Internet safety continues to be a popular topic for schools to address, particularly as children and young people are spending more time online than ever before.  On these pages, you will find various workshops and resources to help you in your setting.

Online Safety Game: BAO - It's A Jungle out There'

'Bao - it's a jungle out there' was a finalist at the Tech4Good awards. 

To play the game, visit the Erasmus Stay Safe Project

Developed with Special Schools and our EU partners, it can be played either in a class setting or at home (and encouraging parents to play along). 

"This is absolutely brilliant. I will definitely be using this. I pressed the link and just kept going. I have not looked at the lesson plans, but it is a really rich resource which I think will be a really effective way of building resilience online and helping to navigate the dangers.”

Internet Safety Ambassadors and workshops

Ambassadors are a great way to embed Internet safety into your school. The training takes a whole day, and the cost per child is £15. Students get a workbook, a certificate and enamel badge on completion.

During the course, we discuss their online behaviour, including the opportunities and the risks of being online, wellbeing, where to find help and how they can help their school.

Workshops for all ages and parents are also a great way to start conversations around internet use. Topics can include:

• Bullying
• Self-Image
• Digital footprint
• Images
• Chatting
• Live Streaming
• Critical Thinking
• Gaming
• Location
• Terms and Conditions
• Where to find Help

Contact us for more information.

Internet Safety Day

Safer Internet Day is celebrated each year globally to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people. UK Safer Internet Centre has created a range of resources for all ages. To find out more and get involved, visit the UK Safer Internet Centre 

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Resources

• The Dark Web Explained is an informational film created by the National Crime Agency in collaboration with the Children's Society
• The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre has created an Educational Resource for Online Blackmail for young people aged 12-14. The resource features a set of three lesson plans and 2 situational films which aim to help young people develop their understanding of two types of online blackmail.

Critical Thinking Resources

Having more time on the internet means children and young people may come across fake news and conspiracy theories, so giving them the skills to navigate these along with counter narratives is vital.  We have several presentations and lesson plans to help deliver these messages in PHSE / ICT classes, which can be tailored to your group - ask us for details.

Additional Resources

• Free Online Safety Policy Templates (SWGFL), including Mobile Tech Policy, Parent Agreement Template, School Reporting Log, social media policy, and example incident flowchart. 
• With schools loaning out devices to families and staff, we have created guidance with ideas on how to do this, including templates which include terms and conditions of loaning the device, which can be adapted to your school. Download our IT Loan Guidance and Templates
• In 2017, YouTube launched 'Be 'nternet Citizens (BIC)' in partnership with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), delivering in-school workshops and practitioner trainings across the UK. Beyond basic e-safety or media literacy, BIC encourages teenagers aged 13+ to explore what citizenship means in the digital era, including clear calls to action. Visit Educate Against Hate - Be Internet Citizens
• The Be Internet Legends hub has evolved to support schools, pupils and families through new challenges and deliver content remotely.  You can register interest in their LIVE online assemblies, parent sessions and assembly video by visiting the Parent Zone
• Childnet.com has several resources for all ages.
• Natterhub is an online platform designed to teach children about online safety. Partnered with the NSPCC, this includes curriculum trackers, online safety policy templates, and posters about privacy for teachers to use in their classrooms
• The BBC has a website and app called Own It. The website has a lot of content for children to help them navigate their online lives, and the free smartphone app comes with a special keyboard which can intervene with help and support in the moments that children need it the most. 
• SafeToNet is an app for parents to help them safeguard their children from online risks like cyberbullying and sexting, whilst respecting their child’s rights to privacy. The SafeToNet Foundation is providing UK families with free access to 1 million licences during coronavirus.

Wider Reading

• Internet Matters, In their own words: the digital lives of school children - Looks at young people's experiences and views about their online lives. Identifies key themes from a survey of 14,944 young people aged 11-16-years-old in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland conducted in autumn 2019. Findings: content risk is more commonly experienced than contact risk, with pro-suicide content being the most frequently seen and mentioned; and vulnerabilities are likely to be exacerbated in the digital environment. 
• NSPCC How Safe 2021: online conference - The NSPCC’s child protection and safeguarding conference took place between 4 and 5 March 2021. Speakers include Dez Holmes, the Director of Research in Practice, talk about adolescent safeguarding, including the implications of harms that often occur outside the family, such as youth violence, criminal exploitation, county lines and sexual exploitation.  
• House of Commons Library, Online Safety -  The House of Commons Library has published a research briefing looking at government plans to regulate harmful content online, which includes protecting children from age-inappropriate content and other harms. The briefing covers the Online Harms White Paper and the government’s response to the consultation.