant and regularly up to date?
2. What mechanisms does the school have in place to support pupils and staff facing online safety issues?
3. How does the school educate and support parents and whole school community with online safety?
4. Does the school have e-Safety policies and acceptable use policies in place? How does the school know that they are clear and understood and respected by all?
5.  Describe how your school educates children and young people to build knowledge, skills and capability when it comes to online safety? How do you assess its effectiveness?

Sample questions for Pupils

1. If you felt uncomfortable about anything you saw, or if anybody asked you for your personal details such as your address on the internet would you know where to go for help?
2. If anybody sent you hurtful messages on the internet or on your mobile phone would you know who to tell?
3. Can you tell me one of the rules your school have for using the internet?
4. Do you understand what the risks of posting inappropriate content on the internet are (secondary students only)?

Sample questions for Staff

1. Have you had any training that shows the risks to your and pupils online safety?
2. Are there policies in place that clearly demonstrate good and safe internet practice for staff and pupils?
3. Are there sanctions in place to enforce the above policies?
4. Do all staff understand what is meant by the term cyberbullying and the effect it can have on themselves and pupils?
5. Are their clear reporting mechanisms with a set of actions in place for staff or pupils who feel they are being bullied online?
6. Does school have any plans for an event on Safer Internet Day (note: this is an annual event now in its fifth year at least so any school who are engaged would know about it)?

In a good or outstanding school then Ofsted will expect positive answers to all of the above. It would demonstrate a schools commitment to e-Safety if all members of the school community have received e-Safety education including awareness training for all members of staff outlining what the current risks are and what resources are available to help them keep pupils and themselves safe online.

Kent Schools can contact Rebecca Avery, e-Safety Officer to discuss and review their current practise or to enquire about training or any other concerns relating to e-Safety and safe and responsible online behaviour. Schools can also find useful guidance and resources to support them in developing their e-Safety approach at www.kenttrustweb.org.uk?esafety

Training is also available for Kent schools specifically focusing on developing an outstanding approach to e-Safety via Kent CPD online called "Child Protection and New Technology".

A useful place for schools to begin to review and map their readiness for this may be to use 360 degree safe, a free online self review tool for schools from SWGfL which can be accessed at www.360safe.org.uk

CEOP's Thinkuknow education programme endeavours to empower young people online through education. It has a range of resources that have been developed for use with children aged from 4-16, helping them to identify the risks they may face online and teaching them how to protect themselves and places to seek further support. CEOP's range of preventative films, presentations, lesson plans and guidance are free for practitioners in the children's workforce to access and deliver directly to the young people they work with. Through this cascade model practitioners have used Thinkuknow resources with children and young people on over 11 million occasions since the programme's establishment in 2006.

In October this year CEOP's Thinkuknow education programme is planning to release its next resource to practitioners. The resource, First to a Million, is a 20 minute interactive drama highlighting the places that young people can go to report and seek support should things get out of control online. The resource is aimed broadly at secondary school aged children however CEOP is considering developing supporting materials for younger children which would include the film's key messages in an audience appropriate format.

Feedback from experienced practitioners is really important to CEOP in the development of the guidance and lesson plans that they create to support our resources. CEOP will be conducting a virtual consultation with practitioners who work with young people in a variety of settings across the UK, which will directly shape the guidance we develop. The consultation will open the week commencing 30^th July and will close 17^th August. CEOP appreciate that this is during the summer holidays but they anticipate that this will only take up a short amount of  time and its important that CEOP ensure as much feedback as possible.

If you are able to participate please email education@ceop.gsi.gov.uk including ‘Consultation' in the subject line. For further information about CEOP's Thinkuknow education programme and to register for resources please visit: www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers.

Childnet International and the UK Safer Internet Centre have published their latest resource for 3-7 year olds on the Kidsmart website. The story eBook "Digiduck's Big Decision" can be read online and also downloaded free of charge.

The story is a lovely way to talk about positive behaviour on the internet to younger children in both formal and informal settings and could be used by staff in Schools and Early Years settings as well as Parents/carers. In the eBook, Digiduck learns what it means to be a good friend online which is a theme with which this age group will be very familiar offline already. It also highlights the imporance of online responsbility in an age appropriate way, which is sure to engage both younger and older online users.

The story can be found at http://www.kidsmart.org.uk/teachers/ks1/digiduck.aspx

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.  The participatory learning project uses film making to help students explore an issue which they choose.  This latest chapter includes two films; one from students (a stop-motion animation) and a longer reflective piece in which both students and staff from the Bridge Academy discuss underage use of adult games and how teachers respond to the issues which many of these games can bring up.  At a time when there is frequent concerns (from schools and the media) about young students having mobile phones in the classroom this inspiring and honest film called ‘Digital Bridge' could provide senior leaders with food for thought.

