eSafety Information

At Little Munden, we believe passionately in helping our children use technologies to learn effectively.  In our school we use the Local Authority internet service, the Hertfordshire Grid for Learning, which provides a safe and secure, filtered online environment for schools and children. We also have clear eSafety guidelines and policies for use of ICT in school.

However, many parents and carers do seek advice on how they can help their children to ‘Stay Safe’ online outside of school. To help you, we would suggest your look at the following link.  This website provides comprehensive information and links to key sites which can help you keep your child safe online.

Children are very technologically astute, but they do need support and guidance from their parents and carers to help them stay safe and behave sensibly online.  the Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board (HSCB) provides sample family guidelines for parents to review, discuss and adapt for their families.  These may be a great starting point for you and your child.  

The internet is an exciting and fun place for adults and children to use and explore educationally and socially.  The challenge for parents, carers and teachers is to make sure our children are aware and understand how to be safe when using the internet and related technologies.  We at Little Munden are keen to help you understand how to do this – so contact the office if you need more support with this complex, ever-changing area of parenting.

Facing Up to Facebook – the Magic 13

Increasing numbers of children are getting social network accounts like Facebook, even though the Terms & Conditions state the minimum age is 13 years. Many schools and teachers are concerned that parents and carers are not always aware of the age restrictions and the related safeguarding risks to the children. The Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board eSafety group have developed a parents/carers leaflet to help raise awareness and provide practical guidance.

13 Reasons Why Facebook is for 13 year olds Facebook, Twitter and other social media are increasingly being used by children under 13 years of age to socialise, to share photos, videos, links and information, to chat, to plan social events and so on.

1.  The minimum age to open a Facebook account is 13 years
2. Facebookhasadditionalprotectionandsecuritysettingsforteens(age 13­17).
3. Facebook advertisements or apps may have content that is not appropriate for under 13s
4. Facebookexpectsparentsofunder13stoshowtheirchildrenhowtodelete their Facebook account, if they have one.
5. Facebook expects all users to use their real name and identities. It’s against Facebook terms to lie about your name or age.
6. Every word, message, image and video you add to Facebook will be there forever unless you take it down.
7. Facebook expects parents to discuss online safety with their child and to set ground rules.
8. Every image, including your profile photo, can be copied by others, changed by others and be online forever!
9. Facebook games may have different T & C to Facebook and only be suitable for over 18s
10. Facebook Timeline is an online representation of your child’s life based on the information they and others added. What does their timeline reveal about them?
11. Facebook will remove images that break copyright law or are pornographic but will not remove photos you just don’t like!
12. Facebook Places uses GPS, to enable users to share their location in posts. Do you want your child’s online friends to know where they are?
13. Facebook has a safety centre specifically for parents. http://www.facebook.com/safety/groups/parents/

13 Ways to ‘Stay Safe’ on Facebook Does your child have a Facebook account? What are you doing to keep your child and your family safe? Here are 13 things we can all do today to help ‘Stay Safe’ on Facebook.

1. Preview your profile to see how it looks to others
2. Make sure that you are not a victim of ‘Fraping’. Have a strong password and logout when not using Facebook
3. Check your privacy settings – do you know who can see your phone number or post on your timeline? What about your child’s timeline!
4. Turn Facebook chat on and off to control who knows you are online. You can also see your chat history
5. Edit the privacy settings of the Apps you use and your Photo albums
6. Review posts and photos that you are tagged in before they appear in your profile by editing your ‘timeline and tagging’ settings
7. Check before adding content, including photos, that you have the right to do so. Facebook expects you to do this
8. Always be nice online, just as you are in the real world. Facebook does not tolerate bullying or harassment
9. Report abusive or offensive content that you believe breaks Facebook T & C by using the “Report” at the top right of the comment. Reports are anonymous and you will not be identified
10. Check your online friends are friends in the real world. You can easily unfriend or delete a friend ­ they will not be told
11. Create a Facebook group for your family so that you have a private space to keep in touch, share photos and learn about Facebook together
12. Read the T & C to make sure you know what Facebook expects from you!
13. Visit the Facebook Safety Centre http://www.facebook.com/safety/tools/

© Hertfordshire County Council