The pros and cons of social media and how to be prepared for today’s online life are the subject of a series of briefings for parents and pupils at Ockbrook School in Derbyshire by online safety consultant Traci Good.
The new briefings kick off on Thursday 25th January with a special session for parents. This follows two initial staff training sessions that identified the need for an inclusive approach to internet safety involving staff, parents and importantly, pupils. This aligns with a new piece of research commissioned by Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner in England.
The research called ‘Life in Likes’ looks into the effects of social media on children aged eight to 12 and has led for calls for schools to play a ‘bigger role’ in preparing younger pupils for the ‘emotional demands’ of social media.
Tom Brooksby is headmaster at Ockbrook School. He says: “We have noticed that parents are equipping their children with smartphones at an increasingly young age and therefore we all need to consider how we support them and ensure their online safety. Our children are very much in uncharted waters with this technology and the full effects cannot possibly be known at this stage, so Ockbrook School will do everything it can to protect, educate and prepare our young people for these new challenges.
“Traci is a familiar face about school, having trained our staff on online safety. As a school, we already embed online safety and best practice as part of our ICT and PSHCE curriculum, with children encouraged to share their online experiences with their parents and staff as appropriate. The sessions planned with Traci draw on her specialist experience and expertise in specific areas of online safety.”
Traci Good is a Child Exploitation and Online Protection ambassador and her training is approved and accredited by Derby City and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Boards.
For further information visit www.ockbrooksch.co.uk
