Online Safety 

At Foundry Lane Primary School, we recognise that helping children stay safe online is one of the most important aspects of preparing them for life in the modern world. Technology plays a significant role in children's lives, and we are committed to ensuring that our pupils develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to use it safely, responsibly, and respectfully. 

Online safety is not an add-on at Foundry Lane. It is embedded throughout our curriculum and reinforced through our school culture, policies, and everyday conversations. 

A Progressive Curriculum 

Online safety is taught through a carefully planned and progressive curriculum using Purple Mash, ensuring that knowledge and skills build from Reception through to Year 6. Children revisit key themes at an age-appropriate level, enabling them to develop a deeper understanding as they grow. 

Learning includes: 

• - Staying safe online 

• - Protecting personal information 

• - Healthy online relationships 

• - Cyberbullying and respectful online behaviour 

• - Digital footprints and online reputation 

• - Identifying scams, misinformation, and fake content 

• - Reporting concerns and seeking help 

• - Responsible use of technology and social media 

Our curriculum ensures that children are equipped with the skills they need to navigate an ever-changing digital world safely and confidently. 

A Whole-School Approach 

Online safety is revisited through half-termly focused teaching, assemblies, Collective Worship, and classroom discussions, allowing children to reflect on current issues and emerging technologies throughout the year. 

We also recognise the importance of responding to local and national issues, ensuring our teaching remains relevant to the experiences children may encounter outside school. 

Learning Beyond the Classroom 

Children benefit from specialist workshops delivered by the Saints Foundation, providing engaging and practical learning experiences that reinforce key online safety messages. 

Each year we also mark Safer Internet Day, joining schools across the country in promoting positive online behaviour and encouraging children to think critically about how they use technology. 

Working in Partnership with Families 

Keeping children safe online is most effective when schools and families work together. We regularly share guidance, resources, and advice with parents and carers to help them support safe technology use at home and encourage positive conversations about the online world. 

How Can You Protect Your Child Online? 

The internet is an amazing resource for children. It allows children to explore, play, and problem solve. However, with technology, social media, and the internet changing at such a fast pace, it is extremely important that children are kept safe. If you understand the internet and the risks involved, there are a number of things you can do to help keep your child safer online. 

There is a lot of information available to parents about online safety. Below is a selection of links to help increase your knowledge and understanding of the internet and its risks: 

CEOP Education 

Keep Children Safe Online: Information, advice, support - Internet Matters 

Parent/Carers – Safe4Me 

Simple Ways to Support Your Child Online at Home 

• Keep talking, little and often. Regular, relaxed conversations about what your child is doing online work better than one big "internet safety talk." Ask them to show you their favourite apps or games so they know you're interested, not just checking up on them. 

• Use parental controls and age-appropriate settings. Most devices, app stores, and streaming platforms now have built-in family controls. Setting these up together, rather than in secret, helps children understand why they're there. 

• Agree on screen time as a family. Guidance suggests that younger children benefit from limited recreational screen time each day, though every family will find their own balance that works. 

• Be cautious with AI tools and chatbots. Children benefit from understanding that AI tools are learning assistants rather than fact-checkers, and that personal information should never be shared with a chatbot. 

• Know that "everyone has one" isn't a reason to say yes. Many social media platforms and games carry a minimum age requirement and increasingly stricter privacy settings for younger users, but the safest option is often to wait, even if your child feels left out in the short term. 

• Talk about what to do if something feels wrong. Make sure your child knows they can always come to you or a trusted adult in school, without fear of losing their device or getting into trouble, if they see something upsetting or feel uncomfortable. 

Embedded Across School Life 

Our approach to online safety is closely linked to our wider commitment to safeguarding and personal development. It is fully aligned with our: 

• - Anti-Bullying Policy 

• - Behaviour Policy 

• - Mobile Phone Policy 

• - PSHE Curriculum 

• - Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy 

By ensuring consistent messages across all areas of school life, children understand that the values of kindness, respect, responsibility, and honesty apply just as much online as they do face-to-face. 

Preparing Children for the Future 

At Foundry Lane, we want every child to leave us as a confident, responsible, and digitally literate citizen. By embedding online safety throughout our curriculum and school culture, we equip our pupils with the understanding and resilience they need to make informed choices, recognise risks, and enjoy the many opportunities that technology can provide. 

Above all, our aim is to ensure that every child can use technology safely while continuing to Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Your Best, both online and offline.