Keeping children safe online is a shared responsibility between school and home. We want to support families of children with special educational needs by offering clear, practical guidance to help make the online world safer, calmer, and more positive.

 

Why Online Safety Matters

Many children enjoy using tablets, computers, and phones to learn, play, and relax. For children with additional needs, the internet can be a wonderful tool—but it can also bring risks such as:

• Seeing upsetting or confusing content
• Talking to people they do not know
• Spending too much time online
• Difficulty understanding what is real or safe online

With the right support, children can enjoy technology safely and confidently.

 

How Parents and Carers Can Help at Home

• Develop family rules together about online use
• Learn about new apps, games and social media
• Balance screen time with offline activities
• Make use of parental controls and other safety settings. This can help protect your child from online harms

 

Support From School

• We teach online safety – adapting our teaching to meet the diverse needs of our pupils
• We use filtering and monitoring systems on school devices
• We work closely with families to support individual needs

If you have concerns about your child’s online use at home, please contact our Family Services Team.

 

Here are some online safety guides and resources to help you keep your children safe in the digital world.

 

Internet Matters

Internet Matters provides the latest information and advice on the social network apps and games that children are using. HTTPS://WWW.INTERNETMATTERS.ORG/

 

National Online Safety App

National Online Safety also has a mobile app that empowers parents to understand and address online safeguarding risks – anytime, anywhere. Set parental controls so that you can block certain sites, images and content online. You can download the app via Android Google Play or Apple Store. HTTPS://NATIONALONLINESAFETY.COM/

 

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command

If you are worried about online sexual abuse or the way someone has been communicating with your child online, let CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command) HTTPS://WWW.CEOP.POLICE.UK/SAFETY-CENTRE/

 

NSPCC

The NSPCC has partnered with Ambitious about Autism to bring online safety tips, advice and activities specifically for parents and carers of children with SEND. It includes reviews and guidance on the most popular social networks, apps and games that children use. HTTPS://WWW.NSPCC.ORG.UK/KEEPING-CHILDREN-SAFE/ONLINE-SAFETY/ONLINE-SAFETY-FAMILIES-CHILDREN-WITH-SEND/SUPPORTING-ONLINE-WELLBEING-FOR-CHILDREN-WITH-SEND/

ParentSafe

ParentSafe is a one-stop portal offering parents support and advice on safe settings, parental controls and monitoring, apps and games, talking to children about life online, screentime and key topics from bullying to extremism and gangs, fake news and more. HTTPS://PARENTSAFE.LGFL.NET/