Online Safety Newsletters
We are now offering parents a monthly online safety newsletter. This reinforces the message about the importance of online safety being at the centre of our digital lives. At St Mary’s, we want to do everything we can to support parents in keeping our children safe online.
December 2024
This month, our newsletter looks at the new technology that children may get at Christmas. It reminds parents of how important it is to set up parental controls and to check the age ratings of games and apps. The most recent AI app ‘Talkie AI’ is rated as 17+ Please see this article to understand why it is not appropriate for children in our school due to some of the harmful and inappropriate content. There is also a detailed article about Roblox that we would urge all parents to read if your child plays this game.
This month, our newsletter looks at the popular app WhatsApp. It reminds us that users should be at least 13 years old, so none of our pupils should be using this app. Parents also need to be aware that WhatsApp lacks parental controls, so if your child is using WhatsApp it is crucial to have regular conversations with them and also be a good role model with your own digital behaviour. There is also a very good article about YouTube.
November 2024
This month, our newsletter has guidance on the risks of mobile phones. EE has launched age guidance for smartphone usage to improve children’s digital wellbeing. In summary, they recommend that children under 11 should use non-smart devices. There are links to setting up parental controls if you do decide to allow your child to have a smart device.
October 2024
September 2024
This month, our newsletter explains how social media platforms use algorithms predict the type of content we are likely to engage. They do this so we spend more time on their platforms! There is also a link to a family quiz created by the NSPCC for you to complete as a family. It is centred around positive online wellbeing.
July 2024
This month, our newsletter looks at the Capcut app which is owned by TikTok. This is for age 12+ and the article highlights some of the things parents need to be aware of. There is also an article about harmful online challenges. Two mums share their tragic story of how they lost their sons to dangerous online challenges.
June 2024
This month, our newsletter looks at age ratings for films, games, apps and social media. It is important that we follow these to ensure that what our children are doing or seeing online is appropriate for their age.
This month, our newsletter looks at the impact of online activity for your child’s mental health with useful links for further information. Other articles include online addiction, WhatsApp group warnings and misinformation.
May 2024
This month, there is lots of information about cyberbullying. There is also a useful section on group chats with links to the NSPCC. Parents are also made aware of the game Poppy Playtime and highlights some of the unsuitable images used in this game.
April 2024
March 2024
This month, there is advice on the popular game Fortnite. Parents are made aware of the online chat function within the game and the ability to purchase items from the app. The newsletter also provides links on how to set up parental controls for this game.
This month, there is advice on setting up parental controls on your child’s mobile phone and Playstation. There is some useful information on age recommendations for social media and lots of links to helpful videos to ensure your child is staying safe online.