Staying Safe online and offline
E-safety is an essential part of our school community because it helps everyone use technology in a safe, respectful, and responsible way. In today’s digital world, we use the internet for learning, connecting, and creating—but we must also be aware of the risks. Following our school values helps us stay safe and make positive choices online.
Respect means treating others kindly on social media, in messages, and in games, just as we would in person. It means thinking before we post, listening to others’ opinions, and not using technology to hurt or embarrass anyone.
We also show Care by looking out for ourselves and others. This includes protecting personal information, reporting harmful behaviour, and supporting friends who might be struggling online. By caring about the well-being of others, we help make our digital spaces safer and more positive.
Being Responsible is another key part of e-safety. It means understanding how to use technology correctly, following school rules, and thinking carefully about what we share and who we communicate with. Our responsibility extends to using technology for learning, not for harm or distraction.
Sometimes things online can go wrong, and that’s where Resilience comes in. If we see or experience something upsetting online, we need the confidence to seek help, learn from the situation, and move forward safely. Resilience helps us manage challenges and bounce back stronger.
Finally, being Proud means using technology in ways that reflect our best selves—posting positive messages, creating good digital content, and showing integrity in everything we do online.
These values link closely to the government’s Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance, which emphasises that all pupils should be taught how to stay safe online and understand the risks they may face. By living our school values through e-safety, we help create a respectful, caring, and responsible online environment where everyone can thrive, feel secure, and take pride in their digital citizenship.
Pupil Internet Usage Survey
In the Spring Term 2025, we conducted an Internet Usage Survey to identify where we could support and customise aspects of our e-safety content to focus on common areas of pupil interest. The survey responses provided us with information from our pupils internet usage habits, detailing several aspects of their online lives. The data consistently shows that most pupils use the internet every day for varying lengths of time, with “Gaming” and “Watching T.V. (e.g. Netflix)” being highly popular activities, alongside “Research for homework” and “Music”. Mobile phones, iPads/tablets, and games consoles are the most frequently listed gaming devices and ways they access the internet. Furthermore, the pupils often engage in social media activity like talking to family and friends about hobbies or what they did during the day, with platforms like WhatsApp and Youtube being dominant. Finally, the majority of students who own a mobile phone use it for core functions like calling, texting and communicating and primarily to send photos to friends or family phones. With this data in mind, we have shaped our current e-safety strategy.
We have welcomed David Burn from BeSafe into school. He delivers workshops which help to educate young people about their online and offline personal safety and making the right choices when they are out in the community with their friends. Our pupils were very engaged in what David has to say and show.
We also distribute ‘Build your Legend’ kits as our school takes part in Google’s ‘Be Internet Legends’ campaign. Our pupils learn how to be safe and confident explorers of the online world. ‘Build your Legend’ is a fun family challenge and we’ve had lots of photograph’s sent in showing the final result – your very own ‘Legend’ model. We hope you enjoy the activity and pick up some really important messages about staying safe online.