MENU THE DE LA SALLE ACADEMY Inspiring People; Breaking Boundaries HOME»REMOTE LEARNING»STAYING SAFE ONLINE Staying Safe Online Keeping Our Students Safe in an Online Learning Environment We understand that in times like these, your greatest worry is the health, safety and well-being of your child. Please rest assured that our staff remain committed to prioritising and staying vigilant about safeguarding your child even while we all adjust to this new online learning environment. Students come first in all that we do and so safeguarding and child protection are always a central focus. Now that we are moving to a new online learning environment because of Covid, the ways in which our staff and students interact may be different, but we remain committed to providing a safe environment for each of our students. What is the difference between an offline and online learning classroom environment? Working together online means students and teachers are engaging in learning activities in a more informal setting, different from the usual professional classroom environment. How have we encouraged teaching staff to maintain professional standards online? All staff have been trained on our comprehensive Safeguarding Policy, and regularly revisit the Code of Conduct – which makes clear our professional standards. Teachers use school-approved online learning platforms when working with their students. Given the online format, teachers are reminded that they are entering a student’s personal sphere and so are expected to be aware of their dress, behaviour and their own location, maintaining professionalism at all times. Teachers will never share inappropriate material or personal contact details with students. How will teachers monitor students’ well-being in an online environment? Our staff have been trained on our safeguarding policy to be attentive to both verbal and non-verbal cues that a student may be distressed, anxious or stressed. Our teachers know their students well and are trained to pick up unusual behaviour or concerns, including through writing, drawings and, of course, words. How should an incident be reported in an online learning environment? The procedures remain the same as in an offline environment. Request an immediate conversation with the school’s safeguarding contact if you believe a student is at immediate risk. The BBC has also published 8 things students should consider when online. These are: Online friendships Try to think of your online world as an extension of your offline friendships. Include friends in your activities. It can feel just as hurtful to be left out of online games or chat as offline ones. Be careful how you word things, as sometimes the written word can be misinterpreted. Consider whether important conversations, like resolving conflicts, might be better done face to face. Be respectful Respect your friends on social media. Don’t post photos of them that they might find embarrassing without asking first – and take them down straight away if someone asks you to. Try to be mindful of how your posts will make people feel before you put them up. You’ll care about what other people post about you – so be courteous to others too. Be aware of your digital footprint Every time you go online you leave a digital 'footprint' which shows others where you are and what you have been doing. While posting pictures and videos is great for sharing with friends and being creative, always remember that once an image or file is online it’s likely to stay there forever. Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your grandma to see. Think before you post Social media and some websites can be great for airing your opinions. However, you risk saying or writing things on the spur of the moment that you may later regret. Try to put your point across in a positive or neutral way. It will have more impact and shouldn’t cause offence. When you respond to something someone has said, remember there’s a person at the other end who has feelings, just like you do. Know who you're dealing with Lots of people only play or chat with people they know in person, and that’s a sensible approach. But if you do meet people you don’t know, use the same caution that you would offline. People may not be who they say they are, so be mindful about what you say about yourself. Keep chat general and if you are concerned that someone’s asking for personal details, stop contact and tell a trusted adult. Never arrange to meet someone you only know online. Protect your identity When using the internet never give out personal information, such as your number, where you live or what school you go to – it’s a big no-no. If you are using social media check your privacy settings and make sure only friends can see your posts. It's not always real life Photos and posts can exaggerate real life. Think about it - we usually select our prettiest, happiest pictures (you rarely see posts about going to the supermarket with your mum, or photos of a massive spot). Images of other people’s (carefully chosen) perfect lives can leave you feeling low, but they rarely tell the whole story. Keep a healthy balance The internet is a fantastic resource for playing, sharing, and learning. But if you find yourself spending a lot of time online, or thinking about it when you could be doing fun 'real world' things, maybe it’s time to back off a bit. There’s a whole world out there. It’s about striking a balance. GOOGLE CLASSROOM CLASS CODES HOW TO USE GOOGLE CLASSROOMS - VIDEO TUTORIALS LEARNING EXPECTATIONS STAYING SAFE ONLINE USEFUL LINKS - ONLINE SAFETY SUPPORT FOR PARENTS PRINCIPAL - MISS A. FREEMAN BA (HONS), QTS, NPQH DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - MR I. MAKIN BA (HONS), QTS SENCO - MS J. BOOTH CHAIR OF GOVERNORS - MR A. LAVELLE FOLLOW US © THE DE LA SALLE ACADEMY 2021 HIGH VISIBILITY VERSION SITEMAP WEBSITE BY E4EDUCATION BACK TO TOP Cookie Policy This site uses cookies to store information on your computer. Click here for more informationAllow CookiesCookie Settings