Online Safety at KWPS

At Kirkham and Wesham Primary School, keeping children safe online is an essential part of our safeguarding responsibilities. Technology plays a significant role in children's lives, offering exciting opportunities to learn, communicate and be creative. However, it is equally important that children understand how to use technology safely, responsibly and respectfully.

We believe that developing strong online safety knowledge is most effective when schools and families work together. By teaching children how to recognise risks, make safe choices and seek help when needed, we prepare them to become responsible and confident digital citizens.

Online Safety at School

Online safety is taught throughout the school as part of our Computing and PSHE curriculum and is reinforced through assemblies, themed events such as Safer Internet Day, classroom discussions and the everyday use of technology.

Children learn about a wide range of online safety topics, including:

staying safe online
protecting personal information
respectful online communication
cyberbullying
online gaming
social media
live streaming
fake news and misinformation
scams and online fraud
privacy settings
healthy screen time and digital wellbeing
reporting concerns and seeking help
age-appropriate online behaviour
artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies.

Our aim is to help every child develop the knowledge, confidence and resilience to enjoy the benefits of technology whilst understanding how to stay safe online.

Supporting Parents and Carers

Parents and carers play a vital role in helping children use technology safely.

We encourage families to take an active interest in their child's online activity by:

talking regularly about how they use the internet
setting age-appropriate boundaries and parental controls
encouraging children to tell a trusted adult if something worries them online
checking age ratings for games, apps and social media platforms
promoting a healthy balance between screen time and other activities.

Useful Online Safety Resources

The following organisations provide trusted advice, guidance and resources for parents, carers and young people:

Childnet
Internet Matters
NSPCC – Online Safety
CEOP Education
UK Safer Internet Centre
BBC Own It
Common Sense Media

These websites offer practical guidance on topics including online gaming, social media, parental controls, cyberbullying, privacy settings, online scams and digital wellbeing.

Working Together

Online safety is everyone's responsibility. By working together, we can help children develop the confidence, knowledge and resilience they need to use technology safely, responsibly and positively, both in school and at home.

If you have any concerns about your child's online safety or would like further advice, please speak to your child's class teacher or contact a member of our safeguarding team. We are always happy to offer support and guidance.

This version will remain current without relying on any external subscription service, and it is well aligned with current DfE safeguarding expectations.