E-Safety
Queenswood understands the importance of Online Safety and therefore we have recently formed the Online Safety Group (OSG). This includes a variety of Staff members from Senior Leadership, Personalised Learning, Academic staff , Head of Year team, IT Support and Boarding. Also part of the team is our Online Safety Governor and a parent representative.
We are excited to update you on our progress:
Safer Internet Day 2024
Queenswood celebrated Safer Internet day on Tuesday 6 February. This is a global campaign run by the UK Safer Internet Centre which is celebrated in 170 countries and involves and influences government, charities, police forces and tech companies including social media and gaming platforms.
Our Sixth Form Prefect Team produced an introductory video all about staying safe online which was shown in tutorials and Mr Laming delivered assemblies to all year groups about the day and its themes. This year the day focused on the key themes of inspiring change, making a difference, managing influence and navigating change online and students were challenged in the assemblies to consider how they might make a difference and bring about positive change.
During the week, in tutorial sessions, students carried out some exciting activities to learn about technological changes through time and how these have impacted society, the ethical use of AI and the role and impact of social media influencers. Students also considered their own knowledge of the Internet and online safety through Safer Internet quizzes.
On Tuesday 6 February we also welcomed a guest PSHE speaker and performing artist, Natalie Shay (Prime Agency) to give a talk to students in Years 7–9 in the theatre about online safety and mental health. PSHE lessons throughout the week were dedicated to online safety content such as privacy settings and image sharing.
We hope that all students enjoyed the day and will now think positively about inspiring change online and making a difference!
Limitless Opportunities, Potential Risks
The advent of the digital age and the internet has created an almost limitless resource that allows our children to learn, interact and experience things in exciting new ways that were impossible to imagine just 20 years ago.
It is also important to recognise that this new world presents schools and parents with new challenges when it comes to keeping our children safe. By being aware of the potential risks that exist in the digital world, we can educate ourselves as to strategies that can be used to try to keep our children as safe as possible in the online world. Whether you are a digital novice or a tech expert, it is very important that you speak to your daughter about the potential pitfalls of the online world and the importance of staying safe.
E-safety can be sorted into the 4 C’s.
CONTENT - The risk of children being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful material.
CONTACT - The risk to your child of harmful online interactions with other internet users.
CONDUCT - The risk that a child’s personal behaviour online increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm.
COMMERCE - The risk to children from online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing or financial scams.
Here at Queenswood, your daughter will be taught about E-safety in PHSCEE, where she will cover topics including online relationships, online bullying, inappropriate relationships, sexting, grooming, privacy, rights, safe social networking and healthy digital behaviours..
She will also cover some E-safety in Computer Science lessons in Year 7 where students learn about malware, cyberbullying and the importance of keeping a clean digital footprint. Students make an E-Safety Help Sheet as well as carrying out presentation and spreadsheet tasks about malware, digital footprints and cyberbullying. Students opting for GCSE Computer Science in Year 10 will also study a detailed unit of work about cyber security which considers malware, social engineering, password security, authentication techniques and security measures.
In addition to the education we are providing to your daughter, It is very important that as parents or guardians you educate yourselves on the potential online risks your daughter may face. This will allow you to engage with them in a positive fashion when discussing E-safety. To aid you in this, we have included links to some useful documents and websites below: