- Home
- Parents
- Parents Guide to Online Safety
The online world is posing an ever-increasing risk to children and young people, and it is important that schools, parents and carers work together to take an active role in teaching children about online dangers. Learning how to act safely when using the internet is an incredibly important part of safeguarding our children.
At Philip Southcote School, we endeavour to provide children with the knowledge, skills, understanding and tools they need to stay safe and make positive choices online. This feeling of confidence, independence and empowerment can be further enhanced when parents and carers take an active role in supporting children and young people with their use of technology. However, we also understand that it is difficult to stay up to date with the latest devices, platforms, apps, trends and related threats.
The following is a selection of resources that aim to inform and support you in your understanding online safety issues:
A service from Google offering advice to parents regarding helping your child become a smarter, safer and happier explorer of the online world.
CEOP Education is part of the UK’s National Crime Agency, focusing on keeping children and young people safe online. They provide resources and guidance for schools, parents, and young people about online safety, helping them understand the risks and how to report any concerns. They also have a great feature called Ask the Awkward - It offers advice on how to talk about sensitive topics like cyberbullying, sharing personal information, and staying safe online, making it easier to approach these important issues.
Childnet is an organisation that promotes online safety for children and young people, offering resources and guidance on how to navigate the internet safely. They provide tips on dealing with online bullying, privacy, and responsible use of social media to help young people make informed choices online.
A great resource that examines current tv, films and games, which bills itself as reviewing what your kids are into (before they get into it). You can have up to three free searches a day.
The Guardian’s Children’s Tech
The Guardian’s Children’s Tech section provides articles, reviews, and insights about technology, apps, and online trends specifically for young people.
A way to check whether your account has been compromised as well as future notifications.
A website that brings together six of the UK’s leading mental health charities to support young people’s mental health.
Internet Matters is a website dedicated to helping parents and carers keep children safe online by providing resources, expert advice, and tools including downloadable privacy guides and parental controls. It covers topics like online risks, setting boundaries, and promoting digital wellbeing to support young people as they navigate the internet.
The digital matters section of the website has been created for parents to help children understand elements of different online safety topics.
The parental controls section of the website is a very helpful tool to manage children’s devices, apps and platforms, to give them safer online experiences. Parental controls and privacy settings guides | Internet Matters
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) work to stop the repeated victimisation of people abused in childhood and make the internet a safer place, by identifying and removing global online child sexual abuse imagery, and promotes its Think Before You Share campaign.
This is the only UK-wide charity dedicated solely to preventing child sexual abuse through their Stop It Now! helpline and campaign.
With the tagline Understanding Ads. Inspiring Careers, MediaSmart aims to teach young people to be critical consumers of the media. Their TikTok: Teens, Social Media & You feature is particularly helpful.
National Cyber Security Centre
A means by which to record scam emails, texts and phone calls, linking to the gov.uk website, including the suspicious email reporting service.
An organisation that works in partnership with Philip Southcote School, providing Parents & Carers courses, online video resources and weekly guides covering a huge range of topics. Please sign up by clicking the link in the title above.
In partnership with Ambitious about Autism, the NSPCC provide online safety tips, advice and activities specifically for parents and carers of children with SEND.
A website all about keeping children safe, including articles investigating online safety issues.
This website includes articles, videos and a Tech Shock podcast, all designed to give parents the confidence to support their child online.
A website which includes a section concerning children’s changing relationship with the online world.
Safer Internet Day is an annual event in February that promotes online safety and encourages conversations about the responsible use of technology among young people. The website offers resources, tips, and activities to help individuals and organisations raise awareness about online safety and make the internet a better place for everyone.
The Stay Safe initiative is a not for profit company set up to help educate and protect young people. The website includes online safety advice, using a Parenting in the Digital World directory and downloads directory.
Stem4 is a charity that supports positive mental health in teenagers. They have created 5 award-winning apps to help achieve this aim.
- Calm Halm – help for teenagers to resist or manage the urge to self-harm
- Clear Fear – help for children and young people to manage symptoms of anxiety
- Move Mood – help for teenagers to manage low mood and depression
- Combined Minds – help for family and friends to provide mental health support
- Worth Warrior – help for young people to manage low self-worth, poor body image and related eating disorders
SWGfL (South West Grid for Learning) is an organisation focused on promoting online safety and digital wellbeing for schools and young people across the UK. They provide online safety resources, advice and articles, including Social Media Checklists.
The UK Safer Internet Centre is an organisation that promotes online safety and helps people understand how to use the internet safely and responsibly. They provide resources, guidance, and support for parents, educators, and young people to address issues like cyberbullying, privacy, and safe social media use.
Vodafone Digital Parenting is a resource aimed at helping parents and caregivers understand the online world their children are navigating. It offers tips, advice, and tools on how to support kids with digital devices, online safety, and maintaining a healthy balance between screen time and real life.
The WeProtect Global Alliance’a mission is to protect children from the growing threat of online sexual exploitation and abuse and focuses on the influence of AI on young people.
