Preston primary school praised for keeping children safe online as only 8% think sites are safe

A Preston primary school has been praised for its commitment to keeping its pupils safe online at a time of increased virtual learning.
By Jessica Hubbard
Published 7th Apr 2021, 15:45 BST
Updated 8th Apr 2021, 10:22 BST
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After extended periods of home learning, Ashton Primary School has taken steps to ensure its pupils stay safe when they use the internet.

A 'whole-school' approach has been adopted where pupils and teachers learn to protect themselves online.

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The school has also been recognised by training provider National Online Safety for its 'excellent' remote learning and was awarded Safe Remote Education

Pupils from Ashton Primary School hold their online safety certificates.Pupils from Ashton Primary School hold their online safety certificates.
Pupils from Ashton Primary School hold their online safety certificates.

Accreditation.

Year 4 teacher and computing subject leader Michelle Harrison-Baines, said: “We’re really pleased and proud because the whole school community has come together in order to achieve

this.

“The parents were really pleased with what the school has done and the whole school have also said how good National Online Safety is.

"We would definitely recommend National Online Safety to every school that we speak to!”

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According to a survey by charity NSPCC and YouGov, only 8% of adults thought sites are designed safely for children and 80% thought tech bosses should be fined if they fail to make their sites safe.

The digital training from National Online Safety is award-winning and is developed with Department for Education guidelines in mind.

School staff, leaders, teachers and parents are all involved in the training which aims to keep children safe in a digital age; especially with online and remote learning becoming more common.

Co-founder James Southworth, said: “Congratulations to everyone at Ashton Primary School on becoming a National Online Safety certified school.

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“It can be increasingly difficult for schools and parents to stay ahead of online threats and ensure both children and staff are safeguarded from potentially harmful and inappropriate online material.

"We arm schools with the knowledge they need to understand online dangers and how best to react to any problems.

"By completing our training programme, Ashton Primary has shown its strong commitment to implementing an effective whole-school approach to online safety."

More information about National Online Safety, its free app and keeping children safe online can be found at this website.

Related topics:PrestonNSPCC