Over the last few weeks the Government has acted on the recommendations from Tanya Byron about the standardisation of video game rating systems and changes in the law to mean that anyone who sells a designated 12+ title to younger children will face fines of up to £5,000 and a jail sentence, see http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2012/may/10/game-age-ratings-simplified-pegi.  This means that this is an ever increasing issue that should be integrated into schools and other settings e-Safety programmes of work.

Stephen Carrick-Davies says "Many teachers I work with say that numbers of their young students are accessing violent video games. Whilst the debate about the causality of online violence and offline behaviour is controversial, (and I'm not qualified to enter into this debate), I do believe that both teachers, and parents need help in addressing this issue of young children playing age restricted games and understanding some of the safeguarding issues.  As part of this project I have therefore written a reflection piece on the workshops I ran with explanation on how new games such as ‘Saints Row' and ‘Grand Theft Auto' and ‘Call of Duty' work. My hope is that other schools can begin to better support both students and parents about how these games may influence children."

This report strikes a balanced view and reflects accurately the views from both the young people and teachers involved. It also includes a section on the positive power of age-appropriate games for learning as well as information which could be used to support staff, students and parents/carers when looking at this issue.

To find out more access the content and supporting documents at http://www.carrick-davies.com/mpp/conflict

Content adapted from Stephen Carrick-Davies

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 in the school curriculum?
• Who should have the lead responsibility for e-Safety in a school?
• Who needs to have e-Safety training in the school?
• Can I use my mobile phone or my own device at school?
• Does my school need to think about Data Protection and Security?
• Can I ban my staff from using Facebook/twitter etc?
• How can I help my staff keep safe online?
  
• What should our school e-Safety policy and AUP (Acceptable Use Policy) cover?
• At what age should we start talking to children about e-Safety?
• What Search Engine/tools should I use in class?
• Children in my primary school class are using Facebook, what should I do?
• How do I talk to children about an online concern without encouraging them?
• Should schools use social media to communicate with students or parents?
• What can we do about children playing inappropriate games etc outside of school?
• If cyberbullying is happening outside of school, surely it's not the schools problem is it?
• A parent has written nasty comments about the school on Facebook, how can I get it removed?
• How do I report criminal content I find online?
• What resources can I use to discuss cyberbullying with my pupils?
• How do I talk to pupils about password safety?
• What is the role for governors in e-Safety and safeguarding?
• How can include pupils in e-Safety policy, in order to make it more effective?
• How do I get parents to attend an e-Safety session/workshop?
• How can I get parents to engage with e-Safety?
• How can I help parents make informed choices about devices for their children
  
• What resources are available to use with pupils with Special Education Needs?
• What resources are available for older students?

Many thanks to very some kind people on twitter for making some suggestions to be included. 

List updated: 18.4.12

I'll be seeking to provide some guidance as well as any useful links and resources to support schools and settings when dealing with the most common e-Safety questions and queries.

In the meantime, if you have a question which you'd like to submit or have some useful resources which you think might be helpful to share, then please post or comment below or contact the e-Safety Officer via email or on twitter

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 are in place for primary and secondary aged children. The theme for the competition is as follows:

Primary Schools: "The Internet can make your life much easier, let me show you!"

Secondary: "I'm a technophobe, get me out of here! Can you convert a technophobe to the wonders of the internet?"

All shortlisted finalists will then be invited to a private screening of their film in front of a judging panel at the BFI in Central London, where they will be awarded some fantastic prizes for their schools/youth group!

The dates for the competition are as follows:

• Competition opens: Monday 16th April 2012 @ 9am
• Competition closes: Friday 15th June 2012 @5pm
• Finalists notified: Friday 22nd June 2012
• Screening & finalist event at the BFI: Monday 9th July 2012

If you would like to find out more or register a group of young people for the challenge please do so at film@childnet.com

To find out more, visit the Childnet webpage 

Content from Childnet International

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 is useful to their pupils, for learning, communication and socialisation. However, the findings also showed that technology is creating challenges for teachers in relation to issues around e-Safety and cyberbullying as well as managing pupils' usage of particular technologies, such as smartphones and social networking sites.

The survey found that:

• 87% of  teachers said that their school has an e-safety policy, but only seven in ten (72%) indicated that it is reviewed regularly (this figure was less in Secondary schools)
• 77% of primary teachers and half (54%) of secondary teachers felt that staff had received adequate e-safety training.
• 87% of teachers feel pupils are e-safe at school, but only 58% think their pupils have the knowledge and skills to stay e-safe at home
• 59% of teachers said that they had a social networking profile themselves, and less than 1% had experienced pupils leaving inappropriate comments on their profile.
• 74% of teachers think that the prevalence of smart phones among their pupils is making it easier for them to access inappropriate material at school, with nine out of 10 secondary school teachers finding this difficult to manage
• Cyberbullying continues to be a problem, with 91% of secondary teachers and 52% of primary teachers saying pupils at their school have experienced cyberbullying, and that most of it is perpetrated via social networking sites.

