Mobile Safeguarding Solution

Dear Parents,
As you are aware from previous correspondence over the last couple of terms, we take the digital welfare of our children extremely seriously and you may be aware there have been a number of issues that have arisen because of the inappropriate use of technology.

Also, recent events in the press and from our communications may have made you aware of the potential impact on your and other children from exposure to solicited and unsolicited inappropriate content from the internet. Such situations in our school have not only resulted in children being exposed to harmful material, but also time consuming interventions from staff who had to deal with the related issues.

We appreciate that school awareness and education campaigns with the children, led by our own staff and visitors with specialist knowledge, only go so far. This is due to the fast evolving world of technology that challenges all of us trying to keep our children safe from online threats and keeping content age appropriate.

Earlier this year, in line with the awareness and our concerns, we decided to offer the SchoolsMobile’s safeguarding solution to protect children online; the attraction was that parents can enable comprehensive protection much more easily than many other available products. Once activated it puts in place threat protection and controls to minimise the risks of accessing (and more worryingly being accessed by) inappropriate and potentially harmful digital content.

Did you know:

• The age rating for WhatsApp is 16?
• 90% of the SchoolsMobile user base has had adult/explicit related traffic blocked – all of which was unsolicited?
• It takes only 10 days from creating a new profile for a child to receive self-harm messages and content via the use of Instagram?
• A single visit to a website creates a data file of up to 500 personal data points that is then traded across the advertising world?

Some parents may not be aware of the age limits for apps, how threats are executed online, what applications to use for protection and indeed how SchoolsMobile is different from free device controls. We have therefore invited the team, led by two of our parents (Neil Buirski and Hoong Kwan) from SchoolsMobile to be here at school on Friday 18th November to help with any advice (about their solution or indeed about any measures you have in place). They are running a ‘drop in’ style clinic from 7.30am through to 9.00 am in the Music Room next to the bacon butties stall.
We know not all of you come to bacon butties so they have also agreed to run an online version at 7.00pm the same day. It will be open (drop in style) for 45 minutes and they will be on hand to help and answer any questions you may have.

We are striving to create a positive and balanced digital environment for children to flourish but in order to do so we really need your help and want to provide as much information to you as possible.

Paul Crisell
Designated Safeguarding Lead