ONLINE SAFETY AND ACCEPTABLE USE
Each year we send a copy of our Acceptable Use Agreements to parents/carers via the school newsletter. Staff and children also review and sign these agreements annually to confirm their commitment to safe and responsible internet use.
Class teachers discuss the agreements in detail with children, explaining how to use the internet safely both in school and at home. We encourage parents and carers to also talk to their child about safe online behaviour.
At school, children have supervised access to the internet. We take a number of important steps to keep them safe online, including teaching them never to share personal information or images, and encouraging them to speak to a trusted adult if they ever feel uncomfortable with something they see online.
We kindly ask all parents and carers to:
- Monitor their child’s internet usage at home.
- Restrict apps or websites that may contain age-inappropriate content.
HOW WE KEEP CHILDREN SAFE ONLINE AT SCHOOL
As part of our safeguarding measures, the school works with Bolton Schools ICT to provide a secure online environment. Measures include:
- Firewall and filtering on all devices provided by Schools ICT.
- Sophos UTM protection – an industry-leading firewall and filtering system.
- Web content filtering, including the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and Prevent watch lists.
- Data protection against viruses through firewall scanning.
- Customised filtering levels for pupils and staff, based on secure logins.
- Monitoring and reporting provided by Bolton SICT.
- Blocking of offensive language, adult content, abuse, or extremist material.
For further details on our filtering systems, please visit:
Bolton Schools ICT Internet Filtering
TEACHING ONLINE SAFETY
At Heathfield, online safety is taught explicitly and is summarised through the 4Cs:
- Content – What children see online.
- Conduct – How children behave online.
- Contact – Who children interact with online.
- Commerce – Understanding risks such as online scams and advertising.
We also share regular internet safety updates in our weekly newsletter to help families stay informed.
SUPPORT FOR PARENTS AND CARERS
If you have any concerns about online safety at school, or would like advice on setting up restrictions at home, please don’t hesitate to contact us.