Online Safety
Online Safety
Keeping Children Safe in a Digital World
Technology is an important part of children’s lives. It provides wonderful opportunities to learn, create, communicate, play and explore, but children also need the knowledge and confidence to use technology safely and responsibly.
At Ponteland Community Primary School, online safety is an important part of our safeguarding responsibilities and our curriculum.
We want children to become confident, informed and responsible digital citizens who understand both the opportunities and risks associated with technology.
Online safety is most effective when school and families work together.
PCPS is a Mobile-Phone-Free School
Pupils are not permitted to bring or use mobile phones in school.
At PCPS, we believe that primary-aged children do not need access to personal mobile phones during the school day.
Mobile phones can create unnecessary distractions and introduce safeguarding, privacy and online-safety risks into the school environment.
For this reason, pupils are not permitted to bring mobile phones onto the school site or use them during the school day.
This applies to:
- lessons
- breaktimes and lunchtimes
- before and after school while children remain in our care
- clubs and activities
- wraparound provision
- educational visits and school activities, unless the school has expressly stated otherwise
A phone being switched off or kept inside a school bag does not make it permissible. Our expectation is that pupils do not bring mobile phones to school.
Medical Exceptions
The only routine exception to our mobile-phone-free approach is where a pupil requires access to a mobile phone or mobile technology because of a specific medical need.
Any medical exception must be:
- discussed with the school in advance
- supported by an identified medical need
- agreed by the Headteacher or appropriate senior leader
- included within the child’s individual arrangements where appropriate
The school will agree with the family exactly how, when and where the device may be used.
Permission for medical reasons does not provide general permission for a child to use their phone during the school day.
Contacting Your Child During the School Day
Parents and carers should not contact children directly on personal devices during the school day.
If you need to get an urgent message to your child, please contact the school office on:
01661 824853
We will make sure that an appropriate message reaches your child.
Similarly, if a child needs to contact home during the school day, this will be arranged through the school.
This ensures that communication is appropriately supervised and that we know when a child requires support.
Smartwatches & Connected Devices
Our mobile-phone expectations also apply to personal devices capable of independent communication, messaging, calling, recording or unrestricted internet access.
Children should not use smartwatches or similar connected personal devices to communicate, record, photograph, message or access online services during the school day.
Where a device creates the same safeguarding or distraction concerns as a mobile phone, the school may require it to be left at home.
Any exception required for a specific medical need must be agreed with the school in advance.
Why Do We Take This Approach?
Our mobile-phone-free approach is designed to protect:
Learning — children can concentrate without notifications, messages or devices distracting them.
Safeguarding — personal communication between children and people outside school is not taking place without appropriate adult oversight.
Privacy — children and staff should not be photographed, filmed or recorded without appropriate permission.
Relationships — disagreements from messaging, social media and group chats are less able to enter the school day.
Wellbeing — children have time away from personal devices and online pressures.
Childhood — breaktimes and lunchtimes should be opportunities to talk, play, socialise and be active.
Children have extensive opportunities to use technology at PCPS, but this happens through school-approved technology within a safe, purposeful and appropriately supervised environment.
Our Approach to Online Safety
Online safety is taught throughout children’s time at PCPS and reinforced whenever children use technology.
Children learn about:
- keeping personal information private
- passwords and account security
- communicating safely online
- respectful online behaviour
- cyberbullying
- social media and messaging
- online gaming
- inappropriate and harmful content
- misinformation and fake content
- scams and suspicious messages
- privacy and digital footprints
- sharing photographs and videos
- online relationships
- recognising unsafe or inappropriate contact
- reporting and blocking
- artificial intelligence and manipulated content
- asking a trusted adult for help
As technology changes, the risks children encounter also change. We therefore regularly review our teaching and safeguarding practice to ensure that online safety remains relevant to children’s experiences.
Our Message to Children
There are some simple messages we want every child at PCPS to remember:
STOP • THINK • CHECK • TELL
STOP
Before you click, share, send or respond.
THINK
Could this be unsafe, unkind, private or something you might regret sharing?
CHECK
Is the person, message, image or information what it claims to be?
TELL
If something online worries, frightens, embarrasses or confuses you, tell a trusted adult.
You will not be in trouble for asking for help.
Children can sometimes avoid telling an adult because they are worried that they will lose access to their phone, tablet, game or account.
We want children to know that their safety comes first.
If something has gone wrong online, we would always rather they tell someone.
Online Safety at Home
Parents and carers have an important role in helping children develop safe and healthy relationships with technology.
You do not need to be an expert in every new app, game or platform.
Some of the most effective things families can do are:
- talk regularly about what children do online
- take an interest in the games and apps they use
- know who children communicate with
- use age-appropriate parental controls
- check privacy and location settings
- agree sensible boundaries around devices
- encourage children to talk when something feels wrong
- model positive use of technology
- regularly review settings as children get older
The UK Safer Internet Centre – Parents and Carers provides regularly updated guidance about devices, games, apps and online safety.
The NSPCC – Online Safety also provides practical advice for families.
Parental Controls
Parental controls can help families manage what children can access and do online.
Depending on the device or service, controls may allow parents to:
- filter inappropriate content
- manage screen time
- restrict particular apps
- control purchases
- manage communication
- review privacy settings
- control location sharing
- apply age restrictions
However, parental controls should never replace conversations about online safety.
