Online Safety

At Elsenham, we work with parents in our aim to be effective in guiding, educating and protecting our children from the risks and safety issues that come with using the internet and other technologies.

It is vital that we are up to date with our children’s online habits, including use of social media. Last year, our training day hosted by ‘The 2 Johns’ from EST E-safety allowed our school community (staff, children and parents) to partake in an engaging session filled with the latest news, tips and tricks for keeping safe online. Here is a snapshot of some of their advice for parents:

• Encourage an open dialogue with your child about their online habits so that they feel comfortable to share both their positive and negative experiences with you.
• Play online games with your child, particularly new games they are not familiar with. Work through the game together for a while, navigating issues that come up, such as dealing with unwanted ‘friend requests’.
• Check app permissions and settings (on tablets, iPads, phones) – it is possible to change settings on apps and use built-in safety features on apps such as WhatsApp and snapchat.
• Be cautious about which influencers your child may be watching on video streaming apps such as YouTube. Ask your child about the videos they like to watch and consider watching some alongside them.

Please take a look at their website for more up-to-date information, current research and tips: https://esafetytraining.org/resources/parents-carers-area/