Online Safety

Online Safety at Our School

Keeping children safe online is an essential part of our safeguarding responsibilities. At St George’s Catholic Primary School & Nursery, we work closely with pupils, parents, staff, governors and external partners to ensure that every child learns how to navigate the digital world safely, confidently and responsibly.

Our approach to online safety

Online safety is embedded across our whole-school safeguarding framework. It is a running and interrelated theme in our child protection and safeguarding arrangements, reflecting the four areas of online risk: content, contact, conduct and commerce.
We adopt a preventative, educational and protective approach: teaching pupils to make safe choices online, training staff to identify and respond to concerns, and using technical measures to reduce risk on school systems and devices.
Our online safety work reflects our school vision: we encourage responsible, respectful and compassionate digital behaviour so every child can learn and flourish in a safe environment.

Key statutory guidance and school policies

We follow statutory guidance including:
- Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)
- Teaching Online Safety in Schools (Department for Education)

Filtering and monitoring

Our school uses industry-standard filtering and monitoring to ensure appropriate levels of protection on school networks and devices.
Filtering is configured to block unlawful, inappropriate or harmful content and is regularly reviewed to reflect new risks.
Monitoring systems help staff identify concerning activity so we can intervene early and escalate where necessary.
We recognise that children also access the internet outside school (mobile networks, home Wi‑Fi). Our Online Safety Policy explains how we manage devices and mobile technology on school premises.

Reporting concerns

If you are worried about something online, please tell us straight away.

Pupils: speak to a trusted adult (class teacher, teaching assistant or DSL), or use the school reporting routes outlined in lessons and assemblies.
Parents and carers: contact the school office or email the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) at [school email/contact page].
Staff: follow the school’s safeguarding and reporting procedures; report online incidents to the DSL.
For urgent safeguarding concerns or suspected criminal activity, we will follow safeguarding procedures and involve external agencies (e.g., police) as required.
Use our online form: [Report an online concern] (button/form) — this will notify the DSL team directly.

Role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

The DSL is responsible for ensuring online safety is embedded within our safeguarding arrangements, supporting staff and pupils, and liaising with external agencies where required.
The DSL and deputy DSLs receive specialist training on online safety and lead any investigations or referrals related to online harm.
Online safety forms part of the DSL’s routine safeguarding audits and updates to governors.

How we teach online safety (Curriculum)

Online safety is taught across the curriculum and through dedicated lessons in:
- Computing
- PSHE (including Relationships & Health Education)
- Collective worship and assemblies
We use the Education for a Connected World framework to set age‑appropriate expectations (privacy, respectful behaviour, online relationships, media literacy).
Key stage examples:
- KS1: understanding personal information, safe and kind behaviour online, telling a trusted adult if worried.
- KS2: privacy settings, recognising trustworthy sources, handling peer pressure, reporting and supporting others.
Resources and lessons are regularly updated to reflect emerging trends and are delivered sensitively in line with our Christian values.

Staff training and whole-school governance

All staff receive regular online safety training and updates so they are confident teaching and responding to incidents.
Governors provide oversight of online safety as part of their safeguarding responsibilities and review policies and provision regularly.
We use self-evaluation tools (e.g., 360Safe) and an annual review cycle to ensure policies, filtering and curriculum provision remain effective.

Support for parents and carers

We aim to help parents feel confident supporting their children online.

Practical guidance on:
- Parental controls and privacy settings
- Safe screen time routines
- Social media and gaming safety
- Device security (passwords, updates)
Trusted external resources and links:
- NSPCC (https://www.nspcc.org.uk)
- ThinkUKnow (https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk)
- UK Safer Internet Centre (https://www.saferinternet.org.uk)
- BBC Own It (https://www.bbc.com/ownit)
We publish regular online safety updates and newsletters (down below) and run parent workshops and information evenings each year. Check the school calendar for upcoming sessions.

Pupil-friendly advice

We teach children clear steps they can take if something online worries them:

Stop, close the app or turn the screen away.
Tell a trusted adult at school or at home immediately.
Use trusted reporting routes in the app/website and tell a teacher if you have.
Keep evidence if possible (screenshots) but do not engage with harmful users. Find age-appropriate activities and support at ThinkUKnow Cybercafe and BBC online safety pages.

Please complete our short survey about Online Safety. We will use this survey to make sure that we are getting the right information to parents in the best way possible.