These figures highlight some concerns with e-Safety practice in Secondary schools, especially around policies and staff training. This may be due to the size of the school, however it is important that all schools view e-Safety as part of their essential safeguarding responsibilities and equip all members of staff to manage e-Safety concerns accordingly.  

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 controlling access to the internet and technology, setting rules and boundaries and education around safe and responsible use for both pupils and staff. Schools and settings must ensure that appropriate action has been taken to help protect staff, pupils and the wider community.

The updated Staff ICT Acceptable Use Policy Template 2012 builds upon the foundations laid by the "Staff Code of Conduct" (2008) and is provided as a framework to support schools and other settings when writing and updating their Acceptable Use Policies which are an important part of every schools role in safeguarding both pupils and staff.

The Staff ICT Acceptable Use Policy Template 2012 contains a "guidance for use" section for Head Teachers, Governing Bodies and Senior Leadership Teams to help them consider the wider implications (including legislation and recommended best practise) as well as possible actions required to support and develop a consistent and appropriate AUP to reflect the schools e-Safety approach. The AUP template provides schools and settings with a range of statements and could be used and adapted by Senior Leadership Teams to develop an AUP appropriate to the schools systems, needs and requirements.

The ICT Acceptable Use Policy Template 2012 has been produced by the Kent e-Safety Strategy Group with input from schools, child protection officers, Teaching Unions, School Personnel, Kent County Council Legal Services, multi-agency children's workforce professionals and Kent Police to help schools and other settings write their own staff AUP.

Kent schools and settings can consult with the e-Safety Officer to discuss policies and procedures in relation to schools e-Safety responsibilities.

The Staff ICT Acceptable Use Policy Template 2012 is available electronically as both a PDF and word document, along with other e-Safety Material, at www.kenttrustweb.org.uk?esafety
 

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 dissipating, with 350,222 children – or 1 in 13 – experiencing persistent and intentional cyberbullying, with just under a quarter (23%) reporting that the bullying lasted for a year or more, and two in five (40%) said that it lasted for months or weeks. These findings closely mirror Beatbullying's first Virtual Violence study published in 2009.

Looking at the long-term effects of cyberbullying, Virtual Violence II reveals the detrimental impact this kind of abuse can have on a young person's wellbeing, with:

• 20% of children and young people indicating that fear of cyberbullies made them reluctant to go to school
• One in five (19%) reporting they experienced reduced confidence and self-esteem
• 14% living in fear for their safety
• 5% resorting to self-harm and 3% reporting an attempt of suicide as a direct result of cyberbullying.

"Through this bullying which was not just on the internet, I tried to commit suicide, ended up going to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and stopped going to school. The only reason it has improved is because I left school".
(Girl, 16)

The rise of hand-held internet and mobile technologies in classrooms and the widespread use of social networking and rating platforms such as RateMyTeachers.com have meant that teachers are becoming as common a victim of cyberbullying as children and young people.

Virtual Violence II, commissioned by Nominet Trust and compiled in association with the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), uncovers the increasing vulnerability of teachers, with:

• 1 in 10 teachers stating they've experienced harassment through a technological medium and 48% witnessing or hearing about it happening to their colleagues
• 15% feeling afraid for their safety or that of their family
• 3% contemplating leaving the profession and 3% resigning altogether.

The report also highlights the financial strain cyberbullying places upon the education system with:

• Teachers spending an average of six hours a week dealing with cases of cyberbullying
• And an estimated £18 million of the education budget being spent dealing with cases of cyberbullying per annum.

The perpetrators do this in and out of school time but it is invariably brought into school and school staff have to spend time dealing with it. The technology moves on and changes so quickly, it is difficult for non technical people to keep up with".
(Secondary School Teacher in Derbyshire)

The report also names and shames the worst offending social networking sites where cyberbullying has been found to be most prevalent. Over half (52%) of young people identified Facebook as the place where they'd personally experienced cyberbullying. Facebook and MSN were also cited as the most common platforms on which children witness bullying happening to others (47% and 20% respectively), with 45% stating they felt that websites such as Facebook and MSN did not do enough to protect them from virtual violence.

