Academy Life

Safeguarding and Internet Safety

Safeguarding

Swindon Academy is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for children, staff and visitors and, promoting a climate where children and adults will feel confident about sharing any concerns which they may have about their own safety or the well-being of others.

Safeguarding Policy January 2021

Any policies mentioned in the Safeguarding Policy can be requested from Main Reception.

Sources of Advice for Parents

Youngminds.org.uk

Mental Health charity that signposts you to all the relevent support avialable. They also have leaflets and booklets that offer information on a variety of mental health issues from school problems to mental illness in families.

Uturn.swindon.gov.uk

U-turn is a specialist service that provides support, help and guidance to young people, 10 to 17 years of age(and their families), who have alcohol and/or drug-related problems.

For help and advice about a wide range of issues contact Childline who have trained counsellors to support you. Childline is free, confidential and available any time, day or night.

NSPCC

Support and tips to help you keep children safe. From advice on children’s mental health to staying safe online, support for parents and what to do if you’re worried about a child.

Internet Safety

New technologies and access to the internet enables children, parents and carers to gain information from a wide range of sources, such as social media, forums, inappropriate websites and makes cyber-bullying possible.

E-safety is a key priority at Swindon Academy. We aim to ensure pupils stay safe at school but also gain the knowledge and understanding of how to stay safe online whilst at home. You can find out more about our safeguarding by viewing our Safeguarding Policy and our Technology Policy.

Please take a moment to read the information provided in the links below to learn how you can protect yourself, if you are a student, or your child, if you are a parent.

'Save a Friend' Campaign

Swindon Academy is taking part in a new initiative called “Save a Friend” that has been launched by Swindon Borough Council and Wiltshire Police. This project has come about following reports of young people’s lives being lost and children being exploited by very well organised county line gangs across the UK. It is time for us all to stand up and say, “not in our town”.

We recognise that there are a small minority of children in Swindon who are engaging in risky and dangerous behaviours. We want all children in Swindon to be able to make positive choices in their lives with our support, therefore the project will provide information for parents and pupils to help keep children safe. For more information, please refer to the letter and Parents’ Guide below.

Save a Friend Letter

Save a Friend Parents' Guide

General e-safety guidance for parents

ThinkUknow Website

The thinkuknow website is a great place for young people to find out lots of information about the sites that they like to visit, new technology, even mobile phones. For those of you who look after young people there is an area for you too. There are resources you can use it home or to "get up to speed" with internet technology. You can also use this website to report a webpage or a person you have been chatting to online. The thinkuknow website is brought to you by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection [CEOP] Centre.

ChildNet Website

ChildNet is an excellent website that provides e-safety information for parents so you can keep your child safe.

Safer Internet Website

The Better Internet for Kids guide to online services aims to provide key information about some of the most popular apps, social networking sites and other platforms, which are commonly being used by children and young people (and adults) today.

BBC Webwise Website

The BBC Webwise website provides a range of educational materials designed to inform young people and parents about the safe way to use the internet.

Safe Use of Phones

Reporting concerns

If parents or pupils have any concerns about something they have seen online or someone they have been speaking to online. The following organisations can help:

Parents and young people are encourage to report internet abuse, such a inappropriate websites or someone who has behaved inappropriately online. Click the button below to report an incident.

Young people can also call ChildLine to discuss any concerns they have or any upsetting experiences have had online. Click the button below to go the ChildLine website.