Keeping our children safe online continues to be a high priority here at Belmont; with regular lessons and reminders as part of our curriculum.  Last term, we welcomed Dan from the Lincolnshire Stay Safe Partnership who led interactive workshops with children in Year 2 to Year 6, and on Tuesday, we celebrated Safer Internet Day with a special assembly. 

The theme of Safer Internet Day this year was 'Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online.' Phishing and scams, where someone tries to trick somebody else to get something from them, such as money, items in a game or personal information, affects not just adults but children too and it is important for us to teach them how to spot the signs and what to do if it happens. At BBC Teach , you will find videos that explain what scamming and phishing is along with links to other online safety resources. Please click HERE to go directly to it (https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/topics/cp440njz78zt).

Increasingly, one of the ways in which people find out personal information from children is via WhatsApp groups. These are known as 'Add Everyone' group chats that children are encouraged to join so they can chat with new 'friends'. However in reality, they contain explicit content and children are asked personal questions about their age, where they live and what school they go to. They also suggest meeting up with the child which may of course put them in danger. Find out more here: https://ineqe.com/2024/10/31/safeguarding-alert-add-everyone-whatsapp-group/

Primary school pupils should not be using WhatsApp, but if you do permit it, it is vital that they are monitored, with robust safety settings put in place. Links to online safety websites that can help and explain the settings can be found on our Internet Safety pages along with copies of our monthly newsletter for parents and carers.  If you have any concerns about the online safety of your child however, please do get in touch.