Internet safety is still quite a new idea for lots of people so you may need to try lots of different ways to get parents and carers to engage. Holding an E-Safety session with a guest speaker works in lots of schools but there's more to involving parents and cares in E-Safety than a one-off session. To have impact E-Safety message needs to be given in small regular doses. Try some of these
- Get the PTA to run a coffee and cake morning and have them provide E-Safety advice and leaflets
- Have a resource desk at parents' evening where staff and those from other organisations, e.g. the police, can speak about online risks.
- Get pupils to run an Internet and You session - showing their parents (or parents of younger children) some of the exciting things they do online and to talk about how they keep themselves safe
- Hold assemblies for parents that involve pupils - Example from Wymondley Primary School
- Run transition events for Year 6 moving up into secondary school
- Have stalls at summer and winter fairs or school open days which could provide information and pamphlets
- Conduct a survey amongst your pupils on how they use the Internet. They results will probably surprise parents (especially of primary age pupils) and encourage them to find out more about safety issues
- Other things you might do Send a letter or text message to parents highlighting advice on Internet safety Include advice and guidance on E-Safety on school website with links to other sources of information such CEOP and Childnet Provide pupil presentations to governors and staffInvite a guest speaker or expert to present - E2BN can provide a speaker
If you are holding a Parent e-safety session...
- Have some pupils give part of the presentation. Having pupils involved in the E-Safety event can really help encourage parents to attend.
- Do lots of advertising about the event - posters (designed by pupils), letters home, school website, text messaging...whatever works well in your school community
- Make it a yearly event even if only a few parents attend. Once a few have attended and found it useful they'll soon tell others
- Reassure parents that E-Safety isn't about their technical skills. It's about behaviour and parenting!
- Get pupils to write a letter to their parents inviting them to the session and telling them why e-safety is important
- It's not always easy getting parents and carers into school for specific E-Safety events. Sometimes it makes sense to piggy-back an E-Safety event onto something else that is happening in school.