Livingstone Primary School
Online Safety
The number of incidents involving inappropriate use of social media and under‑age access to apps on phones and tablets continues to rise each year. As a school, we are committed to helping families navigate these challenges and keep children safe online.
We provide up‑to‑date information and practical guidance through our school newsletter to help you set appropriate boundaries and controls at home. This includes advice on preventing children from accessing unsuitable content, as well as supporting them to make responsible choices about what they create and share online. In school, online safety is taught regularly through our Computing and PSHE curriculum, where children learn how to use technology and social media safely, respectfully and positively.
However, learning about online safety cannot happen in school alone. These messages need to be reinforced at home, and it is important that parents and carers stay informed, monitor their child’s online activity and make conversations about social media a normal part of family life. Research shows that children are strongly influenced by the behaviour they see at home, so modelling healthy digital habits can make a real difference — for example, keeping phones away from the dinner table, using alarm clocks instead of phones at night, reducing screen time and having technology‑free times or days.
We also recommend regularly checking your child’s devices, ensuring they are not kept in bedrooms overnight, and taking the opportunity to see what they are doing online and who they are communicating with. Working together, we can help children develop safe, confident and responsible online behaviours.
Please find below some links that will support parents and carers:
Parental Controls Made Easy: https://www.qustodio.com/en/30-days-school-special/?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=parentsessionsuk
This tool is recommended by Smoothwall and Tameside Safeguarding as a helpful way for parents and carers to monitor online activity, set screen‑time limits and locate devices or family members. Each adult can use the basic version for free on up to two mobile devices.
For families who want additional features, an annual subscription of £39.99 covers up to five devices and includes options to filter content and apps, track calls and text messages, and receive reports, alerts and SOS notifications.
We strongly encourage all parents to download and use at least the free version of this tool to support children’s safety and wellbeing online.
Setting up parental controls on your child's device:
https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/ Allows you to choose the device and get step-by-step instructions in what to do to set up appropriate controls.
Age appropriate online safety advice:
https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/6-10/
https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/11-13/
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
Commonsensemedia: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ is a website which allows parents and carers to check out in more detail apps, gaming, books and netflix series etc. as just going off the age restriction isn't always enough.
Online Together – Tackling Hate
Learn to recognise and stop online hate with this interactive quiz, designed to foster meaningful discussions and reflection. Children can complete it alone or with a parent, teacher, or guardian.
https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/theonlinetogetherproject/tackling-online-hate-quiz/
Sharing Posts Responsibly
ReelLife encourages young people to think about the posts they may share, the messages they may receive, as well as the content which they may see on social media. Click on the link and access the gamified version with advice and top tip.
https://www.childnet.com/resources/reellife/
REPORT REMOVE
Unfortunately, from time-to-time children make mistakes and they can find themselves in a situation where a revealing or sexualised image is shared and then it appears online. Reporting these incidents is really important and in order to do it confidently and confidentially, Report Remove is here to help.
This tool enables young people under 18 in the UK to confidentially report images and videos of themselves and remove them from the internet.
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/online-mobile-safety/report-remove/