eSafety - How is it promoted in your school

[bodminman]

Hi there,

 

Just wanted to see what you guys and gals do to promote eSafety within your environment.

 

Currently our ICT teacher covers it but the Deputy Head wants to know if this is the best way or whether we should be looking at another method.

 

Please share.

 

Thanks

[TechSupp]

Get the teachers to do it as part of their PSHE sessions, we are going to use the SWGfL scheme which sets everything out for them so no excuses. It covers a lot more than just esafety and fits in really well with the Digital Literacy strand of the Computing curriculum. They need to become more involved in the delivery of the computing scheme, its definitely not a one person job.

[bodminman]

Is it possible to get a look at the said scheme?

 

Just an example

[TechSupp]

Try, http://www.digital-literacy.org.uk/Home.aspx from memory I think you need to create a login to get the actual scheme but its all there, KS1 to KS3

[IrritableTech]

Ofsted want to see it embedded across the curriculum these days. So if a geography teacher sets a homework which includes research (and therefore most likely the Internet) they should be reminding students to check sources and consider what they search for and what websites they visit.

 

A single assembly a year, or covering the subject IT lessons in year 7 won't cut it, and with online safety now covered within the safeguarding inspection area - a poorly designed program may put the school in special measures.

 

Whole staff training on how all staff can identify and advise on online safety matters is vital. Every child must know the reporting mechanism to find help too.

 

Have a look at http://360safe.org.uk it's a free review tool from the SWGfL that outlines what schools need to consider and where you can improve.

[elsiegee40]

Tagging @esafety_officer as I am heading off to the in-laws and must be brief.

 

eSafety is a Safeguarding issue and not a computer problem. While IT lessons may be an obvious place to teach parts of it, actually many of the curiculum issues slot more naturally into other lessons. It requires a whole school approach with all staff able to reinforce the messages as they teach and as they deal with students pastorally (form time, assemblies, after school clubs, etc)

 

The DCPC should be trained to deal with eSafety issues and a member of the teaching staff should receive training to take the curiculum lead. I would suggest ThinkUKnow as a bare minimum.

 

Leaving it to the IT teacher or, even worse, the IT technicians is not the way to do it.

Edited September 6, 2015 by elsiegee40

[witch]

In both schools it is the IT teachers who do it. One has an esafety day every year and I have no idea what the other does. The SWGfL scheme looks good and I shall be flagging it up. But I agree, it is a whole school issue and should be addressed by all staff. Nobody in either school has any sort of training

[IrritableTech]

It's worth noting that from this month Ofsted refer to the subject as Online Safety. The term eSafety has been dropped by them on the suggestion by David Brown HMI for Computing and Online Safety, although it is likely to be the term everyone else uses for a long time!

[round2it]

Does the yhgfl have anything similar (cant understand the ict4c website)

[IrritableTech]

Does the yhgfl have anything similar (cant understand the ict4c website)

 

Similar to 360safe? Although created by the people at the SWGfL they had national funding to so it - as a result it is open to all schools.

[jmak]

You should train (and keep evidence) all staff and governors every year. We're an infant school, so slightly different circumstance, but a key part of teaching esafety is that teachers model best practice whenever they use ICT in the classroom. You should also be providing information to parents.

[esafety_officer]

Apologies for a late reply, September is a busy month here!

 

As a quick response then I would suggest that online safety must be viewed as a whole school issue with a responsibility for all members of staff. Education for children should be embedded within the curriculum from foundation stage upwards and not viewed as an ICT or computing issue in isolation. Online safety is highlighted as a strategic issue for school leaders and managers within the new Ofsted Framework and DfE guidance so it is important that they are aware of their role specifically. That’s not to say that ICT staff and teachers do not hold a very important role within promoting online safety but the responsibility sits firmly with leaders, especially regarding safeguarding practice and ensuring an appropriate whole school curriculum is in place and that all staff received up-to-date training on a regular basis.

 

We have a range of tools, links and resources including evaluations and information about the role of online safety lead, policies etc. here , here and here My blog also has information about online safety and Ofsted here

 

I would also 100% recommend the resources from UK Safer Internet Centre, Childnet, Think U Know and SWGfL that are identified already by others and also recommend LGfL's e-Safety Information and the Northern grid for learning.

 

There are more resources available though and I'd be happy to post more links etc if there is anything specific needed or recommended?

[bodminman]

Good morning all and apologies for resurrecting this thread.

 

Our Deputy Head will now be our Head from Sept '16 which I think is a great move for our school. He has signed us up for 360Safe and has started getting things going with teachers.

 

However he has just sent me this message:

 

We need to look at provision for basic e-safety for younger kids with something on pornography, violence, extremism, identity theft etc for older children. I've been looking for resources online but they don't seem adequate. I could look for a guest speaker/workshop perhaps. Do you have any contacts?

 

Does anyone have any links to relevant materials, speakers or organisations that would come in and do a talk?

 

Thanks again

Edited November 21, 2015 by bodminman

[rich_tech]

Local police community officers ? They have come into our school and talked with pupils on a fair few topics

[catshilllearning]

As someone (declared interest) who works in schools promoting online safety I can definitely recommend the setting up of a digital leaders group as part of your pupil voice strategy. I'd be happy to put you in touch with some schools that have gone down this route. I've created a guide to setting up digital leaders in schools which you are welcome to but I believe the forum rules do not allow me to post a link here.

[mikes]

Local police community officers ? They have come into our school and talked with pupils on a fair few topics

 

We have a local police officer who often comes round our school and chats with students; he also delivers assemblies - he has done a good one on knife crime, and another on naked selfies - basically showing the students that ANY naked selfie can be saved permanently - just like any DRM can always be defeated - I find the kids seem to listen a lot more to a speaker wearing a full police uniform than to just a regular teacher