Thorp Primary School

Parent Support Information

Staying Safe Online

Updated guidance on keeping children safe online

With the Home Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, we have updated advice and guidance to help parents and carers to keep children safe online during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak to include new information on apps to help children stay safe online.

The advice and guidance on keeping children safe online can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-keeping-children-safe-online

The world of technology is constantly evolving, and the internet and mobile technologies has opened up the world in new ways for all, including children.

Below are some websites and links that give advice and support for families about keeping safe online and using mobile technologies, as well as routes for reporting concerns or abuse.

gaming leaflet this is a leaflet full of information and advice regarding children and online games

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/ is the NSPCC website which covers all topics and gives advice for parents and families about current issues and how to discuss keeping safe with children.

http://www.saferinternet.org.uk is a specific organisation for online safety and they are the organisers in the UK of ‘Safer Internet Day’ which school gets involved in. There is a wealth of information on this website, but some key features are;

https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/ is the website from CEOP (Child Exploitation Online Protection) and from here you can report concerns, crime or abuse directly to the specialist online protection wing of the National Crime Agency. This is the department that operates the report button. We have this button on our school website pages. (See below).

ceop also run the thinkuknow website, which has an area for parents; https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/

OPERATION ENCOMPASS

As you will appreciate, at Thorp Primary School, rigorous safeguarding procedures around every student are of the utmost importance.

As such, Thorp Primary, along with all Oldham schools, has agreed to enter into a new initiative alongside Greater Manchester Police.

Operation Encompass is a partnership initiative which focuses upon dynamic information sharing between Greater Manchester Police, Oldham Council and Schools. The initiative has been developed following local and national learning about the effects and harm upon children who hear or see domestic violence within their home.

We all want to ensure children thrive within the school environment and are able to reach their full potential. This initiative will ensure that where there has been a domestic incident within the child’s home, this information is shared on a confidential basis with the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Ms Dunn, in order that the child’s welfare and overall wellbeing can be monitored and that there is an offer of support from the partnership for both the child, and other family members who witness or are involved in a domestic violence incident.

This type of initiative has already been successfully adopted in other areas of the country.

Further information about support for persons involved in domestic violence can be found at www.oldham.gov.uk or www.endthefear.co.uk

Oak Trust Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy