E Safety

Mereside C of E Primary Academy – E-Safety for Parents

Keeping Your Child Safe Online

At Mereside C of E Primary Academy, we are committed to ensuring that children stay safe in an increasingly digital world. We teach e-safety as part of our curriculum and encourage parents to support safe online practices at home.

Our E-Safety Policy

Our school follows a robust E-Safety Policy to guide safe internet use within school. You can read our full policy here: ***.

Online Safety Advice for Parents

SMART Rules for Staying Safe Online

We teach children to follow the SMART rules to help them navigate the online world safely:

S – Stay safe: Don’t share personal information.
M – Don’t meet up: Never arrange to meet someone met online without parental permission.
A – Accepting files: Be cautious with links, messages, or attachments from unknown sources.
R – Reliable? Check sources before believing or sharing information.
T – Tell an adult: If something makes you uncomfortable, speak to a trusted adult.

Parental Controls & Guides

Using parental controls can help manage what your child can see and do online. Here are some useful guides:

Age-Specific Online Safety Guidance

Children’s online experiences differ by age. Here’s what to focus on at each stage:

Reception – Year 2: Basics of staying safe, recognising trusted adults and being kind online.
Year 3 – Year 4: More about passwords, fake news and understanding online risks.
Year 5 – Year 6: Social media awareness, cyberbullying and digital footprints.

For more detailed advice by age, visit Internet Matters’ Age Guides.

Latest Online Safety Alerts & Trends

The digital world is always changing, and it’s important to stay updated on emerging risks such as new apps, challenges and trends. Check out these resources for the latest guidance:

Cyberbullying & Online Concerns

Cyberbullying and online harassment can be extremely distressing. They can even be classed as criminal offences in some cases. However, there are plenty of organisations you can turn to for help, including charities, social media service providers, and the police

What is cyberbullying and online harassment?

Making comments or posts online that are deliberately abusive, offensive, threatening or inflammatory. Liking and sharing this kind of abuse can also count as bullying and harassment.

Online bullies and harassers use all sorts of platforms, including social media (like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram), forums, gaming sites, comments sections, mobile phone chat groups and more.

There’s a very detailed definition of cyberbullying from the Anti-Bullying Society.

If your child experiences online bullying or inappropriate content, you can report it using the following services:

CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) – Report an online concern
NSPCC Advice on Online Safety – Online Safety Hub

How to Talk to Your Child About Online Safety

Having regular, open conversations about internet use can help children feel comfortable sharing their online experiences. These resources provide useful tips and conversation starters:

Childnet’s Conversation Starters

Useful Websites for Parents

Here are some recommended sites that provide excellent resources on keeping children safe online:

Internet Matters – Advice tailored to different age groups.
ThinkUKnow – Interactive resources from the UK police.
National Online Safety – Guides and updates on digital trends.

Reporting an E-Safety Concern

If you have any concerns about your child’s online safety, please contact a member of the School’s Safeguarding Team.

We work together to ensure a safe and positive online experience for all children at Mereside C of E Primary Academy.

Our Online Safety Newsletter

Mereside Online Safety Newsletter September 2025

Mereside Online Safety Newsletter July 2025

Mereside Online Saftey Newsletter June 2025

Mereside Online Saftey Newsletter May 2025

Mereside Online Saftey Newsletter April 2025

Mereside Online Safety Newsletter March 2025

Mereside Safer Internet Day 2025

Mereside Online Safety Newsletter February 2025

Mereside Online Safety Newsletter January 2025

Mereside Online Safety Newsletter November 2024

Mereside Online Safety Newsletter October 2024

#WakeUpWednesday

What is Wake Up Wednesday?

Wake Up Wednesday is a weekly online safety campaign created by National Online Safety. Each Wednesday, they release free, easy-to-understand guides for parents, carers, and educators on the latest apps, games, devices, and online trends. The aim is to help keep children safe online by raising awareness of potential risks and offering practical advice on how to respond.

At Mereside, we share these helpful posters on dojo and here to support our families in staying informed and confident about the digital world our children are growing up in.

10.9.25 Conspiracy Theories

3.9.25 Recognising and managing stress

27.8.25 Supporting Children Going Back To School 2025

20.8.25 VPNS

13.8.25 Group Chats 2025

6.8.25 Technology Attachment

30.7.25 Online Slang

2.7.25 Artificial Intelligence Solutions

25.6.25 Nintendo Switch 2

18.6.25 Youtube Kids 2025

11.6.25 Generative ai Safety

4.6.25 Emojis