At Wickham Common Primary School we recognise that we have a duty of care to ensure that all users of the school are kept safe from harm. We are committed to providing a secure and supportive environment in which children can be nurtured and encouraged to reach their full potential. All our staff, governors and volunteers have had the appropriate level of safeguarding training and know what procedures to follow if they suspect a child is being abused or neglected.

We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Child Protection Policy which can be viewed in the Policies section of our website. These policies are underpinned by Bromley Safeguarding Children Board procedures and also by ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (DfE 2022).

The school’s staff, volunteers, governors and service providers recognise that safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is a shared responsibility with parents and other carers. Therefore if you have any concerns about a child’s welfare or the conduct of a member of staff, governor or volunteer please contact a member of our safeguarding team on 02084624927 or by email wickhamcommon@compassacademytrust.org. Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is Miss R Williams (Headteacher). Our Deputy Safeguarding Leads are Mrs B Liston (Inclusion leader) and Mrs A Foley.

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You can also contact Bromley Social Care yourself on 020 8461 7373 / 7379 / 7026 or the NSPCC helpline on  0808 800 5000

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E-SAFETY

As a parent or carer you play a key role in helping your child to stay safe online.

You don’t need to be an expert on the internet to help keep your child stay safe online. Our advice and resources are here to support you as you support your child to use the internet safely, responsibility and positively.

As the Internet becomes ever more accessible, it is important to remember about using the Internet safely. The term e-safety is used to cover this area. 

Good practices include, keeping your username and password safe and not sharing it with others, as well as, to tell a trusted adult if someone or something has made you uncomfortable or worried whilst on the Internet.

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There are many websites out there to help you to safeguard online, below are some useful websites:

Government guidance:
 

The Home Office has published guidance for parents and carers about keeping children safe online during coronavirus (COVID-19) (Home Office, 2020).

In England, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has published guidance to help people stay safe online during the pandemic. This includes advice for parents and carers (DCMS, 2020).

Helpful advice:

What are the issues?

The internet – on the whole an inspiring and positive place

The internet is an amazing resource which enables children and young people to connect, communicate and be creative in a number of different ways, on a range of devices.

However, the internet is always changing, and being able to keep up to date with your children’s use of technology can be a challenge.

You may sometimes feel that your children have better technical skills than you do, however children and young people still need advice and protection when it comes to managing their lives online.

Issues that your child may encounter on the internet will vary depending on their age and online activities. We have grouped potential online risks into these 4 categories. 

 
Conduct: Children may be at risk because of their own behaviour, for example, by sharing too much information.

Children need to be aware of the impact that their online activity can have on both themselves and other people, and the digital footprint that they create on the internet. It’s easy to feel anonymous online and it’s important that children are aware of who is able to view, and potentially share, the information that they may have posted. When using the internet, it’s important to keep personal information safe and not share it with strangers. Discuss with your child the importance of reporting inappropriate conversations, messages, images and behaviours and how this can be done.

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Content: age-inappropriate or unreliable content can be available to children.

Some online content is not suitable for children and may be hurtful or harmful. This is true for content accessed and viewed via social networks, online games, blogs and websites. It’s important for children to consider the reliability of online material and be aware that it might not be true or written with a bias. Children may need your help as they begin to assess content in this way. There can be legal consequences for using or downloading copyrighted content, without seeking the author’s permission.

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Contact: children can be contacted by bullies or people who groom or seek to abuse them

It is important for children to realise that new friends made online may not be who they say they are and that once a friend is added to an online account, you may be sharing your personal information with them. Regularly reviewing friends lists and removing unwanted contacts is a useful step. Privacy settings online may also allow you to customise the information that each friend is able to access. If you have concerns that your child is, or has been, the subject of inappropriate sexual contact or approach by another person, it’s vital that you report it to the police via the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (www.ceop.police.uk). If your child is the victim of cyberbullying, this can also be reported online and offline. Reinforce with your child the importance of telling a trusted adult straight away if someone is bullying them or making them feel uncomfortable, or if one of their friends is being bullied online.

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Commercialism: young people can be unaware of hidden costs and advertising in apps, games and websites

Young people’s privacy and enjoyment online can sometimes be affected by advertising and marketing schemes, which can also mean inadvertently spending money online, for example within applications. Encourage your children to keep their personal information private, learn how to block both pop ups and spam emails, turn off in-app purchasing on devices where possible, and use a family email address when filling in online forms.

CEOP COMMAND

The NCA’s CEOP Command is here to help children and young people. They are here to help, if you are a young person and you or your friend have been forced or tricked into doing something online, or in the real world. 

They also have advice and links to support for other online problems young people might face, such as cyberbullying and hacking.