As a school brimming and buzzing with technology, the importance of e-safety is paramount. Embedded throughout our everyday schooling there are discussions and skills being taught as the children move throughout the years and in differing lessons. Alongside this are our discrete sessions which allow focus on specific aspects of eSafety, building on their knowledge as they get older. Here are some examples which have happened this term so far.

Starting with the youngest in our school, reception year is where the basics begin. Understanding how to care for their 1:1 device, to log on and most importantly how to keep our password safe from others. They have even been looking on Google Maps and trying to find where they live.

Within Year 1, after using their surfaces to access OneNote and Teams to find their work and activities, they have had some important discussions on protecting themselves and understanding what to do if they are worried about something they have seen. The children also learn what is appropriate behaviour when on their computer, alongside looking after the actual device itself.

Year 2 have been writing their top tips for staying safe online. From not trusting strangers, to telling an adult when they see something they are worried about.

In Year 3 half of the children have been creating a poster displaying essential tips, whilst the other half wrote a letter to the younger children telling them how to stay safe and what to do if they felt unsafe. In addition to this, they have been looking at popular video games and discussing educational value, how to stay safe and why age ratings are important.

Creating their own social media profile through PowerPoint, the children of Year 4 have been looking at the things they might include and the things they’d leave out. These things were their hobbies and interests but not their address and school.

In Year 5, they have been putting their passwords to the test, on a site which tells you how secure your password is. Many have been finding out that they may need to change theirs- as it is important to do this every 6 months! They discussed what letters and symbols could be within it and how they shouldn’t have any personal information in. In addition to this, the children of Y5 have been discussing several fictional scenarios, which they may face whilst online. The children demonstrated great awareness of the potential dangers of social media before creating a digital poster designed to highlight the importance of using the internet safely. This linked with their PSHE ‘Importance of friendship’ work too.

Throughout the first half of the Autumn term, Y6 created some witty, yet educational Cautionary Tales about eSafety. The children have looked at why you shouldn’t post pictures in school uniform and share other details to strangers online. Here is one of the class teachers’ favourites:

There once was a boy called Turquoise Spike, 

He loved to go climb and hike. 

He had an online, heavily protected, underground base, 

It didn’t even have a staircase. 

His teacher told him not to talk to strangers online, 

But he didn’t care he just said, “fine.” 

He made a friend online called the Eternal Night, 

His hands were as cold as if he had loads of frostbites. 

They became great friends, 

They discussed new trends. 

They shared their passwords, 

Then he suddenly disappeared afterwards. 

He started sharing embarrassing pics, 

Which were not ‘sick’.  

Everyone laughed at him in school, 

His life was in a dark pool. 

He had learned his lesson, 

Now he was in great depression. 

I hope you stay safe online, 

Otherwise, you won’t be fine. 

 By Ali