"People think that they can say whatever they want to behind a computer screen... It needs to be reported much more than it is as it really affects young people; it has definitely shaped who I am today"
(Girl, 17)

Emma-Jane Cross, chief executive of Beatbullying, said:

"Cyberbullying continues to be a dangerous problem for a significant number of young people and we must not ignore its complex and often devastating effects. We as a society need to take responsibility for both preventing such harmful and anti-social behaviour, and dealing effectively with incidents of virtual violence when they occur. An integrated approach where we see Government, schools, parents, Internet Service Providers and charities like Beatbullying all working together to keep our most vulnerable safe. Today Beatbullying is calling for Internet Service Providers, social networking sites and mobile phone networks to support and invest in services such as Beatbullying's Cybermentors programme, that has the capacity to successfully intervene and offer legitimate advice, support and guidance to children and young people.

Emphasis also needs to be placed on the safety and well being of our teachers, their job is to educate and not spend endless hours a week dealing with cyber bullying.

"It is costing society £18 million to deal with this endemic, this is wrong; this money needs to be reinvested in early intervention and prevention work, to help protect our most vulnerable. CyberMentors is dealing with cyberbullying on the front line, but working together in partnership with service providers; we can create a culture in which any form of bullying, on or off-line, is seen as unacceptable. This is how we will make a real difference to young people's lives."

Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, added:

"The benefits of new communications technologies in education are hard to overstate but we know that when they are abused, life can be made a misery for pupils and teachers alike. We also know that victims of bullying whether on or off-line have been driven to suicide by such misery. This report brings home the necessity of taking steps to deal with pernicious virtual violence, not only to protect those who could and should be taking advantage of all the positive aspects of these exciting technologies but to send a clear message to those who might believe otherwise, that abuse conducted online is still abuse and is not immune from consequences. We welcome this report for highlighting these issues and are proud to support Beatbullying in its attempts to provide a common sense response to cyber violence."

Annika Small, CEO of Nominet Trust, added:

"This new research is extremely worrying. A kneejerk reaction would be to lock and block the internet, but this would negate its vast potential for supporting young people's learning and development. Instead, we need to equip young people and their parents with the skills to use the internet safely and responsibly so they can take advantage of the opportunities that digital technology presents for positive discovery, collaboration and participation"

"It is worse being bullied over the internet because everyone can see and it makes you feel really little and small".
(Girl, 13)

Press release from BeatBullying

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, supported by their schools, in sharing their knowledge on how to stay safe with the community around them.

Let the Safer Internet Centre know your plans!

Schools can send in to the UK Safer Internet Centre, in no more than 140 characters (i.e. a txt), how they are planning to mark Safer Internet Day 2012. This may be working with children, it could be raising awareness in your local shopping centre, it could be organising for children to help senior citizens to get online for the first time! The opportunities are endless! Send your school logo and text to enquiries@saferinternet.org.uk and these will be added to Safer Internet Centre website.

New Resources to use on SID from Childnet International

Childnet International has developed new resources to support schools taking part in Safer Internet Day on the 7^th February 2012. The new Safer Internet Day Education Resources aim to help teachers think about how to address and cover Safer Internet Day in the classroom. A series of resources have been designed for both the Primary and Secondary age groups.

Secondary Schools:

• Use the lesson plan to enable debate and discussion surrounding internet issues. Challenge young people to understand the concerns of other generations. Showcase your debate to peers, parents, carers and grandparents; and give them the chance to join in!
• Create an awareness raising campaign in your school to encourage all generations of the local community to connect to the internet safely!
• This free content can be downloaded from the UK Safer Internet Site at www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/download-schools-pack

Primary Schools:

• Use the lesson plan to enable your pupils to share their internet knowledge with their peers and with a selected audience within the community, to facilitate an exciting and collaborative group learning experience.
• Create a class song / jingle / rap / short play or sketch titled "How we connect online and why we love the internet" IN ADVANCE of Safer Internet Day that can be showcased at the end of the SID assembly on 7 February 2012.
• This free content can be downloaded from the UK Safer Internet Site at www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/download-schools-pack

Infant and Early Years Settings:

• The Early Surfers' Zone is now live on Childnet International's Kidsmart website and can be found at http://www.kidsmart.org.uk/teachers/ks1/.

• The Early Surfers' Zone is designed for the parents, carers and educators of 3-7 year olds, to help introduce young children to the idea of internet safety, in an age-appropriate, fun and engaging way. The site introduces the character of Smartie the Penguin, who learns to be safe online, by asking his family for help whenever anything happens to make him feel upset, confused or worried. The resources include a new printable E-book, accompanying questions for discussion (for parents / carers / staff who are reading the story), a lesson plan with relevant curriculum links, and subsequent follow-up activity ideas for children to complete at home. There is also an art gallery for children to submit their posters and creative work.
  

