E-Safety
Wellsprings Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies, when there are concerns about a child’s welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with parents/carers first, unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.
We actively support the Government’s Prevent Agenda to counter radicalism and extremism.
We believe that children and the wider school community should be safe and act appropriately when using a range of modern technologies, from mobile devices and audio-visual equipment to the internet and email.
That is why e-safety lessons are embedded in the computing teaching of children in every class from Reception right through to Year 6. Not only that, we ensure that all children and staff are aware of our commitment to e-safety, which is detailed in the e-safety section of our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy (also available from our Policies page).
We have a whole series of guidance resources for parents about how to make sure their children are safe using the internet. There is also some advice about ‘gaming’ choices and the use of Facebook.
The Government is also asking schools to be vigilant around radicalisation of impressionable young people. While in a more rural setting like Taunton this might appear a less prevalent issue than an urban setting, schools still need to teach tolerance and awareness around this worrying development. Please see the Department for Education’s guidance, entitled Promoting Fundamental British values as part of SMSC in schools. There is also some good parental online advice on the London Grid for Learning website. 
A Parents’ Guide to Preventing Extremism and Radicalisation – that gives a little more background with a local context on the subject.
360 degree safe
360 degree safe is a recognised e-safety review tool used by schools to help guide them and improve their use of e-safety.
At Wellsprings we have registered with the scheme and have completed sufficient steps to receive the ‘progression to safety online’ certificate. This shows we have an e-safety policy in place and have a commitment to keeping our children and school community e-safe.
Social media
If you are interested in guidance on any modern social media apps and sites, please see this general guidance leaflet, What comes after Facebook?
Keeping children safe
On our Policies page we have a number of ‘keeping children safe’ policies, including our policy on Child Sexual Exploitation, giving background information for professionals as well as parents.
Wellsprings Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
This means that we have a Child Protection Policy and procedures in place which we refer to in our prospectus. Parents and carers are welcome to read the Policy on request or on our website.
Sometimes we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies when there are concerns about a child’s welfare. We will ensure that our concerns about our pupils are discussed with his/her parents/carers first unless we have reason to believe that such a move would be contrary to the child’s welfare.
Key Personnel in school around Safeguarding
Safeguarding Designated Lead: Mark Lunn
Deputy Safeguarding Designated Lead: Nicky Hatton (PfSA)
Catherine Lang (EYFS Lead) and Jane Holcombe (Inclusion Lead)
Nominated Safeguarding Governor: Jasmine Wark
Somerset Direct contact: 0300 1232224
Email: childrens@somerset.gov.uk
Police: 101 or in an emergency 999
Consultation line for DSLs and GPs on 0300 123 3078
Please see below our E-Safety progression maps for each Year group:
Tips for Parents- In Game Chat
10 Top Tips for parents- Using & Reviewing Parental Controls
Tips for creating Family Rules for using devices
What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Lego Fortnite
What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Sharing Intimate Images
If your child has a large online presence, you might find this guide informative:
https://parentinfo.org/article/the-6-apps-and-services-that-every-parent-should-know-about
The 6 apps and services that every parent should know about | Parent Info
Parents' Guide for Safe YouTube and Internet Streaming for Kids
www.safetydetectives.com/blog/parents-guide-for-safe-youtube-and-internet-streaming-for-kids/
YouTube Parental Controls
Parental controls exist on YouTube. They are far from perfect and some bad content will still sneak through, but you can minimize the risk that your children will see something disturbing. Here’s what you can do through YouTube’s parental controls:
Block specific content types and creators. If there’s a specific channel you are aware of or a genre of content, you can block it.
Allow approved content only. Parents can also limit what their children watch by approving specific content. Children will only be able to watch this content and nothing else.
Turn the search off. The search function on YouTube can be turned off. This is a great option for parents of children who are able to read and write.
Limit use to YouTube Kids. This is a popular option for parents who want a kid-friendly version of YouTube. While it doesn’t block everything, it does remove a lot of the adult content.
LETS TALK ABOUT LIFE ONLINE
Information For Parents- Technology use and the mental health of children and young people
TikTok What is Tiktok? TikTok is the fastest-growing social media app in the world right now, with young people in particular seemingly bewitched by its music-led short-form videos.. Creativity is the keyword here, with its 800 million daily users finding ingenious ways to turn its 15-second time limit into a tool for expression rather than a restriction.
parentinfo.org
Please read the advice for keeping your child safe online
ONLINE GAMING- INFORMATION FOR PARENTS/CARERS
Twitch
Have you heard of Twitch? Chances are your children have - particularly if they play video games.
Twitch is a live streaming video site owned by Amazon, mostly used to watch other people playing popular games. It can be exciting and fast-moving, but some concerns have been raised about children viewing or hearing inappropriate content, and the commercial promotions on the site,
A guide to the app, with useful comments from children and parents, can be found at:
https://www.net-aware.org.uk/networks/twitch (https://www.net-aware.org.uk/networks/twitch/)
Details of parent controls settings are provided by Internet Matters (https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/entertainment-search-engines/twitch-tv/) .
https://digital-leaders.childnet.com/
Minimum Age to Use WhatsApp
Parents advice on screen time
September is a demanding time of year for families as children get used to being back at school; making new friends, and experiencing the challenges of a new year group. As a child's world expands, so does their 'digital social circle' (relationships they make with others online and in the real world).
To support families, Internet Matters are promoting their back-to-school guides for parents. For more information, visit their website: https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/back-to-school-online-safety-guides