Online Safety

Keeping Students Safe Online

Technology plays an important role in the lives of our students and can provide valuable opportunities for learning, communication, independence and enjoyment.

At Fountains High School, online safety is an important part of our commitment to safeguarding and promoting students’ wellbeing. We support students to develop the knowledge, skills and awareness needed to use technology safely, responsibly and positively.

We encourage all students to speak to a safe adult if something online makes them feel worried, uncomfortable, unsafe or confused.

Our Approach to Online Safety

Online safety is embedded throughout school life and forms part of our wider safeguarding responsibilities.

Online safety education is delivered in an age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate way. Students are supported to develop awareness of the four key areas of online risk:

Content: being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful content.

Contact: being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users or generative AI applications that simulate this.

Conduct: online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm.

Commerce: risks such as online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing or financial scams.

Students also learn about:

• Protecting personal information and privacy.
• Healthy online relationships.
• Social media and gaming safety.
• Cyberbullying and online harassment.
• Online scams, misinformation and online influence.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies.
• Digital wellbeing and healthy screen use.

Filtering and Monitoring

Fountains High School uses appropriate filtering and monitoring systems on school devices and networks to help protect students from harmful or inappropriate content and support the identification of potential safeguarding concerns.

Our filtering and monitoring arrangements are regularly reviewed to ensure they remain effective, proportionate and supportive of teaching and learning.

Working in Partnership with Families

Keeping children and young people safe online is most effective when schools and families work together.

We encourage parents and carers to:

• Take an interest in their child’s online activity.
• Talk regularly about online safety.
• Know which apps, games and websites their child is using.
• Use parental controls and privacy settings where appropriate.
• Encourage their child to seek help if something online causes concern.
• Remind their child that they can always speak to a safe adult if something online worries them.

Esteem MAT Online Safety Video Library

Fountains High School is part of Esteem Multi-Academy Trust. We are pleased to share a range of online safety videos produced by Esteem MAT to support parents and carers in understanding online risks and practical strategies for keeping children and young people safe online.

Online Safety Videos

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Online Safety Resources

Further information, guidance and support can be found in our Safeguarding Resource Hub.

Visit Our Safeguarding Resource Hub.

Reporting an Online Safety Concern

If you are worried about a student’s online safety, please contact a member of our safeguarding team.

Concerns may include:

• Cyberbullying
• Online grooming or exploitation
• Inappropriate online contact
• Harmful, upsetting, or unsafe content
• Sharing of indecent images
• Online scams or fraud
• Concerns relating to social media, gaming or messaging platforms

Email: safeguarding@fountains-high.staffs.sch.uk
Telephone: 01283 247580 (Please ask to speak to a member of the Safeguarding Team)

All concerns are taken seriously and will be responded to in line with the school’s safeguarding and child protection procedures.

Students are encouraged to speak to a safe adult in school if they are worried about anything they have seen, experienced or been asked to do online.

Other Support

Emergency Support

If a child or young person is at immediate risk of harm, call 999 immediately.

Other Useful Contacts