Over the lockdown period, we’ve received reports from parents regarding unsuitable messages being sent by pupils to other children. We know that the vast majority of our pupils will be following the online safety rules taught in school in order to be responsible digital citizens. However, some children are not following these rules. This is wholly unacceptable and is causing distress for some pupils. If such activities continue, we recommend that parents contact the police.

Can parents please monitor your child’s activities online and ensure they are accessing age-appropriate content and apps when online.

As a guide, nearly all social media services require users to be at least 13 years old to access and use their services. This includes Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram. However, the minimum age for WhatsApp is 16. Whilst there is no age restriction for watching videos on YouTube, you need to be at least 13 years old to have your own YouTube account.

For YouTube, parents should also consider the range of content on this platform that would be unsuitable to be viewed by children, especially if they are unsupervised. YouTube Kids has been created to give children a more contained environment that makes it simpler and more fun for them to explore on their own.

Also, please remember settings can be adjusted to apply restrictions on devices to limit what can be accessed online to keep your children safe.