Computing at St Michael’s aims to equip pupils with the knowledge and skills to use technology safely, responsibly, and effectively. Our goal is to prepare them with digital competencies they can carry forward beyond their time with us. We want pupils to understand the concept of a digital footprint and recognise their duty of care, to themselves and to others, when engaging with technology.

E-Safety In School

As part of your child’s education, we teach them how to stay safe online and when using technology. E-safety is embedded in our curriculum through computing lessons and PSHE, using age-appropriate resources.

We also dedicate time to Internet Safety Week every February, where parents are invited into school to develop their knowledge about keeping children safe online.

Here’s an outline of the key e-safety areas covered in our curriculum:

• Reception – Focus on being polite and courteous online and understanding what information is safe to share.
• Key Stage 1 – Learn the SMART rules (outlined below), what information is safe to share, develop positive online behaviours, and understand the importance of sharing any concerns with a responsible adult.
• Key Stage 2 – Build awareness of emailing safely, using chat rooms and social networking sites responsibly, and how to upload pictures/videos safely and appropriately.

As part of our continuing development and to enable us to teach the full curriculum, we will create a Google Chrome account for each child, as detailed in the letter sent to parents. This account will allow pupils to complete some schoolwork at home and access their account from any device. The account will only be used for school purposes, with restrictions in place on who pupils can email and limited website access when in school.

We are very aware that e-safety needs are constantly evolving in the fast-paced world of the internet and social media. We aim to keep parents informed by sending alerts as we become aware of new issues.

Alongside our ongoing e-safety curriculum, we hold a popular Internet Safety Day to help inform and advise parents.

If you require any further support or wish to discuss any safeguarding concerns, please contact one of our Designated Safeguarding Leaders (Mrs Berry and Mrs Westby).

We teach pupils about the SMART rules and ask them to follow these when online.