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James Saunders

SAFER INTERNET DAY - 11 FEBRUARY 2025

February is an important month for technology as it features Safer Internet Day - A day designed to help inspire a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively. Next week I shall be tackling this theme within my assemblies. However, internet safety is not just something we should focus on for one day; it should be of constant interest to us all. The national website for this event contains some useful resources for parents to engage in:

You can find further information and links in our monthly safeguarding newsletters.

The internet is wonderful. It has transformed the way we live, work and interact forever. However, for all the good technology does for us there remains many risks. Understanding how to use parental-controls is one way families can keep their children safe. Another way to protect children is to engage in the conversation. Some key advice includes the following:

• not using phones and mobile devices at the dinner table - talking as a family is very important for development

• keeping screens out of the bedroom at bedtime

• talking as a family about keeping safe online and

about cyberbullying and what children should do if they are worried

• not using phones when crossing a road or doing any other activity that requires a person’s full attention

• making sure children take regular breaks from screens by getting up and being active

SOCIAL MEDIA

Schools across the country are constantly dealing with situations in school that began outside of school. Situations such as these would not happen if social media had not been misused by children operating out of earshot late at night. Whilst we do our best to educate everyone about how to behave online and through social media it is our collective responsibility to ensure our learners are safe in their use of technology in and out of school. Parents, do you know how your children are using their technology in the evenings?

This year’s safer internet day theme is:

“Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online”

The topic of cyber security is one I am very familiar with. Learners that study Computer Science will have spent much time discussing the many things we can do to protect ourselves online. I thought I would ask a few of them for some advice. The top answers were all about the threat of Social Engineering and Phishing

SOCIAL ENGINEERING - the tactic of manipulating, influencing, or deceiving a victim in order to gain control over a computer system, or to steal personal and financial information.

PHISHING - when criminals use scam emails, text messages or phone calls to trick their victims. The aim is often to make you visit a website, which may

download a virus onto your computer, or steal bank details or other personal information.

Here are their top tips on things to look out for in phishing emails, texts or calls.

• You may be contacted unexpectedly

• You will be pressured into making a decision quickly - we call that a sense of urgency

• The scammer will pretend to be from a company or bank

• The scammer uses feelings like love, fear or worry to pressure you

• There is often an ‘emergency’ scenario that needs money to be fixed

• Personal or financial information is asked for

• Something or someone seems too good to be true

• Someone promises to make a lot of money quickly

• The scammer may ask you to use a different platform or website

• You will not be addressed personally

• There will probably be spelling and grammar errors

As a school that embraces technology it has always been our belief that educating about the risks is better than just taking action that can drive the behaviour associated with such risks underground and I would recommend that we all engage in the conversation and protect each other.

Have a lovely weekend.

James Saunders

STILL LOOKING FOR YOUR PROM OUTFIT?

The Stanway School has Prom dresses and suits to hire for a small donation. They are holding an event on Friday 28th February from 3.30 until 7pm, they will have bubbles on arrival (non alcoholic) music and sweet gifts, it is a cash/card donation and take away on the day. They have plenty of parking - follow the signs- and huge changing facilities.

APPRENTICESHIP FAYRE

C10 visited the Braintree campus of the Colchester Institute on Thursday to see the facilities, courses and apprenticeship programmes. They learnt that apprenticeships are available for post 16 and post 18 leading to degree courses.