Online Safety

At St Peter’s, keeping children safe online is a high priority and is embedded across our school culture. Our progressive online safety curriculum runs from Reception through to Upper Key Stage 2, ensuring children continually build the knowledge, resilience, and practical skills they need to navigate the digital world safely.

Our Core Curriculum Strands

Our online safety curriculum is structured around seven key themes, allowing pupils to revisit and master age-appropriate concepts year on year:

• Self Image & Identity: From recognising rules for using technology in Early Years, children progress to exploring online identities, gender stereotypes, and making responsible choices about how they represent themselves online.

• Online Relationships: Children learn what they can put online safely, how to communicate respectfully, how to recognise healthy and unhealthy interactions, and how to support peers who are facing difficulties online.

• Online Reputation: Pupils learn how to behave online in ways that do not upset others, how content posted online affects personal and public reputation, and strategies to manage digital profiles positively.

• Online Bullying: Children learn why anyone experiencing bullying is never to blame, how to recognise banter versus bullying, and how to effectively report concerns and access support both in school and externally (such as via Childline).

• Privacy & Security: Pupils learn to identify private information, understand that internet use is monitored, and develop practical strategies for creating strong passwords and understanding online terms and conditions.

• Managing Online Information: Children learn to search responsibly, recognise that not all opinions or information online are true, and develop critical evaluation skills to assess misinformation and disinformation.

• Health, Wellbeing and Lifestyle: Pupils identify rules that help keep them safe and healthy when using technology in and beyond the home.

Whole-School Events

Alongside our weekly lessons, we raise awareness across the school community by marking Safer Internet Day each February and exploring online safety themes during Anti-Bullying Week.

Supporting Families at Home

We understand how challenging it can be to guide our children through the complexities of staying safe online, especially with how quickly things change. To support you in this effort, we share a monthly Knowsley Online Safety Newsletter packed with valuable advice and information. This resource aims to keep you informed and equipped to help your child navigate the online world safely.

(You can view and download our latest monthly newsletters and our full Online Safety Policy below).

Further Information & Parent Support

For additional guidance, tools, and advice to help keep your child safe online outside of school, please explore these trusted external organisations and our school documents:

• UK Safer Internet Centre: Parent guides, advice on setting up parental controls, and resources to help families use technology safely.

• Internet Matters: Age-specific online safety checklists, step-by-step guides for popular apps, games, and social media platforms.

• NSPCC Online Safety: Expert advice on talking to children about online safety, managing screen time, and setting up home boundaries.

• CEOP Safety Centre: Guidance for parents and a direct reporting tool if you are worried about online abuse or grooming.

• Childline: Free, confidential support and advice for children and young people, available online or by calling 0800 1111.