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18 October 2018
17th October 2018
e-safety
Dear parents and carers
Thank you for your positive response to the letter I sent out last week regarding comments on Facebook and Whatsapp. Sometimes we just need to step back from the world as it is and consider our uses of technology and for what purpose.
This week, I have been looking very closely at apps that we are using in school and those the children are using at home. This was brought about by someone downloading an app used in school and using the app to write wholly inappropriate and upsetting language about school and individuals.
As a result, we are adopting a ‘back to basics’ approach with the staff and the children – going back to the key elements of online safety and ensuring we have a fully comprehensive e-safety curriculum that we address regularly throughout the year. Your children will be having assemblies and lesson time learning about this and watching videos that support the learning objectives. We have also planned staff meeting time with all our staff to ensure WE have the most secure and up to date policies and procedures in school.
After talking with the children in Years 3-6 this week, I have a list of apps and programs that our Whitefield children are accessing at home.
Do you know them? Do you know what they do? Are they age-appropriate? Are you aware that the app is also an online community where our children can engage in conversations with others we have never met?
For some of us, understanding technology is like learning another language, but we must give time to understanding what our children are doing and who they are communicating with on their ipads, phones and computers.
I’ve listed below the names that came up in assembly this week and after a quick google, the age restrictions on each.
|
GAME / APP |
AGE RESTRICTION |
|
Fortnite (game and app) |
12 |
|
Musical.ly / Tik Tok |
13 |
|
Minecraft |
7 |
|
Roblox |
13 |
|
Snapchat |
13 |
|
YouTube |
18 or 13 with parents permission |
|
|
16 (as of May 2018) |
|
|
13 |
Please have a conversation with your children about the apps and also ensure they know the key principles of staying safe online. Minecraft is 7 years and above however there are chat facilities through Minecraft that need to be very carefully monitored.
For more information on this, you can visit our school website www.whitefield-pri.lancs.sch.uk and view e-safety under the parents tab. There is lots of information on www.ceop.police.uk however I really like the www.thinkuknow.co.uk site and www.saferinternet.org.uk
Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
Mrs Sarah Foster
Headteacher