ONLINE SAFETY UPDATE FOR YEAR 6 PARENTS (AND OTHERS POSSIBLY)
Every year at this time we write to parents about some of the areas that our older children are exploring. This has been the same in all my years at Fairlight and I am sure will continue for years to come. From online issues. To problems at the Patch or at The Level. To walking to school.
This is all part of Year 6 growing up and being given more responsibility but also taking more responsibility.
Whilst our job in school is not to tell you how to parent or in fact often to deal with things that happen out of school or online sadly we end up involved as we see the real impact of the problems that happen out of school and the impact then in school.
I have once again this week been shown content online that shocks me- because of its content but also because of who has sent it.
I am therefore writing the below to outline a few points
Dear Y6 Parent/Carers,
It has been drawn to our attention that the children within the year group have 'Class & Year Group Whatsapp Groups'.
The reason that these groups have been drawn to our attention is due to a number of parental complaints that we, as a school, are receiving regarding the content. Reports from parents include the inappropriate use of language and images. As you can imagine, all of these messages are causing a great deal of stress and anxiety to the children and staff in school especially those children who the messages target.
More concerning is that the administrators of these groups (there are several) are often the children themselves. The children appear to be in control of who is invited and managing the content including often renaming the groups to offensive names.
Whatsapp is a social media messaging platform that has an age guidance of 13 years old so the platform is deemed inappropriate for children of ten and eleven years old. As a school, we would remind you that children of primary school age should not be using Whatsapp and that you should have your children remove themselves from these groups as they are not old enough to be using Whatsapp.
Should you as a parent choose to allow your child to use this platform, it is your responsibility to check the content regularly and report anything offensive or inappropriate to the platform regulators.
In light of what has been drawn to our attention this week, can we ask that you check the class group and discuss our concerns with your children in an appropriate manner.
Mr Jordan
My own advice as a teacher, parent and former Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) trainer is:
- talk openly about online content with your child (this includes apps and mobile phones),
- remind them they can't unsay things online- just like in real life,
- remind them that "if you wouldn't say it to your nan's face- then don't say it online",
- ask to look at the groups and content with them,
- agree that you will do this regularly,
- report problems- either to the platform regulator or to the other parents.
And please remember you are the parent and can take their mobile phone or ban them from using it at any time.
Having a mobile phone doesn't make them safer or mean they don't have to follow simple life rules.
More children get knocked over by cars now because they are on their phones when walking home or to school then before mobile phones became the "in thing" as road sense is what is needed to cross a road- not a mobile phone!!!!