No filter or setting can remove every risk, so children also need to know how to recognise something that concerns them and what to do next.
PARENTAL CONTROLS ADVICE – NSPCC
Gaming
Online games can provide children with opportunities to play, collaborate, solve problems and socialise.
However, many games also allow children to communicate with other users, make purchases or encounter content created by other players.
Parents should be aware of:
- the game’s age rating
- who their child can communicate with
- voice and text chat
- friend requests
- in-game purchases
- user-generated content
- privacy settings
- how to block and report other users
We encourage families to play or explore games together so that parents understand the environments their children are using.
Social Media & Messaging
Many social media platforms and messaging services have minimum age requirements, and many of the most popular platforms are not designed for primary-aged children.
Children may nevertheless encounter these platforms through friends, siblings or their own devices.
We encourage parents to know which services their children use and regularly discuss:
- who they are communicating with
- what they share
- privacy
- photographs and videos
- group chats
- location sharing
- bullying and unkind behaviour
- contact from people they do not know
- blocking and reporting
A useful family rule is:
If you wouldn’t want it displayed publicly, think carefully before sending it digitally.
Even content shared privately can be saved, copied, screenshot or forwarded.
Artificial Intelligence, Deepfakes & Fake Content
Children are growing up in a world where photographs, videos, voices and written content can increasingly be created or manipulated using artificial intelligence.
Something that looks or sounds real may not necessarily be real.
We teach children to ask:
Who created this?
Why was it created?
Can I trust the source?
Could this image, video or voice have been changed or generated?
Children should never use AI or other technology to create humiliating, sexualised, threatening or harmful content involving another person.
If a child receives or discovers a manipulated image of themselves or another child, they should not share it further and should tell a trusted adult immediately.
Personal Information
Children should understand that personal information needs to be protected.
This can include:
- full name
- home address
- telephone number
- school
- passwords
- email address
- date of birth
- photographs
- live location
- information about where they will be and when
Children should think carefully before sharing information and should never share passwords with friends.
Photographs, Videos & Recordings
Children need to understand that once something has been shared digitally, they may lose control over where it goes.
We encourage children to:
- ask permission before sharing images of others
- think carefully before posting
- avoid sharing identifying information unnecessarily
- never share intimate or inappropriate images
- tell an adult immediately if someone asks for an image that makes them uncomfortable
This is also an important reason for our mobile-phone-free approach in school. Children should be able to learn, play and socialise at PCPS without worrying that another pupil may be photographing, filming or recording them on a personal device.
Cyberbullying
Unkind behaviour online can be just as upsetting and harmful as behaviour that happens face-to-face.
Children should not respond to online bullying by retaliating.
Instead, they should:
STOP responding
SAVE appropriate evidence
BLOCK the account where appropriate
REPORT the content
TELL a trusted adult
If online behaviour affects a child at school or involves members of our school community, parents should contact us so that we can provide appropriate support.
What Should I Do if Something Goes Wrong?
If your child tells you about something that has happened online, try to remain calm and listen.
Children are much more likely to continue asking adults for help when they know they will be listened to and supported.
Depending on the situation:
- Listen to your child and reassure them that telling you was the right thing to do.
- Do not share harmful content further.
- Preserve appropriate evidence, such as usernames, messages or screenshots, where safe and appropriate.
- Block and report the user or content using the platform’s reporting tools.
- Contact school if the concern involves another pupil or may affect your child in school.
- Report serious online concerns to the appropriate organisation or police where necessary.
Reporting Online Concerns
CEOP
If you are concerned about online sexual abuse, grooming or inappropriate sexual contact involving a child, concerns can be reported to the National Crime Agency’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection command.
Report Remove
If a child is worried that a sexual image or video of themselves has been shared online, Report Remove can help them report the content and seek to have it removed.
REPORT REMOVE – CHILDLINE & INTERNET WATCH FOUNDATION
Childline
Children can access confidential advice and support through Childline.
UK Safer Internet Centre
Families can access up-to-date advice, guides and resources through the UK Safer Internet Centre.
VISIT THE UK SAFER INTERNET CENTRE
Talk to Us
If something online is affecting your child, please tell us.
You do not need to wait until you know exactly what has happened.
Please contact the school if:
- your child is worried about something online
- another pupil has contacted them inappropriately
- online behaviour is affecting friendships or wellbeing
- your child is experiencing cyberbullying
- you are concerned about an online interaction involving a child
- you need advice about an online-safety issue
School telephone: 01661 824853
Safeguarding concerns will be managed in accordance with our school safeguarding procedures.
Useful Online Safety Resources
For reliable and regularly updated information, we recommend:
UK SAFER INTERNET CENTRE – PARENTS & CARERS
CHILDLINE – ONLINE & MOBILE SAFETY
Working Together
Technology will continue to change, and it is impossible to remove every online risk.
Our aim is to give children the knowledge, confidence and judgement they need to make good decisions, recognise when something is wrong and know where to find help.
At school, children use technology through school-approved, purposeful and supervised systems. Personal mobile phones have no place in the normal primary school day.
By keeping conversations open and working together, school and families can help children enjoy the opportunities of the digital world while staying safe within it.
STOP • THINK • CHECK • TELL
If something doesn’t feel right online, tell someone.
Ponteland Community Primary School
Safe • Happy • Known • Valued • Challenged • Inspired • Supported • Encouraged • Successful
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