Online Safety and Safeguarding Statement

Educational settings have specific, statutory responsibilities to ensure and promote children’s safety and well-being; this also applies to the online environment. At Monkston Primary School, we recognise and fully understand our role in ensuring that all pupils and staff are given the necessary skills to become safe, responsible and confident online users. This also extends to parents through the notification of any online safety issues through the school newsletter and website. The Designated Online Safety Lead is Aimee Mills [Assistant Head].

Monkston Primary School adopts the key statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education published by the Department for Education in September 2016. The specific responsibilities, regarding online safety; include, but are not limited to:

•  A requirement for an effective child protection policy in place, together with a policy on Social Networking Sites & Personal Internet Presence for School Staff;
•  All staff are aware of the role of technology within abuse;
•  All staff recognise that abuse can be perpetrated by children themselves; and appropriate policies and procedures in relation to peer on peer abuse, including cyberbullying, are in place;
•  Ensuring that children are taught about online safety, through a variety of teaching and learning opportunities, as part of providing a broad and balanced curriculum;
•  All members of staff receive appropriate online safety training;
•  That leaders and managers ensure there is appropriate filtering and monitoring in place.

As well as this, the Early Years Foundation Stage framework (EYFS) 2017 sets the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five. The specific responsibilities, regarding online safety; include, but are not limited to:

•  Educational programmes must guide children to make sense of their physical world and their community; including the use of technology;
•  Safeguarding policies must cover the use of mobile phones and cameras within the setting;
• All staff should be trained to recognise inappropriate behaviour displayed by other members of staff, including inappropriate sharing of images.

In line with the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance, leaders and managers at Monkston Primary School will ensure that they are aware of safe practice expectations and will proactively seek advice and support when developing online safety approaches for the pupils and other members of staff. As some online safety incidents could require child protection action or elements, the designated online safety lead will have an understanding of the school’s safeguarding procedures and has been trained to the level of deputy designated safeguarding lead.

For more information on the programme of online safety we teach at Monkston and the training of staff on the possibilities and risks of online abuse, please see our Safeguarding and Online Safety Policy below.