Online Safety - Advice and Support for Parents

We know that both at school and at home, children love using technology. It's exciting, it's fascinating and it can change their world opening up new experiences and opportunities as well as allowing them to access information and content quickly. It is and now always will be a significant means by which they communicate with friends and colleagues and access services - the best deals, terms and conditions will always be online and they'll be disadvantaged if they don't know how to get the most out of their technology use.

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But as adults we also know that there's a danger, a huge danger potentially, in children using their trusted devices in the comfort of their safe, secure classroom, school or home. There's a gulf between the 'wow' and the reality of interacting with a world of strangers. This could have significant impact on their safety as well as their ongoing wellbeing.

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We're also mindful that not only can schools (& parents) never keep up with 'teaching' children how to use new technologies, tools and apps, but that most of that learning has always been done 'as they go'. And in that very real and effective way of learning, in itself, there are dangers and presumptions about how well children really understand this new, exciting world of openness they are in. We assume they will understand and make good, informed choices. But assuming is really not enough.

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As parents ourselves we know that it can be really very hard to get the balance between ensuring appropriate access and not alienating & ostracising children from their friends. There are lots of commercial solutions on the market but there are also lots of devices and operating systems and the two are not always compatible. 

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We want to keep our children safe and we want to help parents to do the same by providing trusted advice in one place. Here is a selection of advice & guidance from the Welsh Government's 'Hwb', the online learning environment for schools across Wales.

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