Online Safety

Information for parents during online learning period from Meirion Baker, Assistant Principal

As you know, all teaching and learning at the college is currently taking place online. We hope that students are finding the resources and guidance they are receiving in this way useful.  However, online working outside of college does throw up some challenges relating to student safety.  For example, when students access the internet at home their activities may not be subject to the same supervision and filters as would operate at college.

We would like to take this opportunity, therefore, to remind you of some of the guidance which was shared with you in February to mark Safer Internet Day.  We have added, in the final two bullet points, links to guidance on parental control and home filters.

• Advice for parents and carers from Childnet
• Tips, advice and guides for parents and carers from the UK Safer Internet Centre
• Guides on popular apps and games from NetAware
• Reviews and information about games, apps, TV shows and websites from Common Sense Media
• Information and reporting of online grooming or abuse from CEOP
• Information about the parental controls which may be offered by your home internet provider from Saferinternet.org.uk
• Detailed guidance on parental controls offered by the NSPCC

If you have any concerns or questions about keeping your son or daughter safe online, please do get in touch with Meirion Baker (Assistant Principal) at mbaker@qeliz.ac.uk or Laurence Job (Deputy Principal) at ljob@qeliz.ac.uk.

Information for students during online learning period from Meirion Baker, Assistant Principal

As you are now working and studying online it is more important than ever that you bear online safety in mind, whatever your age and however experienced you may be in using the internet.

I contacted you in February to provide you with online safety information to mark Safer Internet Day and you have been given additional resources and guidance through progress tutorials and through the tutorial website.

I would now like to remind you about two things in particular.

What is inappropriate content?

Inappropriate content describes any material which may:

• harm you emotionally or mentally,
• damage your reputation
• expose you to criminality
• place you at risk or in danger

This content includes, but is not limited to:

• terror attacks, beheadings and bombings
• cruelty to humans and animals
• self-harm sites
• pro-anorexia and eating disorder content
• pro-suicide content
• sexual abuse and rape
• violence and distressing content
• hate sites

If you come across material of this kind, you should immediately close it down and report it.

How should I report inappropriate content?

There are various channels through which you can report inappropriate content, depending on the nature of the material you have encountered.  The most important of these deal with illegal content and behaviour:

• Criminal images can be reported to the Internet Watch Foundation www.iwf.org.uk. Reporting to the IWF is confidential and can be done anonymously. The IWF deals with: child sexual abuse images hosted anywhere in the world, criminally obscene adult content hosted in the UK, non-photographic child sexual abuse images or videos hosted in the UK i.e. computer-generated or cartoon imagery.

• If you are under 18 and have  been inappropriately contacted by an adult online (eg: sexual chat, being asked to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable or wanting to meet offline) report it to CEOP at www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre.

The UK Safer Internet Centre provides information about a wide range of opportunities to report other forms of inappropriate content such as:

• Threats
• Impersonation
• Bullying and Harassment
• Self-Harm or Suicide Content
• Online Abuse
• Violent Content
• Unwanted Sexual Advances
• Pornographic Content

Details are available in the Online Safety section of your tutorial website and also at https://reportharmfulcontent.com/.

If you have any questions or concerns about online safety then please contact Meirion Baker (Assistant Principal) at mbaker@qeliz.ac.uk or Laurence Job (Deputy Principal) at ljob@qeliz.ac.uk.