🖥️Online Safety
Our Commitment to Online Safety
At Risca Primary School, the safety and wellbeing of our children are our top priorities, both in the physical world and online. As technology becomes an ever-present part of education and everyday life, it is crucial to equip our children with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. We are committed to helping our children grow into confident, responsible, and positive digital citizens, ensuring they understand the risks and rewards of being online.
Our Approach to Online Safety
At Risca Primary School, we take a proactive approach to online safety, making sure it's a key part of our curriculum, policies, and daily activities. Our goal is to help children not only use technology effectively but also stay safe and responsible online. Here’s how we do it:
💻Age-appropriate lessons: We provide regular lessons on digital safety tailored to each age group. Topics include privacy, cyber-bullying, and safe online communication. These lessons are aligned with the Curriculum for Wales and the Digital Competence Framework (DCF), helping students build the skills to use technology responsibly.
💻 Citizenship: Our Digital Citizenship Week and curriculum teaches our children values like respect, kindness, and responsibility in the digital world. These lessons help our children understand how to protect their personal information and make ethical decisions online. It aligns with the Four Purposes of Learning in the Curriculum for Wales, helping students become Ethical, Informed Citizens.
💻Clear guidelines: We have a robust E-safety policy and Acceptable Use Agreements in place to protect both children and staff. These agreements ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them online, and we review them regularly to stay up-to-date with new online challenges. These rules are especially important during remote learning.
See the bottom of this page for our Acceptable Use Agreements and E-safety leaflets, which provide further details and guidance on safe online practices.
💻Smart Screen Time: We promote balanced use of technology by teaching children the importance of taking breaks and not overusing devices. This also includes educating them on maintaining a healthy lifestyle while using digital tools.
We also encourage children to think critically about online content, helping them recognise reliable sources and spot misinformation. This supports the development of skills outlined in the Digital Competence Framework (DCF), helping them become confident and capable digital users.
Supporting Families and Our Community
Online safety is a shared responsibility between school, home, and the wider community. We offer a range of resources to help families manage their children’s online activity:
🧑🍼Workshops: We host regular workshops for families on topics like online safety tools, monitoring behavior, and fostering healthy tech habits.
🧑🍼Parent and Family Guides: We provide easy-to-follow guides on the latest apps, games, and websites children are using, with tips on keeping them safe online.
🧑🍼Parental Control Resources: We offer advice on setting up parental controls, managing screen time, and blocking inappropriate content.
🧑🍼Hwb Online Safety Zone: Offers comprehensive advice on various safety topics , including privacy, cyberbullying, digital footprints and apps https://hwb.gov.wales/keeping-safe-online
🧑🍼Keeping Safe Online: Provides the latest news, guidance and resources to help families saty safe online. https://hwb.gov.wales/keeping-safe-online
All parent and family guides, along with control resources, can be found on both our Community and News pages.
Our goal is to equip families and our community with the knowledge and tools to support children’s online safety at home, helping create a safer digital environment for everyone.
Online Safety Resources for Students
At Risca Primary School, we believe that the best way to ensure our children stay safe online is to provide them with the right resources and support. Here’s how we help our children protect themselves and make informed decisions:
🧑💻Online Safety Resources: We provide children with access to a variety of engaging online resources, such as quizzes, videos, games, and informative posters around the school and leaflets. These resources help them practice safe online behaviors and understand key safety messages.
🧑💻Digital Leaders: Older students are given the opportunity to become Digital Leaders. They lead discussions, promote online safety initiatives, and serve as role models to younger students, helping to create a culture of safety across the school.
🧑💻Reporting Tools: Children are encouraged to use our school's secure reporting system if they encounter any issues online, including cyber-bullying, inappropriate content, or safety concerns. Our Digital Team is available to assist with concerns, and if the issue is more serious, children are encouraged to approach the Headteacher or Governors to ensure that the matter is addressed promptly and appropriately. We make sure that our children know exactly who to approach and that their voices will always be heard.
Our Online Safety Policies
At Risca Primary School, our online safety policies are developed in line with Welsh Government recommendations and the 360 Cymru framework. These policies are regularly reviewed and adapted to stay current with the evolving digital landscape.
All our online safety policies can be found on the Policies page of the school website.
By working together, we can ensure that our children enjoy the benefits of the digital world while staying safe and informed.