Safer Internet Day Live Radio Show

Safer Internet Day Live, the internet radio programme, will be broadcasting on the day. Building on the success of Safer Internet Day 2011, the marathon programme will hear from world leading experts, those being children and young people! The programme is truly interactive - it doesn't have listeners but participants. The programme will have sections focusing on particular subjects. The UK Safer Internet Centre are specifically looking for groups of children to appear on the programme- either live or pre recorded and would love to hear from you if your school or organisation has such a group who would like to be broadcast across the globe. The children can tell us how they use online technologies, put questions to our interviewees, or tell others how they are marking Safer Internet Day at home, at school and with friends! Get in touch with enquiries@saferinternet.org.ukto express your interest to take part in the programme.

New Resources to use on SID from CEOP

On the 7^th February CEOP will be hosting the "Parents' and Carers' Guide to the Internet", ready to broadcast anywhere from schools and offices, to phones and homes. This will be a short TV-style programme which schools and settings will be available to download or stream from the Thinkuknow site. The programme will be an entertaining and light-hearted look at what it's like to bring up children in the online world - featuring clips and tips from some surprising sources!

CEOP want schools to get parents, carers, childminders, and grandparents to tune in, and here's how:

• School could run a parent and carers event, showing the programme and following it up with activities from CEOP;
• Schools can encourage parents and carers to watch the programme from the comfort of their own homes if they are unable to attend your session;
• Schools can get children and young people involved using activities supplied by CEOP prior to the event; and
• Schools can get involved with the event through interacting directly with the CEOP Team on the day.

CEOP are providing the following resources: 

• A short trailer to market the event, this aims to get parents and carers thinking about what their children are up to online and how they can get involved.  This will be released on the Thinkuknow site at the end of January.
• A TV style programme that can be streamed live online on the 7^th February or downloaded from the Thinkuknow website from the 1^st week of February.
• A resource pack that will be available to download from the Teacher/Trainers area of the Thinkuknow site which can be downloaded from the 9th January This will include:

• Posters and letters that you can use to publicise events to parents and carers;
• Activity sheets to get young people involved in the day that can be used in the run up to SID;
• Briefing notes for running an event; and
• A presentation to use with parents once they've watched the programme.

All of these resources, and more, are available to professionals working with children and young people who register at: www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers

For Kent Schools and Settings

The e-Safety Officer is looking for Kent Schools to take part in activities across the county. Please contact esafetyofficer@kent.gov.uk if your school is taking part in SID12 or if your school would be interested in joining in or supporting an event.

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" section of Childnet International's Kidsmart website and can be found at http://www.kidsmart.org.uk/teachers/ks1/.

 The Early Surfers' Zone is designed for the parents, carers and educators of 3-7 year olds, to help introduce young children to the idea of internet safety, in an age-appropriate, fun and engaging way. The site introduces the character of Smartie the Penguin, who learns to be safe online, by asking his family for help whenever anything happens to make him feel upset, confused or worried. 

The resources include a new printable E-book, accompanying questions for discussion (for parents / carers / staff who are reading the story), a lesson plan with relevant curriculum links, and subsequent follow-up activity ideas for children to complete at home. There is also an art gallery for children to submit their posters and creative work.

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 encourage their children to stay safe when using these technologies.

Increasingly parents are asking questions about particular devices that their children are using - or perhaps would like to have for Christmas! Many young people experience internet-enabled technologies as a positive and integral part of their lives, but parents are not always aware of the capabilities and issues raised by different devices.It can sometimes feel challenging for parents and carers to keep up with what their children are doing online, to supervise what they are viewing, who they are chatting to, what games they are playing and what they are downloading, and even more so now that the internet can be accessed from a wide range of devices.

Recent research from Ofcom shows that a large number of British 5- to 15-year-olds are using a range of internet-enabled technologies to go online:

• 4 in 5 via a PC/laptop
• 1 in 5 via a games console
• 1 in 7 via a mobile phone
• 1 in 14 via a portable media player
• 1 in 50 via a tablet

The online resource introduces smartphones, gaming devices and other internet-enabled technologies such as the iPod Touch and iPad, helping parents to understand how young people are using these devices as well as the potential risks they may face. There is an FAQ section for each technology, answering some of the common questions that parents have, such as “How can I help my child stay safe when accessing the internet on their smartphone?” and “How might my child communicate with people using their gaming device?” There are also downloadable tip top guides for the iPhone, BlackBerry, iPod Touch, iPad, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, 3DS, DSi, and the PlayStation 3 and PSP, which look at the capabilities of the specific device and help parents navigate the parental controls available.

With these devices increasingly making it onto the Christmas wish list of many young people in the UK, A Parent's Guide to Technology will help parents and carers in understanding these different internet-enabled technologies.

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 to stay safe with the community around them.

Schools can send in to the UK Safer Internet Centre, in no more than 140 characters (i.e. a txt), how they are planning to mark Safer Internet Day 2012. This may be working with children, it could be raising awareness in your local shopping centre, it could be organising for children to help senior citizens to get online for the first time! The opportunities are endless! Send your school logo and text to enquiries@saferinternet.org.uk and these will be added to Safer Internet Centre website.

Childnet International has developed new resources to support schools taking part in Safer Internet Day on the 7^th February 2012. The new Safer Internet Day Education Resourcesaim to help teachers think about how to address and cover Safer Internet Day in the classroom. A series of resources have been designed for both the PrimaryandSecondary age groups.

Secondary Schools:

• Use the lesson plan to enable debate and discussion surrounding internet issues. Challenge young people to understand the concerns of other generations. Showcase your debate to peers, parents, carers and grandparents; and give them the chance to join in!
• Create an awareness raising campaign in your school to encourage all generations of the local community to connect to the internet safely!

Primary Schools

• Use the lesson plan to enable your pupils to share their internet knowledge with their peers and with a selected audience within the community, to facilitate an exciting and collaborative group learning experience.
• Create a class song / jingle / rap / short play or sketch titled “How we connect online and why we love the internet” IN ADVANCE of Safer Internet Day that can be showcased at the end of the SID assembly on 7 February 2012.

The Primary resource pack contains a poster to promote the SID theme, a primary assembly PowerPoint and accompanying script, 5 quick classroom activities and an in-depth lesson plan for a class community project, designed to utilise the technological skills of the class and to potentially share these with a chosen audience within the local area to create a communal learning experience. Similarly, the Secondary resource packs contain a poster to promote the theme, 5 quick classroom activities, an assembly PowerPoint with supporting script and an in-depth lesson plan for a debate. The aim of the debate lesson plan is to prepare pupils to stage a debate about the internet; the young people will put themselves in the shoes of others and consider other people's points of view.

This free content can be downloaded from the UK Safer Internet Site at www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/download-schools-pack

Safer Internet Day Live, the internet radio programme, will be broadcasting on the day. Building on the success of Safer Internet Day 2011, the marathon programme will hear from world leading experts, those being children and young people! The programme is truly interactive - it doesn't have listeners but participants. The programme will have sections focusing on particular subjects.The UK Safer Internet Centre are specifically looking for groups of children to appear on the programme- either live or pre recorded and would love to hear from you if your school or organisation has such a group who would like to be broadcast across the globe. The children can tell us how they use online technologies, put questions to our interviewees, or tell others how they are marking Safer Internet Day at home, at school and with friends! Get in touch with enquiries@saferinternet.org.ukto express your interest to take part in the programme.

The e-Safety Officer is looking for Kent Schools to take part in activities across the county. Please contact esafetyofficer@kent.gov.uk if your school is taking part in SID12 or would be intrested in joining in.

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?

Please encourage pupils, staff and parents to complete the short research online at www.saferinternet.org.uk/connecting-generations-research

Kent schools and settings taking part in SID can contact the e-Safety Officer to publicise, discuss or highlight ideas and events going on in your community.

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 of many young people's lives and, just like the physical world, is another equally real world where they can spend a lot of their time. So with Christmas looming ever closer, many parents will be faced with the task of unravelling the complexities of their child's request for the latest console or video game.

What is safe? When is the right age to go online and play with others? Which video games should I allow them to play? How can I make sure they are not taking big risks that could harm them?...... “

The content continues (and can be downloaded) here

The UK Safer Internet Centre is also about to release information for parents on the run up to Christmas so keep an eye on the content at www.saferinternet.org.uk

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 and is part of the ‘duty of care’ which applies to everyone working with children.

All schools and settings need to recognise the importance of e-Safety as part of the wider safeguarding remit and in ensuring that children feel safe and are able to learn and achieve to the best of their abilities. Children now live in an ever increasingly digital world and it’s essential that schools recognise this when implementing their safeguarding responsibilities. Schools and other settings must decide on the right balance between controlling access to the internet and technology, setting rules and boundaries and educating students and staff about responsible use and should ensure that action has been taken to help protect staff, students and the wider school community.

The updated 2012 e-Safety Policy Template builds upon the foundations laid by previous editions and incorporates new content and is provided as a framework to support schools and other settings when writing and updating e-Safety policies. The e-Safety policy is essential in setting out how the school plans to develop and establish its e-Safety approach and to identify core principles which all members of the school community need to be aware of and understand.

