Mereside C of E Primary Academy – Online Safety for Parents

Keeping Your Child Safe Online

At Mereside CE Primary Academy, we want every child to enjoy the opportunities that technology provides while developing the knowledge and skills they need to use it safely, responsibly and confidently.

Technology and the online world change quickly. We therefore teach online safety throughout the curriculum and encourage families to have regular, open conversations about children’s experiences online.

Online safety is an important part of our whole-school approach to safeguarding.

Worried About Something Online?

If your child has seen or experienced something online that has worried, upset or frightened them, encourage them to tell a trusted adult.

If you have an online safety or safeguarding concern relating to your child, please contact a member of the Mereside Safeguarding Team.

You can also use the following services:

CEOP – report concerns about online sexual abuse, exploitation or inappropriate contact.
Childline – confidential help and advice for children.
NSPCC – advice and support for parents and carers.
Internet Matters – practical advice about a wide range of online issues.

Helping Your Child Stay Safe Online

There are some simple things families can do to help children have positive experiences online:

Talk regularly

Take an interest in what your child enjoys online. Ask about the games they play, videos they watch, apps they use and people they communicate with.

Creating an environment where children feel able to talk openly makes it more likely that they will tell an adult if something goes wrong.

Childnet’s Conversation Starters

Use parental controls

Parental controls can help you manage the content your child can access, purchases they can make and the amount of time they spend online.

Remember that parental controls work best alongside regular conversations and supervision.

Check age ratings

Games, apps and social-media platforms have age ratings and minimum-age requirements for a reason.

Before allowing your child to use a new service, take time to understand what it allows children to see, create and share and whether users can communicate with strangers.

Protect personal information

Children should understand that personal information should not be shared without permission.

This can include their:

full name;
address;
school;
phone number;
passwords;
photographs;
live location; and
information about where they will be at a particular time.

Think before sharing

Help children understand that information shared online can be copied, changed or passed to other people.

Children should think carefully before posting photographs, videos, comments or personal information.

Tell someone

Children should know that they will not be in trouble for asking for help.

If something makes them feel worried, uncomfortable or unsure, they should stop, block or leave the interaction where possible and tell a trusted adult.

Online Safety at Mereside

Online safety is taught throughout Computing and reinforced across our wider curriculum and school life.

Our teaching is informed by the Education for a Connected World framework and helps children develop their understanding of:

Self-image and identity
Online relationships
Online reputation
Online bullying
Managing online information
Health, wellbeing and lifestyle
Privacy and security
Copyright and ownership

Children also develop an age-appropriate understanding of the four broad areas of online risk:

Content – what children may see online.

Contact – who children may interact with online.

Conduct – how children and others behave online.

Commerce – risks involving advertising, scams, gambling-style features and online purchases.

As children move through school, these areas are revisited in increasing depth so that their knowledge develops alongside their growing independence with technology.

Advice for Different Ages

Children’s online experiences change considerably as they get older.

Reception – Year 2

We focus on:

asking a trusted adult for help;
keeping personal information private;
recognising that people online may not always be who they say they are;
being kind and respectful online; and
understanding that not everything seen online is true.

Years 3 and 4

Children develop their understanding of:

passwords and privacy;
online friendships;
reliable and unreliable information;
inappropriate content;
gaming and communication;
healthy screen use; and
what to do when something goes wrong.

Years 5 and 6

Teaching increasingly explores:

digital footprints and reputation;
group chats and social media;
online bullying;
misinformation;
privacy and location sharing;
scams and suspicious messages;
inappropriate contact;
artificial intelligence and manipulated content; and
making responsible and informed choices online.

Internet Matters – Advice by Age

Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology

Artificial intelligence is increasingly part of children’s digital lives through search engines, games, apps, chatbots, image generators and other online services.

At Mereside, children are introduced to AI in an age-appropriate way.

We help pupils understand that AI can be useful and creative, but that content generated by AI is not automatically accurate or trustworthy.

Children are encouraged to:

question where information has come from;
check important information using reliable sources;
recognise that photographs, videos, voices and other content can be altered or artificially generated;
avoid entering personal or private information into unfamiliar services; and
speak to an adult if an AI tool or online interaction produces something upsetting, inappropriate or confusing.

Parents should also check the age requirements and privacy settings of AI services before allowing children to use them independently.

Keeping Children Safe in School

We take appropriate measures to protect children when they access technology in school.

School internet access and devices are protected through appropriate filtering and monitoring systems as part of our safeguarding arrangements.

These arrangements are regularly reviewed to ensure they continue to respond appropriately to changing technology and emerging online risks.

Children are supervised appropriately when using technology and are taught that the same expectations for Ready, Respectful and Safe behaviour apply when using digital technology.

Personal mobile devices are managed in accordance with our school policies and current national guidance.

You can find further information in our Online Safety Policy.

Current Online Safety Issues

The online world changes quickly. New apps, games and trends can create opportunities for children but may also introduce new risks.

Some of the issues we regularly provide guidance about include:

gaming and Roblox;
WhatsApp and group chats;
social media;
online challenges and trends;
livestreaming;
cyberbullying;
misinformation and fake news;
scams and phishing;
screen time and digital wellbeing;
artificial intelligence;
AI-generated images and videos;
privacy and location tracking; and
inappropriate or harmful content.

Our Online Safety Newsletter

Mereside Online Safety Newsletter – September 2026

#WakeUpWednesday

What is Wake Up Wednesday?

Our #WakeUpWednesday guides provide families with short, practical information about current apps, games and online trends.

#WakeUpWednesday is a weekly online safety campaign from The National College. 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.

Image Altering Filters

App Play Store

Online Trends Encouraging Violence

Streaming Services

Adult Animated Content

Whatsapp – 2026

Roblox 2026

Digital Devices Wellbeing

Essential Online Safety

Mental Health Misinformation Online

Festive tips for a screen free Christmas

Useful Websites for Parents and Carers

We recommend the following trusted sources of information:

Internet Matters
Practical advice about devices, apps, games, parental controls and online issues.

CEOP Education
Resources from the National Crime Agency to help children and families stay safe online.

Childnet
Online safety resources and conversation starters for families.

NSPCC Online Safety
Advice about keeping children safe online and responding to concerns.

UK Safer Internet Centre
Advice, resources and information about current online safety issues.

The National College – #WakeUpWednesday
Regular guides covering apps, games, devices and emerging online trends.

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.

EYFS

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Parents' Area

Parent Support

Content

Online Safety