Images protected by Greenhouse School Websites

Brandling Primary School

  • Search this websiteSearch Site
  • Translate the contents of this page Translate Page
  • Class Dojo Class Dojo

Online Safety

Online Safety for Parents/Carers

E Safety

E-safety is an integral part of children’s education in today’s digital world and is embedded in their learning at school. We also want to help our parents and children improve their own understanding of e-safety issues so they can learn to use the internet and all digital media in a safe and secure way.

At School

Our networks are protected by a firewall. They are robust and notify senior staff and the computing curriculum leader when anything inappropriate is viewed, searched for or accessed online. When we are notified of this, cases are looked at individually.

If we suspect that a child is demonstrating online behaviour which at home, outside of adult supervision, could leave them vulnerable to harm, we will contact the parent or carer. We could telephone home or may sometimes ask them to come in for a chat to explain how that behaviour could be altered or need to be stopped. We also explain to the child in a nurturing, safe way about their behaviour and any dangers it could expose them to, as we understand that some incidents happen without the child realising the harm.

 At Home

As a parent/carer, you'll know how important the internet is to children - they use it to learn, play, socialise and express themselves. It's a highly creative place of amazing opportunities. But the technology children use every day can seem a bit daunting and you might worry about the risks your child can face online - such as bullying, contact from strangers or the possibility of them seeing illegal or inappropriate content.

If you need help/advice setting up a device with child safety measures, ask to see Mrs Anderson and she will help you set these up.

Below are some websites/advice that you will hopefully find useful and that can be shared with your child/children.

  • Childnet is a great website resource for parents and children on online safety.  Click here to watch an interactive video on how to keep your child safer online.
  • Think U Know has a great section for parents and covers topics such as gaming and talking to strangers.  You can also search by topic or age range to find information that is relevant for your family.  You can find the site here
  • Internet Matters is another great site to use - it has advice on cyberbullying, how to talk to  your children about internet safety and quick guides to different types of social media such as Instagram and Snapchat.  You can visit their pages here Internet Matters.

 

Age restrictions and online communication 

  • All apps have age restrictions:
    • TikTok is rated 12+ on the Apple Store but online safety recommend the platform for 15+ or 16+ due to privacy considerations and mature content exposure.
    • Facebook is rated 13+ but upcoming UK Government changes plan to ban major social media platforms for children under 16, from Spring 2027.
    • Roblox does not have a fixed age rating because it is a platform of user-created experiences rather than a single game but is rated 12+ on Apple Store.
    • Instagram is rated 13+
    • YouTube is rated 13+ with some content 18+ so children should use YouTube kids until parents decide otherwise.
    • Snapchat is rated 13+ and users aged 13 to 17 are supposed to have parental or guardian permission.
  • Some online games - playable on multiple devices including XBox and PlayStation - have chat features where children can listen/talk to strangers online. These games include Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft. These features can usually be turned off through parental settings.
  • Many apps have comment/chat features that enable strangers to communicate. This includes Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat.
↑