Category: E Safety tips for families

E Safety tips for families

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about: Nintendo Switch 2 🎮

New name, new features… same concerns? 🎮🛑 The Nintendo Switch 2 is the Japanese gaming giant’s latest console, and while it boasts impressive updates, it also brings a few new features for parents and educators to be aware of.

From the arrival of real-time GameChat 🗣️ and a plug-in camera 📷 to an easier path to mature content 🔞 and in-app spending 💸, there’s a lot to consider. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide sets out what adults need to know, and how they can keep gaming fun and safe for the children in their care🛡️.

Grab our guide below!National Online Safety

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This guide is from National Online Safety.

 

E Safety tips for families

Smartphone Free Schools

You may have seen in the local news a collective letter from 11 of the 63 city’s headteachers promoting smartphone free schools and childhoods. Please be aware that Lord Deramore’s wholeheartedly promotes the principles of this collective letter. We have always actively promoted phone-free childhoods and do a lot of work with our junior children around the pitfalls of smartphones, internet and excessive screen use.

Whilst we know that a small minority of our oldest pupils have to bring in phones for safety or logistical reasons, we ask that you only allow this for exceptional reasons and that you please consider using smart free alternatives.

The use of mobile phones, smartphones or smart watches are not permitted during the school day. In exceptional cases where children need to bring them into school, they must be turned off and handed to their class teacher for the full day. School does not take any responsibility for the safety of such devices and are not liable for any lost or stolen personal belongings (our school insurance does not cover for this).  

https://www.smartphonefreechildhood.org/Mr Rourke

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E Safety tips for families

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about: Youtube Kids

YouTube Kids is designed to be the safer cousin of the regular YouTube app; however, built-in risks continue to pose concerns 👀 From targeted advertising to addictive design, there’s more going on behind the scenes than many realise. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide breaks it all down.

Whether it’s inappropriate content slipping past filters or tech-savvy kids bypassing parental settings, YouTube Kids still needs careful oversight. Our guide provides clear, easy-to-follow tips to help adults keep young users protected while still enjoying their favourite videos 🎬🛡

Grab our guide below!National Online Safety

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This guide is from National Online Safety.

 

E Safety tips for families

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about: Violent Content Online

Around 70% of teenagers say they’ve seen real-life violence on social media in the past year. Violent content online isn’t just something young people are occasionally stumbling across – in many cases, it’s becoming a routine part of their digital world 📱. From fights 🥊 and stabbings 🗡️ to toxic ideologies ☣️, disturbing videos are often just a click away on social media or group chats.

This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide highlights the unseen risks this poses to children’s mental health 🧠, sense of safety 🛡️, and social behaviours. With insights from a leading expert 👩‍🏫, it offers practical ways for parents and educators to respond with empathy 💞 and support 🤝 – not punishment or panic 🚫.

Grab our guide below!National Online Safety

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This guide is from National Online Safety.

 

E Safety tips for families

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about: Minecraft

Still the best-selling game of all time, Minecraft has hundreds of millions of players – making it more important than ever to stay informed. With its vibrant worlds 🌍 and endless potential for creativity 🧱 it’s no wonder Minecraft continues to capture young imaginations 💭

With the Minecraft movie hitting cinemas in April, interest in the game has remained strong🎬 But whether they’re mining resources or building digital castles, children could also encounter strangers, scary content or bullying behaviour online.

We’ve created this free guide offering parents and educators the latest top tips on how to keep children safe from issues like griefing, chat risks, and unintended purchases, while still embracing the game’s educational and creative benefits 🎮💡

Grab our guide below!National Online Safety

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This guide is from National Online Safety.

E Safety tips for families

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Making Friends Online

Making friends online can open doors to exciting new experiences 🌍💬 – but it can also expose children to serious risks 🚩😟 Around 19% of children aged 10 to 15 in England and Wales have chatted online with someone they’ve never met face to face. Our latest #WakeUpWednesday guide explores how young people form connections online and what trusted adults should know. 

With expert advice on encouraging safer habits 🔐, spotting red flags 🚨 and keeping communication open 🗣️, this week’s free guide offers valuable guidance for parents and educators alike. It’s all about helping children navigate online friendships safely, confidently — and most importantly, happily 💛🙂

Grab our guide below!National Online Safety

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This guide is from National Online Safety.

E Safety tips for families

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Streamers

You may already know that livestreaming plays a major role in children’s entertainment, with a wide range of personalities influencing young viewers in both positive and negative ways. While watching streamers can be fun, it also comes with significant risks, including misinformation, 💰 financial harms, and ⚠️ inappropriate content.

Popular streaming platform Twitch has over 2.5 million viewers at any given time, which is why it’s more important than ever to stay informed. This week’s guide 📖, also available as a podcast 🎧, explores the potential dangers of livestreaming and offers essential insights to help you protect the children in your care.

Grab our guide below!National Online Safety

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This guide is from National Online Safety.

E Safety tips for families

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Roblox

Online multiplayer games like Roblox are enjoyed by millions across the world and can be a great way for friends to socialise; however, they can also expose young people to variety of potential harms. Roblox is a multi-platform game that enables people to play anonymously, which can often be something that attracts people to misuse the game and put younger players at risk of harm.

In addition to interacting with random strangers across the world, it’s important to be aware of other risk factors, such as in-game purchases and potential scams that can put young people at risk financially.  We’ve created this week’s free guide – also available in podcast format – offering parents and educators expert advice about what can be done to ensure that young people have a safe and enjoyable experience with Roblox.

Grab our guide below!National Online Safety

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This guide is from National Online Safety.

E Safety tips for families

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Marvel Rivals

If there are two things that are popular nowadays, it’s Marvel and video games. Marvel Rivals is a new release combining these two into one, letting players take on the role of various superheroes 🦸‍ and villains 🦹 ‍in a competitive multiplayer shooter 🎮💥 At the time of writing, the title has proven immensely successful: with the developer, NetEase, reports that as many as 40 million people are playing the game – many of whom will be children, owing to the game’s PEGI 12 age rating.

While most of Marvel’s content has been family–friendly (and this game has been deemed suitable for children as young as 12), this title does still present numerous potential risks to children and young people 🚨⚠️ We’ve put together this week’s free guide – also available in podcast format 🎙️ offering parents and educators expert advice on the potential pitfalls of Marvel Rivals and how to protect its younger players. 

Grab our guide below!National Online Safety

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This guide is from National Online Safety.

E Safety tips for families

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Fake News & Scams

‘Fake news’ is a widespread issue in the digital world, and it’s overwhelmingly likely that both children and adults will be exposed to it online ❌📰 In fact, a study from the Alan Turing Institute has found that 94% of people in the UK have encountered misinformation on social media 📈 and that’s only the ones who were aware of it! 

However, while some fake news is shared mistakenly by well-meaning individuals, it’s also shared by scammers and other cyber-criminals to lend legitimacy to their con. While this presents a clear risk to children and young people online, the question remains as to how we can protect them against such tactics 🛡️ This week’s free guide offers expert advice on the specific ways scammers use misinformation and how to safeguard younger users against these techniques. 

Grab our guide below!National Online Safety

Click for a larger .pdf version

This guide is from National Online Safety.