From cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns.
Pupils of St Laurence Junior Academy in Ramsgate marked Safer Internet Day as part of their Online Safety week where they explored this year theme: Want to talk about it? The week was launched with a special assembly, celebrating all of the wonderful things we can do online but also recognising that the internet isn’t perfect and sometimes people use it in ways that are not safe, kind or responsible. The children shared all the wonderful things they like to do online as well as some of the concerns and issues they may have had.
Throughout the week, pupils participated in a number of lessons and activities covering themes such as: Online Reputation; Health, Wellbeing and Lifestyle; Online Bullying; Privacy & Security and Copyright and Ownership.
Serkan (Year 6 pupil) reflected on his learning and said: “I’ve learnt that if someone is horrible to you online, you can ask them to stop and if they don’t you can block them. You should also tell an adult if you have seen something online that upsets or worries you.”
Louise Buckland, Deputy Headteacher & Computing Lead, said: “We want children to access to the tools they need to navigate modern life, including how to identify disinformation and trusted sources, stay safe online, and make the right decisions when engaging with media content. Online safety is talked about in school throughout the school year, but celebrating Safer Internet Day and having an Online Safety week really raises its profile and puts safety at the forefront of everyone’s’ mind.”