New content includes:

• New and updated discussion material in relation to establishing school policies and procedures
• Updated sections regarding cyberbullying, learning platforms and personal devices 
• Content regarding responding to e-Safety incidents and the use of Social media tools 
• Updated audit, contact information and references to useful materials
  

The Kent Online e-Safety Policy Generator website has also been updated with the new material to enable schools to create a collaborative and personalised version of their policy online. If any Kent schools or settings have not already registered to use the generator, they can visit www.policy.e-safety.org.uk for more information and to register for an account. Please note that only schools within Kent, Medway or other registered Local Authorities can register to use the Online Generator.

Kent schools and settings can consult with the e-Safety Officer to discuss policies and procedures in relation to schools e-Safety responsibilities.

The updated policy template is available electronically here and other Kent e-Safety Material can be found at www.kenttrustweb.org.uk?esafety

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 to and young people in terms of their learning and development, they also bring about safeguarding implications.  This report has worked with two primary schools and followed their journey to reach ‘outstanding' in terms of safeguarding. 

Findings from the two case studies provide an overview of what works in primary schools in terms of improving and raising e-safety awareness, as well as the barriers and challenges schools may face in trying to implement them.

You can read the full document here

For more information regarding training or consultations for Kent schools and settings, contact the Kent e-Safety Officer: esafetyofficer@kent.gov.uk 

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 1996, the IWF has assessed almost 370,000 webpages.

As a result of the IWF's work with the online industry, the volume of UK-hosted child sexual abuse content has reduced from 18% in 1997 to less than 1% since 2003 and the IWF has kept it that way. Child sexual abuse webpages in the UK are rapidly removed thanks to the responsible actions of the online industry with whom the IWF works.

However there is still a problem with child sexual abuse content hosted around the world.

• The IWF statistics spanning the past 15 years show 45% of the worldwide webpages assessed and actioned for removal by the IWF featured children aged 10 years and under, including babies. For the past four complete years (2007 to 2010) this figure is 73.5%. This reflects the increasingly extreme nature of the content assessed and actioned by the IWF analysts.
• Since 1996, 40% of the global child sexual abuse content actioned by the IWF involves the *** and sexual torture of children. For the past four complete years (2007 to 2010) this figure is 53.5%.

IWF Chief Executive Susie Hargreaves said: "To assess more than 370,000 webpages is incredible and the IWF is proud to have played its part nationally and internationally to remove images of child sexual abuse. Although we've had tremendous success domestically, child sexual abuse content on the internet is a problem the IWF and the industry are eager to tackle wherever it is hosted. With the industry and partner Hotlines' support we've been able to remove 87,000 webpages containing some of the worst content depicting the *** and sexual torture of young children and babies. Preventing the revictimisation of those children and protecting the public from stumbling across this horrific content is our priority.Through working with the online industry and our partners we've been able to grow and adapt in order to meet this challenge and we will continue to adapt to tackle this global problem."

Home Office Minister for Crime and Security, James Brokenshire said: "We must never forget that behind every computer image is a real child victim. Over the last 15 years the IWF has done fantastic work to help rid the web of large amounts of illegal and deeply disturbing content.  As the IWF's figures show we can never be complacent. The strength of the IWF approach is working in partnership with the internet industry, government, the police, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre and, most importantly, the public themselves.  We must continue that work together."

For more information about the IWF or to report online content visit http://www.iwf.org.uk/

To read the full press release accompanying the IWF 15th anniversary click here.

To learn more about the IWF 15 years combatting criminal content online visit 15th anniversary page.

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 PC or laptop, up from 89 per cent in 2010 and 77 per cent in 2007.

Mobile social networking increases among 12-15s

Social networking is still one of the most popular uses of the internet amongst 12-15s, although the number of children with social networking profiles has stayed static since 2010 at 3 per cent of 5-7s who use the internet at home, 28 per cent of 8-11s and 75 per cent of 12-15s.

However, children are visiting social network sites more often on their mobiles, driven by the increase in smartphone ownership. Half (50 per cent) of 12-15s with a smartphone visit social networking sites weekly compared with 33 per cent in 2010.

Increase in computer and video gaming among 8-11s

While 12-15s are using the internet for social networking sites, 8-11s are more likely to use it for gaming, with 51 per cent saying they play games online on a weekly basis, up from 44 per cent in 2010.

8-11s are also spending more time playing on games players/ consoles compared with 2010 (9 hours 48 minutes - an increase of nearly 2 hours).

Taking computer and video games together, seven in ten (68 per cent) 8-11s say they play games almost every day, up from 59 per cent in 2010.

Television remains the most popular activity among 5-7s

Among 5-7s, almost half (48 per cent) say that television is the medium they would miss the most, compared to 25 per cent naming playing computer/video games, and less than one in ten naming either the internet (7 per cent) or mobile phones (1 per cent). The research shows that 95 per cent of this age group watch TV almost every day, compared to 43 per cent using the internet, and 7 per cent using a mobile phone.

Online safety risks remain

Parents say they are generally very confident about their children using the internet safely and the vast majority of children aged 8-15 feel that they know how to stay safe online (88 per cent) and that they are confident internet users (97 per cent). However with increasing use of media, there remain some safety issues.

A fifth of all 12-15 year olds said they'd had a negative mobile or online experience in the past year, with gossip being spread (13 per cent) being the most common issue. Girls are more likely to know someone who has had gossip spread about them (44 per cent of girls compared with 29 per cent of boys). A quarter of teenagers (23 per cent) say that they know someone who has been bullied through their mobile phone, rising to 30 per cent of teenage girls.

A minority of children have social networking profiles which are either open (public) or set to where friends of friends can see it - 28 per cent of 12-15s and 17 per cent of 8-11s.

18 per cent of children who play games online play against people they don't know personally, with boys aged 5-15 are more likely to do this than girls (24 per cent compared to 7 per cent of girls).

Increasing parental supervision

The research also reveals that in some areas parents of children who use the internet at home are increasing their supervision and protection.

Over half (54 per cent) of parents of 5-15s supervise their child in some way when they're online - up from 48 per cent in 2010. And four in ten (39 per cent) parents say that internet controls or filtering software are fitted, rising to 59 per cent when asked about specific controls such as ‘safe search' and YouTube safety mode.

For mobile phones, one in three (31 per cent) parents whose child has a web enabled mobile has limited their access to exclude websites aimed at those aged 18 or over.

Children are also becoming more aware of potential risks, with 12 per cent of 8-11s with a social networking profile saying they talk to people not directly known to them, down from 22 per cent in 2010 (24 per cent of 12-15s, down from 32 per cent in 2010).

Ed Richards, Ofcom Chief Executive, said: "The almost universal use of the internet at home by 12-15s - both for their education as well as their entertainment - is a positive step forward. The research also shows that parents and children are increasingly aware of how to be safe when using the internet. But risks do remain. Better understanding - amongst parents as well as their children - is key to helping people to manage content and communications, enabling them to enjoy the benefits of media use while protecting themselves from the potential risks."

 A full PDF version of the report can be found here

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 raising events that really grab attention
• a letter for parents and carers - ‘Taking control'
• a parents'/carer's checklist

To access all of these resources please register at Think U Know in the teacher/trainer section or log in to your account at www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers and download the ‘Parents and Carers Awareness Raising Pack'.

CEOP's Thinkuknow education programme has to date been viewed eight million times. With the help of schools and organisations CEOP can reach even more children with vital safety messages and help their parents/carers play their part in protecting them.  Please help to create a safer online environment for children.

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 schools and settings for curriculum and learning should be encouraged.  However it is essential that their use is carefully considered in advance by the school Senior Leadership Team in order to ensure all members of the school community are kept safe and to reduce the likelihood of any risks or dangers being encountered.

The document can be downloaded from www.kenttrustweb.org.uk?esafety

Also available is two versions of downloadable Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) posters in a variety of sizes - one for children aged 6-11, and another for older children aged 11-16.

Visit the Insafe Back to School website for more information

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 such as your work place, school, family members and city or place you live in.
• Close friends and acquaintances lists - You can see updates and content from your best friends' in one place, and users can choose to see less from people they are not as close to by using the "acquaintances" option. These lists are managed and set up by the user.
• Restricted List - Users can now add people onto a restricted list and they will only see publicly shared posts. Users will still be friends with these contacts on Facebook so can send them messages or tag them in a post but they will be restricted from seeing all content shared. This list is managed and set up by the user.
• Better suggestions - You can add the right friends to lists quickly, without using the old process which users have reported takes too much time and effort.
• Still keeping old friend lists - If you created your own lists on Facebook in the past, then you can still use them. You can also continue to create new lists in the future. When you post something to a list that you've created - including Close Friends and Acquaintances lists - no one will be able to see the title of the list.
• More transparent sharing - The people on the list you've shared with will be able to see each others' names. This gives them more context. For example, if users see that a post is shared with five close friends; they may be more likely to comment freely on it than if they don't know who else could see the post.
• More granular control - Users can control which friends list sees what update or content they share through the news feed option.

These new controls could help to improve Facebook users' awareness of public sharing and the concept of "digital footprints". It is important for parents/carers to discuss friends' lists with any young Facebook users so they can discuss what information is safe and unsafe to share online with different friend groups. This feature may also be helpful to professionals who choose to use Facebook for work purposes.

These changes are due to be rolled out over the next few weeks and may help all users to understand the importance of online privacy in additional to the previously updated privacy controls. Improved friends lists make users more likely to share personal, professional and local content with relevant audiences in a much safer fashion and help them to consider their and present their digital persona appropriately .