Online Safety
As the world becomes more and more digital, keeping your child safe online becomes more and more important. Given the rate at which new services pop up, we know that staying on top of this can seem like an insurmountable challenge.
What we do
As a computing focused school you can rightly expect that our systems lead the way in keeping students safe online. We place our focus in two key areas:
- Education Ensuring students are taught about how to make use of technology whilst being mindful of digital well-being. Through our PSHE programme we discuss issues such as how to recognise fake news, appropriate behaviors online and what measures you can take to keep your identity safe.
- Monitoring All computer activity is carefully monitored at our site. Students can only access devices through credentials that are unique to them. This allows us to insure that they do not have access to websites or material that we deem unsafe. In addition, keyword detection is constantly on guard for any behaviours that could be deemed harmful. For example, messages sent via email will be automatically captured (and staff alerted) if they contain offensive terms.
It is our intention that between these measures most potentially harmful behaviours are caught allowing us to have informed conversations with all involved.
What you can do
As with everything we do here at Logic, we are as in control as we can be during the school day, beyond this there are limitations to what we are able to do. This is where our partnership with parents becomes so important.
It is vital that you speak to your child regularly about their use of social media, the internet and everything else digital. This should not be to enforce rules or judge, but to allow you to build up a picture of ‘normal’ behaviour. By doing so, you will find it easier to spot abnormal behaviour. It is also key that your child feels confident to talk to you about their experience.
Included on this page are a number of fact sheets to empower you to have more meaningful discussions with your child around some of the apps they choose to use.
On top of this, your internet service provider (BT, Virgin, Sky etc) will likely have a number of tools that you can use to filter, monitor or restrict what devices are able to do in your own home. For instance, BT Parental Controls allow you to set different access levels for different devices in your home.
We would also direct you to information from the NSPCC and Childline that you may find supportive.
As with everything, communication with us is so important. If you have any concerns at all, please do contact us here, or email a member of the team.
Understanding and Navigating Online Harms
At Logic School, the safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority. In line with our commitment to safeguarding, we aim to equip parents and carers with the knowledge needed to protect children in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
While the internet offers incredible opportunities for learning and connection, young people can encounter risks. To help make sense of these, online harms are generally categorised into four main areas: Content, Contact, Conduct, and Commerce.
Content: What They See
This involves exposure to illegal, inappropriate, or harmful material. Even if children aren’t actively searching for it, algorithms can inadvertently push harmful content onto their feeds.
- Risks include: Exposure to violent or graphic content, pornography, fake news, radicalisation/extremism, and material promoting self-harm, suicide, or disordered eating. As artificial intelligence technology advances, we are seeing a rise in its malicious use to target young people. A major concern is the creation of “deepfakes”—highly realistic, manipulated videos, audio recordings, or images generated by AI. These can be used by peers or malicious actors online for cyberbullying, public humiliation, or extortion (known as “financial sextortion”), often by superimposing a student’s face onto inappropriate or explicit content.Additionally, AI-powered chatbots can sometimes generate harmful or misleading advice, and automated tools make phishing scams and online grooming tactics appear much more convincing. We encourage parents to talk openly with their children about the fact that digital media can be entirely fabricated, and to remind them never to share photos or personal details with AI bots or unverified accounts.
- What to look out for: Sudden changes in your child’s mood, secretive device use, or expressing highly unusual or extreme views.
Contact: Who They Interact With
This involves harmful online interactions with other users. The anonymity of the internet means individuals can easily hide their true identities.
- Risks include: Online grooming, radicalisation, or adults posing as young people to exploit children sexually, criminally, or financially. It also includes intense peer pressure within group chats.
- What to look out for: Your child receiving gifts, money, or packages from unknown sources, or becoming defensive about who they are messaging.
Conduct: How They Behave
This relates to a young person’s own digital footprint and personal online behaviour, which can unintentionally cause harm to themselves or others.
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Risks include: Cyberbullying, sending or receiving explicit images (sexting/youth-produced sexual imagery), and sharing non-consensual content (such as revenge pornography).
- What to look out for: Becoming highly distressed after checking their phone, withdrawing from family, or a sudden drop in school attendance.
Commerce: Commercial Risks
This area focuses on financial exploitation, scams, and the commercial pressures targeted at young people online.
- Risks include: In-game gambling (such as “loot boxes”), phishing scams, identity theft, hidden subscription costs, and exposure to aggressive targeted advertising.
- What to look out for: Unexplained charges on bank cards, or an obsession with purchasing digital items in video games.
3 Essential Steps for Parents
- Keep Conversations Open: Talk to your child regularly about what they enjoy doing online. If they know they won’t automatically have their device confiscated, they are far more likely to come to you if something goes wrong.
- Utilise Parental Controls: Ensure that privacy settings are activated on all apps, consoles, and home Wi-Fi networks. Restrict location-sharing features on apps like Snapchat and Instagram.
- Encourage Boundaries: Keep tech out of bedrooms overnight to encourage healthy sleep routines, and model good digital habits yourself.
Support & Guidance Organisations
If you are worried about your child or need advice on how to set up safety features, the following independent organisations offer excellent, free support:
- Internet Matters: Provides excellent, step-by-step guides for setting up parental controls on specific devices, networks, and gaming consoles.
- NSPCC Online Safety: Offers practical advice on how to talk to your child about online safety, sexting, and online gaming.
- Childnet: Features toolkits, activities, and advice specifically designed for parents and carers of teenagers.
- CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection): The dedicated police command where you can directly report suspicious online behavior or suspected grooming.
Worried About a Student?
If you have an immediate safeguarding concern regarding a student at Logic School please contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), John Cadogan by emailing j.cadogan@logicstudioschool.
