Online Safety

At Nicholas Breakspear School We Understand That Access To The Online World Is An Integral Part Of Students’ Lives And That It Can Provide Them With A Wealth Of Educational And Social Opportunities And Experiences.

We teach students the skills needed to become confident, critical and caring members of society who are aware of the potential risks of the virtual world and who understand the importance of using online spaces and resources in a positive way in order to build a better world.

We do this through: 

• PSHE lessons
• All students reading, understanding and signing the Acceptable use of the school’s ICT systems and internet agreement
• Monitoring and filtering of internet access at school
• Communication of online safety advice and guidance to parents/carers
• Our Online Safety policy which can be viewed in the policy section of this website

We expect students to: 

1. Think before they post.
2. Respect other people online, avoiding gossip and hurtful comments.
3. Ask for permission from a parent/carer before they meet online friends in person.
4. Report cyberbullies—block the sender, file a report with the website/police/sharp system (if connected to school).
5. Speak up if they see someone getting bullied.
6. Ensure that their social media pages do not include anything inappropriate, unkind or too personal.
7. Use privacy settings.
8. Keep adults in the loop—tell them when they add new sites, new friends, or see something suspicious or harmful.
9. Use their voice for good—use social media to do something productive for themselves or a cause, to build a better world.

We encourage parents/carers to:

Have an open and ongoing dialogue with their children regarding the online world. Below are some useful resources and websites that may assist you in this.  If you have any concerns about your child’s online activity, then please contact their form tutor.

A Parent’s Guide to Snapchat 

A Parent’s Guide to Instagram 

A Parent’s Guide to YouTube 

A Parent’s Guide to TikTok  

Herts County Council E-Safety newsletter 

Your Child’s Screen Time a Parent Guide​10 Tips to Help Your Child Stay Safe Online

CEOP/Think You Know: A site run by CEOP (Child Expolitation and Online Protection centre) that provides up to date information and guidance about keeping children safe online.

UK Safer Internet Centre: tips, advice and guidance to keep your child safe online.

Childnet: Advice for helping children use the internet responsibly.

Safe, Secure, Online: Online safety information for parents/carers.