Internet Matters

Follow the link below to access top tips from Internet Matters. These handouts include e-safety advice when working with children up to age 10.

Is your child using 'Monkey'?

Monkey is a new social media app that has been identified as a potential threat to children in the local area. 

In essence, it’s being described as an app that enables children to contact strangers via FaceTime. 

Once a user registers for the Monkey App, they verify their phone number, age, SnapChat name and whether they are male or female. The app can then access the phone's contacts. Once this is done, ‘Monkey’ will try to connect a user with people from across the world of a similar age. Once connected, both users have to ‘add time’ to continue with the FaceTime, otherwise the chat will disconnect. When FaceTime has been enabled, there’s an option onscreen to add the person as a friend on SnapChat. It’s rated as being suitable for children aged 12+.

As a school, we feel it is important to make parents aware of this due to the potential dangers this app may present.

Is your child using Musical.ly?

Musical.ly is an app which allows children to record themselves singing and dancing to music. It has come to our attention that some of the children (particularly in Y5/6) are using this app and have not protected their accounts. This means that anyone, of any age, can view the children's videos and post comments. Of course, this provokes a range of online safety issues. We have spoken with Upper Faculty about this in school. 

Below, read the blog which will help you to understand Musical.ly a little more, and will explain how to ensure your child's account is private and well-protected, so that only their friends can view their online content. 

Internet Matters Resources

These handouts were issued at the school's E-Safety meeting in June. You should have then received them after they were sent home with all of the children the following day. See online copies below.

Be Share Aware

In March this year, the children of Years 4-6 were given A Parents' Guide to being Share Aware to take home. Within this guide from NSPCC, you can access free advice as to how to ensure your child's safety online, particularly when they begin to communicate with others and use social media. If you didn't receive a copy, we have a couple of spares in school. Feel free to pop in for a browse. Also access the NSPCC website for further advice.

Parent Zone

Follow the link below to read advice regarding online safety, including access to parent guides for apps and websites commonly used by children. Also, look out for the Parent Zone Digital Parenting Magazine which will be distributed by school soon!

Digiduck's Big Decision...

Use the link below to find out about a free app which you can download to guide you and your child's discussion about online safety. Follow Digiduck as he encounters online safety issues by downloading this free app onto your tablet.