Social Media:

We would like remind parents that the minimum age to open an account on  Facebook,TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Skype, Reddit, Secret and Snapchat is 13.

On WhatsApp it’s 16, and on Vine it’s 17. Some platforms, such as YouTube, WeChat and Kik, have a minimum age required of 18, although kids aged 13-17 can signup with parent’s permission.

Whilst many parents choose to allow younger children to use these services we cannot recommend this. To keep your children safe on social media parents should ensure that the correct privacy settings are enabled, and that appropriate adult supervision is provided while using online services.

Please follow the links below for further information...

Keeping your child safe when viewing videos such as Tik Tok...

If your child watches a video online that is disturbing, here is some advice to follow...

Gaming...

Net Aware offers this valuable advice for parents whose children are interested in online gaming...

TEAM tips to help keep your child safe online when playing online games:

• T =Talk to your child regularly about what they are doing online and how to stay safe. Let them know they can come to you or another trusted adult if they’re feeling worried or upset by anything they have seen. 
• E= Explore your child’s online activities with your child. Understand why they like using them and make sure they know what they can do to keep themselves safe.
• A = Agree your own rules as a family when using sites, apps and games. 
• M= Manage your technology and use the settings available to keep your child safe.

Fortnite:

Fortnite is becoming increasingly popular with young children. Below is a link with some advice on how to keep your child safe whilst using Fortnite. Please take some time to read this article if your child uses this game. Guidelines state that Fortnite is not suitable for children under the age of 12 due to violence and weapons that are used frequently throughout the game. 

Roblox:

Roblox is another channel that our pupils use to game and communicate online. Below is a guide to parents from the makers of Roblox with 3 key areas to ensure your child is safe when communicating and gaming online with this particular game. 

 Please follow the link below to read more on these three areas:

1. Communication: how Roblox can be used to communicate with other users
2. Content: what content is available on Roblox that might not be suitable for children
3. Costs: what ways children might accidentally run up costs while using Roblox

Minecraft:

Minecraft is a game that has progressively become one of the most popular games for Primary School aged children.

To help keep children safe on Minecraft, make sure:

• you know where they’re playing
• they’re using appropriate safety setting
• you talk to them about what to do if they see anything upsetting.

Below is a link to the NSPCC's parental guide. This includes interesting information about how Minecraft works and how to keep your child safe when they are playing online.