Helping Children Stay Safe Online

Technology is an important part of children's lives. It gives them opportunities to learn, create, communicate, play and explore.

At Manuden Primary School, we want children to become confident, responsible and thoughtful users of technology. Online safety is therefore an important part of both our safeguarding work and our curriculum.

Our approach reflects our school vision:

Growing Hearts • Growing Minds • Growing Dreams

We teach children not simply to avoid risks, but to develop the knowledge and judgement they need to make safe and responsible choices as technology continues to change.

Online Safety at Manuden

Online safety is taught through our Computing and RSHE & PSHE curriculum and reinforced whenever children use technology across the school.

Children learn about:

• protecting personal information and passwords;
• privacy and what is appropriate to share online;
• respectful and responsible online behaviour;
• online friendships and communicating with others;
• cyberbullying and how to get help;
• inappropriate or upsetting content;
• gaming, messaging and social media;
• scams, advertising and online spending;
• misinformation, fake news and unreliable online content;
• artificial intelligence, including AI-generated and manipulated content;
• images, videos and the permanence of online sharing;
• healthy use of technology and digital wellbeing; and
• telling a trusted adult when something does not feel right.

We also use appropriate filtering and monitoring arrangements on school systems as part of our safeguarding responsibilities.

The Most Important Thing: Keep Talking

No technical control can make the internet completely risk-free.

One of the most effective ways parents and carers can support children is to maintain regular, open conversations about what they do online.

Rather than only talking about online safety when something has gone wrong, ask children regularly:

What games or apps are you enjoying at the moment?
Who do you talk to when you are online?
Has anything online ever made you feel worried or uncomfortable?
What would you do if somebody asked you to keep an online conversation secret?
How do you know whether something you see online is true?
Who could you speak to if something went wrong?

Children should know that they can ask an adult for help without worrying that they will automatically be blamed or have their device taken away.

Parental Controls and Privacy Settings

Parental controls can help families manage:

• inappropriate content;
• app and game downloads;
• screen time;
• online purchases;
• communication with other users;
• location sharing; and
• privacy settings.

Controls can operate at several levels, including your home broadband, the child's device and individual apps or games.

Internet Matters provides step-by-step instructions for many common devices, games and platforms.

Internet Matters – Parental Controls

Parental controls are helpful, but they are not a substitute for supervision and regular conversations. No filtering system is completely effective.

Social Media and Messaging

Many popular social media and messaging services have minimum-age requirements, commonly 13 or above.

Parents should check the requirements and safety settings of individual services before allowing children to use them.

If your child uses social media, messaging or online games with communication features, we recommend:

• keeping accounts private where possible;
• disabling unnecessary location sharing;
• reviewing who can message, follow or contact them;
• checking friend or follower lists;
• discussing what should never be shared;
• ensuring children know how to block and report users; and
• regularly reviewing settings together.

The NSPCC provides current guidance on social media, apps and online communication.

NSPCC – Social Media and Online Safety

Online Gaming

Online games can provide positive opportunities for play, problem-solving and friendship, but many also include:

• communication with strangers;
• in-game purchases;
• user-generated content;
• live voice chat;
• advertising; and
• links to other platforms.

Parents should check the age rating, communication settings, purchasing controls and privacy settings of games their children use.

Talking to children about who they play with is just as important as knowing which games they play.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly common in search tools, apps, games and creative software.

Children need to understand that AI-generated information may be incorrect, misleading or entirely fabricated, and that AI-generated images, videos and voices may not be genuine.

We encourage children to:

• question AI-generated information;
• check important information using reliable sources;
• avoid entering personal information into AI tools;
• understand that images and voices can be manipulated;
• seek adult help if AI-generated content worries them; and
• use AI responsibly rather than assuming everything it produces is accurate.

Current online-safety guidance also recognises risks from manipulated and AI-generated sexual imagery of children.

If Your Child Sees Something Upsetting

If your child tells you that something has happened online:

1. Stay calm and listen.
2. Reassure them that telling you was the right thing to do.
3. Avoid deleting messages, images or accounts immediately if they may be needed as evidence.
4. Use the platform's block and report functions where appropriate.
5. Contact the school if the matter involves another pupil, affects your child's wellbeing or may present a safeguarding concern.
6. Use the appropriate specialist reporting service where necessary.

If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.

Reporting Online Sexual Abuse – CEOP

If you are concerned that someone has behaved sexually towards a child online, attempted to groom them, asked them to share sexual images or tried to arrange a meeting, this can be reported to the National Crime Agency's CEOP Safety Centre.

CEOP also provides current advice specifically for parents and carers.

CEOP Education – Parents and Carers

Report to CEOP

Sexual Images of a Child – Report Remove

Report Remove is provided by Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation for young people under 18 in the UK.

It can help a young person report sexual images or videos of themselves that have been shared online, or which they are worried may be shared, so action can be taken to try to remove or prevent further circulation of the content.

Childline / IWF – Report Remove

If this situation involves your child, you can also contact the school for safeguarding support.

Reporting Other Harmful Content

Most platforms have their own reporting systems.

If harmful content has been reported to a platform but remains online, Report Harmful Content, operated through the UK Safer Internet Centre, can provide advice and in some circumstances help escalate reports.

The service covers issues including bullying, harassment, threats, impersonation, violent content and other harmful material.

UK Safer Internet Centre – Report Harmful Content

Online Safety and SEND

Children with SEND may experience online environments differently and, in some circumstances, may be particularly vulnerable to manipulation, misunderstanding communication or recognising unsafe situations.

Advice and controls should therefore be adapted to the individual child rather than relying solely on their chronological age.

The NSPCC provides dedicated guidance for families of children with SEND.

NSPCC – Online Safety for Children with SEND

Useful Trusted Resources

Rather than maintaining dozens of individual links that quickly become outdated, we recommend these trusted organisations:

CEOP Education – Parents and Carers
Advice from the National Crime Agency on protecting children from online sexual abuse.

Internet Matters
Practical guidance about apps, games, parental controls, privacy and emerging online risks.

NSPCC Online Safety
Advice for parents about social media, gaming, messaging, inappropriate content, AI, parental controls and online wellbeing.

Childnet
Resources and activities to help families talk about online safety.

UK Safer Internet Centre
Advice, resources and reporting support for online harms.

Childline
Confidential support for children and young people.
Telephone: 0800 1111

Worried About a Child?

Online safety is part of safeguarding.

If something your child has experienced online causes you concern, you are welcome to speak to us.

Designated Safeguarding Lead:
Phil Molyneux – Headteacher

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads:
Lizzie Grant, Josh Chesterman and Eve Reynolds

School Office:
01279 813370
office@manuden.essex.sch.uk

For an immediate emergency, call 999.

School Policies

Further information about our approach can be found in our:

Online Safety Policy 2026–27
Acceptable Use of Technology Policy 2026–27
Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy 2026–27