For Charlie Claridge, ICT Coordinator and Year 3 Class Teacher at Broughton Junior School in Buckinghamshire, a key objective was to implement an approach to online safety which was structured.
However, it’s universally recognised that a teachers’ time is in short supply. This means the room and scope to plan a tailored path towards improving a school’s online safety provision, as well as improving their knowledge, very often isn’t feasible.
However, after joining National Online Safety, Claridge married the two above points together and successfully implemented a whole school approach to online safety at Broughton. This subsequently led to them recently achieving their Certified School status.
A more defined approach to online safety
Reviewing the resources available from National Online Safety, Claridge said: “The goals were to give the school a structure to find out the main themes which we were trying to tackle online, because e-safety is an umbrella for that.
“It was something which gave us a structure, was also a go-to for lesson resources, but also to tackle some of the e-safety problems which we’ve had in the past with parents.”
Classroom lesson plans engaging young minds
Claridge praised our clear and easy-to-use lesson plans which helped him to engage pupils.
“The lesson plans are really well laid out – they’re short and concise instructions for teachers. The lesson activities are also discussion based, so it allows the teacher to have a clear goal of what we’re trying to get from the session,” he explained.
“However, it’s not telling the children, it’s the children discussing it between themselves and working it out as the lesson goes on – rather than a rigid structure, which is something which really works for something like e-safety.
“They’ve (the children) reacted really well – There’s been lots of engagement and discussion. “It’s generally about building a culture of discussing the importance of e-safety, which is what we’re trying to do here.”
#WakeUpWednesday success
Like thousands of schools nationally and across the world, Broughton have felt the benefits from our weekly #WakeUpWednesday guides. These are designed to educate parents, teachers, carers and children on the latest online platforms, games or important topics in relation to e-safety.
Claridge stated: “The #WakeUpWednesday guides have been really useful. The children enjoy reading them because they are child friendly. They’re straight to the point so as a child and adult you get the clear facts of what you need.
“Children think that teachers don’t do anything outside of school! So, when you know about TikTok, WhatsApp or something they don’t expect you to, it helps you keep that bond and they feel like they can talk to you about it.”
Achieving certified status
Broughton Junior School achieved their accredited school status last year by following the steps on our Certified School Programme. It’s something which Claridge is very proud to have accomplished as a collective.
“The accreditation was a big incentive at the start. The criteria created that culture and brought everyone together,” he revealed.
“All of the staff had to do the training as did the governors and the safeguarding lead too. Everyone bought into it and it gave everyone a clean slate and direction to state where we were going.
“Now we’re very proud to be an accredited school, but I’m prouder of the culture which we’ve brought forward from having that accreditation.”
