Autumn 1

Swiggle: A Child-Friendly Search Engine 🔍

Meet the Safeguarding team

Myself (Pippa Bastock) and Helen Braund make up the safeguarding team. Our main role is to make sure every child feels safe, happy, and supported while they’re at school.

Helen is our wonderful Family Support Worker and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead. You’ll often see her at the school gates in the morning and afternoon, welcoming families. She’s always happy to have a quick chat, answer questions, or offer support if you ever need a hand with something.

Safeguarding doesn’t have to feel intimidating – it’s really just about making sure we’re all working together to look after the wellbeing of your children. If there’s ever anything you’re unsure about or need help with, you can always speak to Helen or me. Our door is always open, and no question is too small.

We’re here to help, listen, and support you and your family whenever you need us.

In the curriculum…

This term has seen the children covering ‘Being Me in My World’ in their personal development lessons. As part of this unit, each phase have focused on different aspects developing their understanding of belonging, self-identity, and how their actions contribute to their class and school community.

There is more information about our approach to Personal Development on our school website.

Halloween and Children's Safety 🎃

October means half-term and Halloween! While Halloween can be a fun and exciting time for children, it also brings some safety concerns for families. Traditionally, these concerns have focused on anti-social behaviour, social disorder linked to trick-or-treating, house party overspills, and late-night activities.

However, there are also important safety issues for children themselves. These include:

Costume safety – ensuring costumes are non-flammable and fit properly.
Visibility at night – children taking part in trick-or-treating or evening events can be difficult for drivers to see.

Following simple precautions can help ensure that children have a fun and safe Halloween. The Child Accident Prevention Trust has some helpful guidance on this.

Find out more here: Halloween and Children's Safety (CAPT)

Swiggle: A Child-Friendly Search Engine 🔍

Swiggle is a child-friendly search engine developed by the South West Grid for Learning, building on over twenty years of experience in education. It is completely ad-free and free to use, putting educational results first to help children search safely online. Swiggle also includes helpful safety features such as:

A screen cover widget
A search blocker
Reporting tools

Swiggle works on tablets, mobiles, and desktop devices, making it easy for children to explore the web safely and responsibly.

To find out more and start using Swiggle, visit: https://swiggle.org.uk/

Online Safety: Roblox 🎮

Roblox is a popular online platform where children can play games, create content, and interact with others. While it can be fun and creative, there are some safety considerations parents should be aware of.

A recent BBC article highlights:

Specific games within Roblox that may be inappropriate for children.
In-game advertising, including opportunities for children to watch adverts to earn virtual currency, which may need monitoring.

We recommend parents regularly check the games their children are playing and monitor in-game purchases and adverts to help keep their children safe online.

Read the full article here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c86j9ygw45xo

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