e-Safety

With access to internet capable devices such as iPads and Smartphones increasing, as a school, we would like to share some information on apps that will help you teach your children healthy habits surrounding technology.

Firstly there are 3 information sheets about Snapchat, WhatsApp and Roblox.  These are some of the more popular apps without children and the information sheets cover good safety points, and ways in which we can support our children using these.  We would like to highlight that the age the children should be using these apps is 13.

Secondly, the apps that come highly recommended by staff and parents are the Family Link app on android phones or Family Sharing on iPhones.  These apps allow you to;

• Set time limits on individual apps

• Set an overall time your child can use their device during the day

• Set downtime on their devices - the device locks out between certain hours and requires you to enter a password to unlock it

• Has a location tracker

• Has alert noises you can sound to help find phones or get children’s attention even if the phone is on silent

All of these can be done remotely even if you are not with your child

One final safety tip given by the police is to set up a communication system with your children so they can alert you if they were out with friends and wanted to leave or needed you to collect them from somewhere urgently. Setting up an ‘escape route’ with your child is one way suggested to help them should they find themselves in a tricky situation.  This could be that:

• They send you a message with 1 letter or emoji and you know to call them and tell them to come home

• They prank call you twice and you call back

• They call you and say a code word as part of a conversation

Hopefully none of our children will ever need to use these safety tips,  however it is always best to discuss these issues and have plans in place for those ‘just in case’ situations.

Thank you so much for all the support and for helping your children navigate a fast paced and changing world.